Young Hearts Crying cover art

Young Hearts Crying

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About this listen

In Young Hearts Crying, Yates movingly portrays a man and a woman from their courtship and marriage in the 1950s to their divorce in the 70s, chronicling their heartbreaking attempts to reach their highest ambitions.

Michael Davenport dreams of being a poet after returning home from World War II Europe, and at first, he and his new wife, Lucy, enjoy their life together. But as the decades pass and the success of others creates an oppressive fear of failure in both Michael and Lucy, their once bright future gives way to a life of adultery and isolation.

With empathy and grace, Yates creates a poignant novel of the desires and disasters of a tragic, hopeful couple.

As an added bonus, when you purchase our Audible Modern Vanguard production of Richard Yates' book, you'll also receive an exclusive Jim Atlas interview. This interview – where James Atlas interviews Blake Bailey about the life and work of Richard Yates – begins as soon as the audiobook ends.

©1984 Richard Yates (P)2010 Audible, Inc. Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Marriage

Critic reviews

"To me and to many other writers of my generation, the work of Richard Yates came as a liberating force.... He was one of the most important writers of the second half of the century." (Robert Stone)
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“Where do you get maudlin, Lucy? Where do you get intense? Where do you get hopelessly lost? I’ll tell you Lucy, Yates, that’s who. Richard Yates.
Young hearts crying is a little like the cool yet dark echo from disturbing the peace the ‘74 novel. This is tame in comparison it’s not as white hot, thank God. It’s everything you expect from Richard. It lives just on the very edge of sanity and the wretched real life doom that’s everywhere in the states catalogue. I found it compelling and particularly enjoyed his digging into female characters even if they’re very dated at times. Although we do see plenty of guts in some of female protagonists. I didn’t LOVE this book but I love Yates so I went along with it. To be honest, as writer myself, I just listen open mouthed at some of work, his dialogue in particular is astounding. It’s bleak and worth the effort. Happy times. Ummmm.

Typically hardcore Yates

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Dialogue excellent dissects conflict in marriage and jealousy in male friendship. Book’s main weakness is unsympathetic male protagonist Michael a misogynist boasting of his many sexual conquests insecur threatened by psychiatry - he has 2 psychotic episodes and then by emergent feminist much younger second wife; essentially a failed poet, self-pitying cynic.

Satire on American dream for art

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Very good narrator on this which always helps - thanks 15 word minimum. Really that’s annoying

Not my face but I do enjoy Richard Yates

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This is set in the 1950’s onwards to the 1970’s but it captures the universal story of the human condition agelessly. The story is in the minutiae - it’s poignant, beautiful and sometimes cringe making do to the actions of the characters. It never takes the easy road and always holds true to its central theme…. Youthful dreams shatter.

I really liked the narrator - his performance was nuanced and captured the tone of each character.

If you love the sublime TV series Mad Men, then this is right up your street.

This must have inspired Mad Men

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