Cynical, astute, and decidedly well-rounded
Bill and Yvonne Smede are nobody special. They’ve done nothing exceptional. Their life together, for all intents and purposes, is prosaic. But that doesn’t mean their marriage, their family, their friends, and even their boring routines are valueless. An ordinary walk around the block yields many interesting observations and meaningful conversations. A round of drinks with friends opens up a lively discussion about the state of human affairs. A trip to the market becomes another brick in a house built of memories. The Smedes, along a number of dynamic old friends, some cantankerous family members, and a diverse group of co-workers ranging from aggressively involved to diligently apathetic, move steadily through their existence taking one day at a time, knowing there will always be more hassles, frustrations, opportunities, laughs and love.
If the TV show Seinfeld were gently aged, mellowed out slightly, and written into a contemporary story set in Southern California, this is absolutely how it would feel! The author precisely captures all the detailed intricacies, soft shades, and creeping neuroses within a community wading through the minutiae of life. This modest framework holds up a book that is entirely about nothing in particular, and yet it manages to be about everything. Admittedly, there is little in the way of clever plotting or dramatic twists, but patient readers are rewarded with subtle character humor, endearingly relatable situations, a few outlandish moments, and a satisfying opportunity to step back and compare just how similar we all are, no matter how contrary we may feel.
If character development ever becomes a sport, David Dorrough will be a gold medalist. Whether main characters that contribute to the plot, or tertiary characters inserted for amusement, the entire cast feels like it is made up of real people going through real things. Nobody is perfect, of course, and every reader will find aspects that mirror their own struggles and adventures. How do you temper that one awkward friend, or how might you deal with a lifelong rival? Is it better to engage with the conspiracy theorist that lives in your building or stealthily avoid them altogether? As the perfect complement, Dorrough has crafted a vivid and memorable fictitious version of Los Angeles that feels as familiar and well worn as your favorite neighborhood coffee shop. Cynical, astute, and decidedly well-rounded, Revolution changes the mundane into something extraordinary.
