The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

A new edition of the provocative New York Times bestseller that influenced a generation, with a new introduction by Jonathan Franzen and an afterword by the author

Universally acclaimed when first published in 1955, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit captured the mood of a generation. Its title -- like Catch-22 and Fahrenheit 451 -- has become a part of America''s cultural vocabulary. Tom Rath doesn''t want anything extraordinary out of life: just a decent home, enough money to support his family, and a career that won''t crush his spirit. After returning from World War II, he takes a PR job at a television network. It is inane, dehumanizing work. But when a series of personal crises force him to reexamine his priorities -- and take responsibility for his past -- he is finally moved to carve out an identity for himself. This is Sloan Wilson''s searing indictment of a society that had just begun to lose touch with its citizens. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit is a classic of American literature and the basis of the award-winning film starring Gregory Peck. "A consequential novel." -- Saturday Review