![]() If ever a sentence summed up the books of an author, then this is it. Neither of the Grimes sisters would have a happy life, and looking back it always seemed the trouble began with their parents’ divorce. From the frist sentence on we know the story will not be a happy one. The Easter Parade tells the story of a mother, Pookie, and her two daughters, Sarah and Emily. ![]() Divorce is as much a recurring theme as alcoholism, lack of ambition, self-deception, and a failure to stand up for oneself. ![]() We watch those daughters and sons have kids and already know they will pass on the “loser gene”. We have struggling daughters and/or sons, who desperately try to live a better life but fail hopelessly. In both books we have excentric, almost laughable, mothers who are prone to drinking. The similarities of The Easter Parade and Cold Spring Harbor are striking. Most of Yates’ main themes are already present in Revolutionary Road but The Easter Parade and Cold Spring Harbor take them one step further. Comparing The Easter Parade with Cold Spring Harbor was particularly rewarding. Some readers might find it repetitive to read so many of his novels, but I liked to see the patterns and differences emerge. ![]() In his case, the books are variations on the same themes. ![]() Maybe not every author’s work is as homogenous as Yates’ is. You see patterns emerge, recurring motifs, similar themes. I had almost forgotten how fascinating it is to read several books of the same author, one after the other. ![]()
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