Genre: Novel, Domestic Fiction.
Key Stage: Year 11+ (contains mature content)
The Easter Parade by Richard Yates (1976)
Reviewer: Tahemina, Year 12
Brief Synopsis: Published in 1976, this book is in the perspective of Emily Grimes, who is jealous of her sister called Sarah. Yates uses the character of Emily to describe the journey of her life. They grew up with divorced parents in the 1930s and lived with her mother, Pookie. This book explores the tragic lives of the two sisters, Emily’s experiences in continuous disappointments within her love affairs and Sarah’s early marriage life.
What I enjoyed/learnt/disliked: This is a short and bleak book but even though the sisters live different lives I thought that the simple way in which their lives are described and that the naturally limited set of alternatives they have chosen from also seemed quite realistic. Neither of the two sisters are happy and their relationship with each other becomes disappointing – it is almost as though the author is portraying that none of us have the life we want or aspire to and that our existence consists solely of making the best of what we have – even when we might not even succeed at that. I believe this book was genuinely touching, realistic and sad. However, even as I kept hoping that the characters would find fulfilment, if not happiness, I knew that the end was clearly visible.
Recommended: They Came Like Swallows by William Maxwell and Stoner by John Williams