Review: Revolution by David Dorrough

Revealing how everyday lives can be extraordinary in countless ways, Revolution by David Dorrough is a deep dive into a Southern California social bubble with a cadre of well-drawn characters and drama aplenty. A commentary on the epic level to which we raise the banalities of our own lives, and the struggle to achieve or feel contentment in the modern world, this book cuts deep into our current culture.

Each player in this drama represents some small and strange slice of California dreaming – seeking something better, newer, faster, sexier, but ultimately finding their hopes dashed, or their expectations unmet. Unreliable coworkers, untrustworthy spouses, and a city of unfulfilled promises are pitched against raw ambition and belief in the glitter of gold.

Yvonne and Bill Smede – part-time gatekeepers to their friend group – sit comfortably numb at the core of this story, with a marriage that seems predicated on the perfect image they project to the world, until Bill’s inanity becomes a bit too much for Yvonne’s wider gaze. Gary and Scott, a name-dropping yuppie couple who want to know the right people, pair well with Yvonne’s Lab Team of hard-drinking lady pals, are almost too cliché to be believed, but authentic enough to hold one’s attention. Irene Hoffman is an overworked mother whose small pleasures include coffee and cigarettes in silence, as well as pitching the next big idea, and chasing a far-fetched dragon, even as her hopes of breaking through dwindle.

The characterizations of these characters are at times tongue-in-cheek, with Dorrough rolling his eyes right along with readers. At others, however, the archetypal personalities become a bit too predictable in their behaviors and reactions, robbing readers of suspense in the unfolding drama. There is an undercurrent of sarcasm and satire in the self-aware descriptions, as though the prose itself is intended to reflect the faulty personalities of Los Angeles’ denizens. For California natives, this book might strike a delicate nerve (the Ultra-Realistic Natural Theatre lands a strong elbow nudge, among so many others), but for people unfamiliar with the state’s odd trends and even odder personas, this novel might feel less accessible or too niche. That said, there are some nationally relatable critiques about social media, “wokeness” and the changing tides of morality in America, and those who see SoCal as something of a foreign country will be fascinated by Dorrough’s in-depth exposé.

Apart from the creativity in each character’s perspective and plot arc, the writing is notably declarative, with an overuse of idiomatic language, mixed with some monotone phrasing. Dorrough has a tendency to over-narrate with explicit details of a character’s thought progression, which doesn’t give enough credit to the reader. Still, many of the nuance-filled descriptions are charming and whip-smart, a blend of Pynchon’s Inherent Vice and Bret Easton Ellis’ Less Than Zero. The narrative voice can be caustic and cruel, but also sensitive and sympathetic, shifting as necessary between different characters, making it far from impartial, as everyone gets their say.

A revelatory and no-holds-barred tale of struggle and sin in the City of Angels, Revolution is at once humorous and dramatic, and altogether insightful.