From Publishers Weekly
Though it's cited in nearly every book and article about the culture of the 1950s, few readers under 65 know Sloan Wilson's The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit firsthand. The 1955 bestseller is being reissued with a new introduction by Jonathan Franzen-and, indeed, the story of disappointed Westport, Conn., strivers Tom and Betsy Rath anticipates the novels of suburban anomie by Franzen and his contemporaries. Dreaming of a bigger house for his wife and three kids, WWII veteran Tom leaves his job with an arts foundation to be a well-paid public relations executive at the United Broadcasting Corporation. But corporate ladder climbing and consumer rewards leave him miserable. Though his sentimental conclusion now seems dated, Wilson's portrait of the martini-soaked malcontents is sharp, memorable and still resonant today. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
Universally acclaimed when first published in 1955, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit captured the mood of a generation. It was a national bestseller that was made into an award-winning film, it was translated into twenty-six languages, and its title has become a permanent part of our cultural vocabulary. Today, it is more relevant than ever. Here is the story of Tom and Betsy Rath, a young couple with everything going for them: three healthy children, a nice home, a steady income. They have every reason to be happy, but for some reason they are not. Like so many young men of the day, Tom finds himself caught up in the corporate rat race -- what he encounters there propels him on a voyage of self-discovery that will turn his world inside out. At once a searing indictment of corporate culture, a story of a young man confronting his past and future with honesty, and a testament to the enduring power of family, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit is a deeply rewarding novel about the importance of taking responsibility for one’s own life. This edition includes a new introduction by Jonathan Franzen and an afterword by the author.
From the Publisher
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From the Inside Flap
"One of the most influential American novels of the 1950s." --David Halberstam "A consequential novel . . . by a mature writer who knows unwaveringly what he is about." --Saturday Review "A thoughtful, searching novel." --New York Herald Tribune "Masterful." --Detroit News "Excellent . . . sure, bright, and alive." --Chicago Tribune "Delightful . . . beautifully plotted." --Boston Herald "[An] excellent novel." --Kansas City Star "Exact in its account of the pressures, problems and tribal customs of the men in gray flannel suits. . . . Wilson is an observer, a sympathetic one. . . . He has written an entertaining social comedy." --New York Times "Wilson has something to say." --Time "Interesting and enjoyable . . . [Wilson] has important things to say about security, expediency, responsibility, and integrity." --Pittsburgh Press "Memorable . . . Wilson shows a rare insight into human nature." --Charlotte Observer "Wilson is an expert. . . . His dialogue could have been piped from any of thousands of offices or living rooms. . . . He has done more than take a trip to Brooks Brothers to find out what makes a gray flannel suit. He knows much of what makes the men who wear them." --Christian Science Monitor "In his calm way, Wilson brings to the mind’s eye a man we all know, and most of us rather like." --San Francisco Chronicle "A perceptive story of . . . the generation who came of age in World War II." --Miami Herald "Brilliant . . . Wilson has captured the feeling of outright war and the ensuing 'peace' with admirable perception and veracity." --Vancouver Sun
About the Author
Sloan Wilson was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, in 1920. At the age of eighteen he sailed a schooner from Boston to Havana. He is a graduate of Harvard, a veteran of World War II, and he has worked as a reporter for Time-Life and as a college professor. He is the author of fifteen books, including The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit and A Summer Place, both made into major motion pictures. He lives in Virginia with Betty, his wife of forty years.
Man in the Gray Flannel Suit FROM THE PUBLISHER
Here is the story of Tom and Betsy Rath, a young couple with everthing going for them: three healthy children, a nice home, a steady income. They have every reason to be happy, but for some reason they are not. Like so many young men of the day, Tom finds himself caught up in the corporate rat race - what he encounters there propels him on a voyage of self-discovery that will turn his world inside out. At once a searing indictment of coporate culture, a story of a young man confronting his past and future with honesty, and a testament to the enduring power of family, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit is a deeply rewarding novel about the importance of taking responsibility for one's own life.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Though it's cited in nearly every book and article about the culture of the 1950s, few readers under 65 know Sloan Wilson's The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit firsthand. The 1955 bestseller is being reissued with a new introduction by Jonathan Franzen-and, indeed, the story of disappointed Westport, Conn., strivers Tom and Betsy Rath anticipates the novels of suburban anomie by Franzen and his contemporaries. Dreaming of a bigger house for his wife and three kids, WWII veteran Tom leaves his job with an arts foundation to be a well-paid public relations executive at the United Broadcasting Corporation. But corporate ladder climbing and consumer rewards leave him miserable. Though his sentimental conclusion now seems dated, Wilson's portrait of the martini-soaked malcontents is sharp, memorable and still resonant today.
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