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A review by thisotherbookaccount
A Special Providence by Richard Yates
3.0
The order by which you read your favourite author's books is very important because if, like me, you begin with Richard Yates' best work ([I]Revolutionary Road[/I]), then follow it up with his second-best work ([I]The Easter Parade[/I]), then everything else after that is going to be a disappointment to some degree, or at least a few steps down in terms of quality. Over the years, I have been devouring Yates' books, and with [I]A Special Providence[/I], I believe I have come to the end of the journey. OK, I haven't read [I]A Good School[/I], but it also doesn't seem worthwhile? I don't know, we will see.
FOR NOW, A Special Providence will likely be the last Yates book I will read in a long time — or at least until I cycle back to the beginning, anyway. I cannot say that I ended the journey on a high, since I started it in the stratosphere, but there are a lot of fantastic things in here. In fact, I daresay that [I]A Special Providence[/I] is a lot better than some readers give it credit for.
For one, it is a departure from the usual archetypes that Yates is comfortable with. Yes, the two main characters are still sad, disillusioned individuals trying to navigate the pre- and post-war eras. Whatever you enjoy in Yates' other books are still well and alive here. However, unlike his other books, Yates seems to have made a conscious effort to depart from his formula. Instead of a marriage in dissolution, we have the complicated relationship between a troubled mother and her son; instead of the suburbs, huge chunks of this book is set in Europe, specifically during WWII. I think there is something commendable to say about Yates, who dared to stray out of his comfort zone to write about something so drastically different.
With that said, even though I do applaud the effort, the result is less than stellar. The third act of the book, which goes to great lengths to describe the son's experiences in war, is mundane and repetitive to say the least. I mean, that's the WHOLE POINT of the character's arc — wanting to make something for himself, but somehow always on the periphery of action. However, the third part of the book just dragged, and I thought it was more than enough to establish the irony when the son is admitted to the hospital, right before the heat of battle, due to pneumonia — somewhat reminiscent of Sam Mendes] 2005 film, Jarhead. I thought Yates nailed the message right on the head in the first third, and really added the last third because the publisher thought it'd be a good idea to add a bit more 'action' (in a Yates book? Come on!).
Outside of the European battlefields, though, I love how pathetic Alice, the mother, is throughout the book. She is the quintessential Yates character here; the one who's always trying to 'make it' with her artistic endeavours, always trying to live off other people, and generally just being an awful human being. Her chapters truly shine in this book and are what kept me going towards the end of the book.
FOR NOW, A Special Providence will likely be the last Yates book I will read in a long time — or at least until I cycle back to the beginning, anyway. I cannot say that I ended the journey on a high, since I started it in the stratosphere, but there are a lot of fantastic things in here. In fact, I daresay that [I]A Special Providence[/I] is a lot better than some readers give it credit for.
For one, it is a departure from the usual archetypes that Yates is comfortable with. Yes, the two main characters are still sad, disillusioned individuals trying to navigate the pre- and post-war eras. Whatever you enjoy in Yates' other books are still well and alive here. However, unlike his other books, Yates seems to have made a conscious effort to depart from his formula. Instead of a marriage in dissolution, we have the complicated relationship between a troubled mother and her son; instead of the suburbs, huge chunks of this book is set in Europe, specifically during WWII. I think there is something commendable to say about Yates, who dared to stray out of his comfort zone to write about something so drastically different.
With that said, even though I do applaud the effort, the result is less than stellar. The third act of the book, which goes to great lengths to describe the son's experiences in war, is mundane and repetitive to say the least. I mean, that's the WHOLE POINT of the character's arc — wanting to make something for himself, but somehow always on the periphery of action. However, the third part of the book just dragged, and I thought it was more than enough to establish the irony when the son is admitted to the hospital, right before the heat of battle, due to pneumonia — somewhat reminiscent of Sam Mendes] 2005 film, Jarhead. I thought Yates nailed the message right on the head in the first third, and really added the last third because the publisher thought it'd be a good idea to add a bit more 'action' (in a Yates book? Come on!).
Outside of the European battlefields, though, I love how pathetic Alice, the mother, is throughout the book. She is the quintessential Yates character here; the one who's always trying to 'make it' with her artistic endeavours, always trying to live off other people, and generally just being an awful human being. Her chapters truly shine in this book and are what kept me going towards the end of the book.