At seventeen, evan shepard gets mary donovan pregnant accidentally, so they marry, live together, the baby, kathleen, is born, but theyre too young for matrimony and family life, it isnt working out, so the couple break up. At the time of his death, yates was working on a novel about his time as a speechwriter for robert kennedy. Richard yatess ninth book, cold spring harbor, takes place mainly during a moment in american. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include previous owner inscriptions. A native new yorker, richard yates was born in 1926. In this classic novel richard yates, hailed as a preeminent chronicler of the american condition and author of the acclaimed revolutionary road, weaves a masterful, unflinching tale of two families brought together by chance, desperation, and desire. Richard yates february 3, 1926 november 7, 1992 was an american fiction writer identified with the midcentury age of anxiety. Revolutionary road, was a finalist for the national book award in the same year as the moviegoer and catch22.
Cold spring harbor is a brilliant and devastating book so full of insightful observations that i found myself more than once being suckerpunched by the harsh truths on the page. I highly recommend it, along with yatess betterknown revolutionary road. Though cold spring harbour was published in 1986 it is set throughout the 1930s and 40s, which would have been the time of richard yates childhood he was born in 1926. Cold spring harbor by yates, richard and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. When the shepards car breaks down in prewar new york city, a. Richard yates s cold spring harbor details the stresses and tensions of living as a young couple, evan and rachel shephard, in new york in the 1940s.
Cold spring harbor by richard yates 9780099518532 paperback. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Cold spring harbor is the small long island village in which much of the novel takes place. Richard yates develops the story of evan shepard, his parents, mary, rachel, phil and gloria in a seemingly very simple way, swiftly changing between telling us the story, or developing scenes just by dialogue, increasing the density of his prose all the way, and without. The last of richard yates novels, cold spring harbor was released in 1986, just a few years before his death. Much admired by peers, he was known during his lifetime as the. Cold spring harbor by richard yates 1986, hardcover for. In this classic novel richard yates, hailed as a preeminent chronicler of the american condition and author of the accla. The laboratory that bears the cold spring harbor name is famous for its research, its role in science education, and the science that won three recent nobel prizes. Whether addressing the smothered desire of suburban housewives, the whitecollar despair of manhattan office workers or the heartbreak of a single mother with artistic pretensions, yates ruthlessly examines the hopes and disappointments of ordinary people with.
Yates sets the right tone in the vapid dialogue that characterizes the dailiness of ordinary lives. My introduction to yates was through the easter parade and cold spring harbor is where i went next. His prizewinning stories began to appear in 1953 and his first novel, revolutionary road, was nominated for the national book award in 1961. Read cold spring harbor a novel by richard yates available from rakuten kobo. But before he passed, the last novel he had published was csh, a book with multiple shifts in point of view. Richard yates all the sorrows of evan shepards loutish adolescence were redeemed at seventeen, in 1935, when he fell in love with automobiles. Cold spring harbor ebook by richard yates rakuten kobo. A native new yorker, yates was an extremely despondent artist who struggled with alcohol abuse, mental illness and a struggling career. Cold spring harbor audiobook richard yates audible. In the small suburban town of cold spring harbor, evan shephard and his young bride rachel yearn to escape the mistakes of their parents. This slight, multivoiced novel is the second of yates that i have read. Cold spring harbor has 4 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Cold spring harbor by richard yates reading matters. I cant decide if rachels closing words to her new born son were a sign of hope, wish fulfilment or irony on yates behalf.
In this classic novel richard yates, hailed as a preeminent chronicler of the american condition and author of the acclaimed revolutionary road, weaves a masterful, unflinching tale of two families brought together by chance. Cold spring harbor by richard yates, paperback barnes. Cold spring harbor by richard yates penguin random house. Mar 16, 2015 i absolutely love what i have read of yates work so far, and could not wait to begin cold spring harbor, the 54th book on my classics club list. His prizewinning stories began to appear in 1953 and his first novel, revolutionary road, was nominated for the national book award in. Richard yates author richard yates was born in 1926 in new york and lived in california. Before i get into the novel itself, looks take a quick gander at the man behind the words.
