The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

A returning World War II veteran adjusts to life in the corporate world in this classic novel that inspired the award-winning Gregory Peck film.

“One of the most influential American novels of the 1950s.” —David Halberstam

“Exact in its account of the pressures, problems, and tribal customs of the men in gray flannel suits. . . . Wilson is an observer, a sympathetic one. . . . He has written an entertaining social comedy.” —New York Times

Here is the story of Tom and Betsy Rath, a young couple with everything going for them: three healthy children, a nice home, a steady income. They have every reason to be happy, but for some reason they are not. Like so many young men of the day, Tom finds himself caught up in the corporate rat race—what he encounters there propels him on a voyage of self-discovery that will turn his world inside out . . .

A universally acclaimed national bestseller when first published in 1955, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit is at once a searing indictment of corporate culture, a story of a young man confronting his past and future with honest, and a testament to the enduring power of family. A deeply rewarding novel about the importance of taking responsibility for one’s own life, it captured the mood of a generation.It was translated into twenty-six languages, and its title has become a permanent part of our cultural vocabulary. This is Sloan Wilson's searing indictment of a society that had just begun to lose touch with its citizens. Today, it is more relevant than ever.

“A consequential novel . . . by a mature writer who knows unwaveringly what he is about.” —Saturday Review

“Masterful.” —Detroit News

“Excellent . . . sure, bright, and alive.” —Chicago Tribune