With a little influence from his wife, the true unsung hero of the book.īut, I feel it is my responsibility to tell you that, like many out there in today’s world, the only thing I could recall hearing about the book before it crossed my desk was the title, which has become a sort of put-down for corporate clones and business executives. And in the end, it’s Rath’s decisions about his difficult life that matter, that show us how he’s developed, changed - become responsible - because it’s the right thing to do. But he keeps his thoughts to himself because he’s finally able to make enough money to take care of his family without worrying about next month’s bills.īut then many unexpected events occur: his mother dies, leaving him a crumbling mansion and the worries that come bundled with it he discovers that he had a child with the woman whom he had an affair with while fighting overseas and that she’s in dire financial straits he realizes that his community needs his influence to grow and become a part of the fast-changing 20th century. He feels a sham, a liar to everyone around him. He tries his hardest to like his job, but never quite gets comfortable with it. He flies on the company card to set up press conferences and out of town meetings for his boss, one of the richest and most influential men in the country.

He sacrifices time with his family for nightly meetings at the boss’ apartment that get nowhere. it certainly sounds interesting,” when inside he wants to tell his new employers how ridiculous and implausible they all seem. He decides to take a gamble and apply for a position at a bigger company, even though he has no real experience or even true desire for the job. It is about a man named Tom Rath, a hapless office-drone, with a wife and kids to take care of, a car that’s in its death throes, and a job with no chance of advancement. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit was written by a man named Sloan Wilson in 1955.

I could give you a short, essay-style synopsis such as: I could point out that this novel is a precursor of sorts to such diverse latter-day reads as The Accidental Tourist and Bright Lights, Big City as well as the acclaimed film The Deer Hunter. I could tell you that this book came out in the mid-’50s, that it was made into an award-winning film starring Gregory Peck not long after its initial release, and that it was an international bestseller, translated into 26 languages and banned in Russia (apparently for espousing capitalist values.) It has recently been re-released by Four Walls Eight Windows. Now, I could start by telling you the obvious: That this is one of the best novels written about the post-WW II lifestyle and how families were coping with the traumas induced on the men who saw combat overseas.

“To decide, to be at the level of choice, is to take responsibility for your life and to be in control of your life.”

The man in the gray flannel suit book