Cold spring harbor by richard yates fiction paperback. While this was a good read, i wouldnt consider it the best of yates. Evan shepard was born with good looks, bad luck, and a love for the open ro but it was on one such drive, with his. Richard yates was born in 1926 in new york and lived in california. In this classic novel richard yates, hailed as a preeminent chronicler of the american condition and author of the acclaimed revolutionary road, weaves a masterful, unflinching tale.
Mar 30, 2020 i absolutely love what i have read of yates work so far, and could not wait to begin cold spring harbor, the 54th book on my classics club list. Cold spring harbor by richard yates penguin books australia. In the small suburban town of cold spring harbor, evan and his. Cold spring harbor by richard yates, 9780099518532, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Ever since i read richard yates the easter parade, ive wanted to read more by this very talented and much respected american author. You really have made me want to read a richard yates book. Revolutionary road isnt richard yatess only good novel. The setting is also that of yates childhood, and though i didnt realise this until after i finished the whole book, the obvious realism of the setting gives this. Cold spring harbor book by richard yates 4 available. These big disappointments early in the book pave the way for the drab realities of life in cold spring harbor on long island, new york. Buy a cheap copy of cold spring harbor book by richard yates. I absolutely love what i have read of yates work so far, and could not wait to begin cold spring harbor, the 54th book on my classics club list. Evan and rachel may not be perfectly matched, but then none of us are. Cold spring harbor by richard yates fantastic fiction.
Like a pale juice wrung from yates last three works of fiction a good school, liars in love, young hearts crying, this is the thinnest example of an opus more and more steadily manneredbut, worse, also somewhat and pointlessly mean. His first novel, revolutionary road, was a finalist for the 1962 national book award, while his first short story collection, eleven kinds of loneliness, brought comparisons to james joyce. This book, an intellectual history of cold spring harbor laboratory, can be enjoyed by anyone interested in the development of contemporary science, regardless of technical background. It reminds me of revolutionary road with similar themes of unhappy suburban life, of men especially unfulfilled, feeling like it is their right to drink excessively, cheat on their wives, and blame the circumstances of timing on the lost opportunities of their careers.
In no sense the cold spring harbor of the tourists and summer people, it is the dismal home base where the characters live out their disappointments. At seventeen, evan shepard gets mary donovan pregnant. Cold spring harbor by richard yates book cover, description, publication history. Cold spring harbor richard yates haftad 9780099518532. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and. After a chance meeting in lower manhattan, they were rapidly drawn together into romance and eventually marriage. The despondency is palpable throughout the book in the quiet desperation of people trampled down by the. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your. Evan shepard was born with good looks, bad luck, and a love for the open ro but it was on one such drive, with his father from rural long island. Im aware he can be repetitive in his themes so i am happy to leave space and consume his novels slowly but i found this somewhat lacking after my delight with. Cold spring harbor 1986 was the final novel by american writer richard yates plot summary.
Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. Much admired by peers, he was known during his lifetime as the foremost fiction writer of the postwar age of anxiety. Cold spring harbor was most likely yates final attempt it was his last published book to work out his own sad life story. Cold spring harbor 1986 was the final novel by american writer richard yates. Cold spring harbor by richard yates overdrive rakuten. Cold spring harbor vintage classic by richard yates a copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. Cold spring harbor book by richard yates thriftbooks. Evan shepard is a young man with a chequered past when he first meets the drakes, after his car breaks down outside their house. Buy cold spring harbor by richard yates online at alibris. Cold spring harbor is a book all around love and the mistakes of youth. Richard yatess cold spring harbor details the stresses and tensions of living as a young couple, evan and rachel shephard, in new york in the 1940s.
Critical acclaim for his writing, however, was not reflected in. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. In this classic novel richard yates, hailed as a preeminent chronicler of the american condition and author of the acclaimed revolutionary road, weaves a. Cold spring harbor is one of his much later books, first published in 1986, and dedicated to kurt vonnegut. In this classic novel richard yates, hailed as a preeminent chronicler of the american condition and author of the acclaimed. And so, a week or so ago during a long fourhour layover at bangkok airport, en route to phnom penh i settled down with cold spring harbor, which was first published in 1986 and turned out to. He is the author of eight other works, including the novels a good school, the easter parade, and disturbing the peace, and two collections of short stories, eleven kinds. Jun 07, 2015 though cold spring harbour was published in 1986 it is set throughout the 1930s and 40s, which would have been the time of richard yates childhood he was born in 1926.
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