A Tragic Honesty: The Life and Work of Richard Yates

Rating:

Well written and thought out (the author showed much humor and compassion) - that said, Yates was someone whom you want to read, but I wish I did not learn so much about him. The sheer repetitiveness of his misfortune regarding his own "human condition" does not make for anything really illuminating about a typical non-recovering alcoholic "Genius".

Although I did admire Yates' Revolutionary Road his portrayal of total dissatisfaction and uncompromising mediocrity seems almost unreasonable. Interestingly enough in real life his wife was more pragmatic that the heroine in RR. It is almost as if he never met anyone in his life to admire. I will real more of his works as "The Easter Parade" sounds like it might be a masochistic pleasure.

His lack of interest in any female that was not "good looking" and his all out contempt for Homosexuals was saddening. I hate finding out when artists are that limited, although he might have been quoted saying things he really did not feel deeply, as many people rag on people who are less than ideal, often due to their own insecurity or just to be amusing. I'd like to believe that was the reason for his crassness.
There is a very thorough analysis of his work ----- and that would be of value for a real fan of Yates.

Finally, this book is a real investment in time.

Rating:

This bio pulls no punches,this a excellent,gripping, read,but I will reread this again in a few years.This man is absolute turd as female myself I am amazed how women throw themselves at man just because a man is an artist of somekind and how people just willing to make excuses for him just because he's a writer.I have to admit he seems to very dedicated to his daughters,but he also but unreasonable demands on them and other women as well I almost couldn't almost go through with the book. The shallow,backward,sexist way he wiewed women and something and or someone was always at fault why the women in life always ( for good reason) left him ,in his misguided vision it's never his.Mr Yates seems never want to leave the fifties.It never occurred to him there are a lot of women writers that surpassed him in importance.The point is he's an important writer and this is an engrossing read and the sad subject will leave you gripped, as much I disliked Richard Yates personality,I have to hand to Blake Bailey he should get somekind of literary award he knows his subject. This excellent literary biography is worth spending time with a selfish,sexist, lunatic subect!

Rating:

Richard Yates is stranger than fiction, which makes for fascinating reading. The amount of misery he himself endured, and the pain he inflicted on those around him are incomprehensible. Richard Yates's mental and physical comebacks are the amazing part of his life story. And the remarkable disconnects--his books are about self-deception, but their insights seemed to have eluded him in life.

Rating:

After reading Revolutionary Road , I was interested in the life of Richard Yates. Blake Bailey's biography was an in depth, well written account of Yates's life while still being extremly readable. I found myself unable to put the book down at times. Although it is very detailed and fact filled , instead of being dry, it read like a novel. I would highly recommend this book and look forward to reading Bailey's biography of Cheever. I am hooked.

Rating:

I've read over a dozen biographies about writers, including Tennessee Williams, Theodore Dreiser, John Kennedy O'Toole, and Jean Rhys, but this book on Yates was the most heartbreaking (a real achievement in a category which includes O'Toole and Rhys). That said, Yates is pretty much the first writer I've read about that I think I would have really liked in real life. He is lovable and tragic and humble and boozy and frustrating. I think every potential writer should read this story to warn them that even talent, hard-work, success and the best efforts of everyone around you don't make it an easy life. I love Richard Yates, and now I love the compassionate, dedicated biographer who brought him to life for us.