I’m not sure what one says about Richard Yates beyond he’s fabulous. I’m making that statement having read only one book, but I’d be willing to bet it holds true over the whole of his writing career. BookTube is in love with Yates, and I’m so glad they encouraged me to give him a shot.
The Easter Parade is a character study of two sisters, Sarah and Emily, who take very different paths in life. They’re products of a broken marriage and eccentric parents. Sarah takes the traditional path of marriage and children. Emily goes the way of the progressive, modern woman with a career, leaving marriage and children out of her plan for the most part. Neither sister’s ever after is particularly happy.
I love a good chunky novel that is barely over 200 pages. The chunky comes from Yates’s ability to fill his pages with so much depth and character development. Nothing much happens but I couldn’t put the book down. If I’d been able to, I’d have read the whole thing in one sitting. Sarah and Emily are such complex individuals and have such a complex sisterhood. I could relate to bits and pieces of them both.
Yates paints a very bleak picture for both sisters despite the alternate paths they chose. The story takes place in the early to middle 20th Century. Seeing how women’s lives where changing and the consequences of those changes was fascinating. For Yates to have such a command of the female voice was impressive.
Highly recommended! I can’t wait to finally pick up Revolutionary Road now and fall in love all over again.
Rating: 
P.S. In so many ways I kept thinking of the Kardashians when I read this.
The Blog of Litwits 
Isn’t Richard Yates wonderful? He’s not read nearly as much as he deserves. The Easter Parade was one of my favorite books a couple of years ago… you’re in for a treat with Revolutionary Road, too. I also highly recommend A Tragic Honesty, a Yates bio by Blake Bailey. It’s the best literary bio I’ve ever read.
Thanks for bio recommendation! I love a good literary bio. Yates is definitely a new favorite.
He sounds great, but from the conclusions Mercedes has come to lately, all his books are the same amount of bleak. Doesn’t mean he’s not great though. I need to finish Revolutionary Road and branch out to others.
His ending was very bleak, but I really enjoyed much of the book and felt it was just very straightforward and realistic. I’m definitely not going to read all of his books right after the other, though.
I wonder if this has enough plot for me.
I think so! The story never dragged and is super short.
I don’t think I know a darn thing about Yates and I have the feeling that that is shameful!
So a good read! And so easy to fall into. Highly recommend!
I really enjoyed Revolutionary Road, but I have never head of this book before. Your review has me fascinated!
I think most who love Yates always love Yates no matter which book they read!
I am going to have to read this book! I loved Revolutionary Road, Yates is a fantastic writer.
Definitely give this one a shot. So good! I can’t wait to read Revolutionary Road.
Just ordered it, a friend recommended it as well so now it’s pretty much top of my to-read list.
How impressive to write a complex story that’s so short! I haven’t read anything by Yates, but I probably should 🙂
Yates is someone I’d recommend to any and everyone.
I haven’t read any of his books. I always thought he was difficult to read, but this book sounds very interesting. I love character studies.
Not difficult to read at all. Very easy prose and quite straight forward.
I loved this when I read it, you remind me I really want to read more Yates.
I’ve heard many of his works are similar so they’re best spaced out!
Oh Yates is a master! Darkness & depressing! But oh so good. I have only read Revolutionary Road but that was evidence enough. Someday I’ll get to more of his
Revolutionary Road is so high up on things I want to read right now! Yates really is a master!