The Man In The Gray Flannel Suit
by Sloan Wilson
Written in the early 50s, this is a classic tale of America after the second world war. Tom Rath is a man who wants the best for his family, but feels the only way he can achieve this is going to ruin any joy in his life, and force him into the life of a work-a-holic. He also harbours a secret about an illegitimate son he fathered during the second world war. His wife is a faithful and strong woman who tries to enliven passion and ambition in him, and by the latter stages has helped him realise what is important and how he can manage his own expectations as well as his family's. Overall, it is too sentimental and has a rosy vision of the future that you can't imagine these days (with cynicism being all the rage), but nevertheless an important indicator of the times, and probably reflective of Australia as well as America. 7/10