Places to Read and Relax in Connecticut

Read Richard Yates' Revolutionary Road while staying at the Roger Sherman Inn in New Canaan. Catch up on this overlooked 1961 classic of yearning, bitter disappointment and betrayal in a prosperous Connecticut suburb much like New Canaan.

Made into a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet (largely filmed in Connecticut), Revolutionary Road more than stands the test of time. As one reviewer put it: “Like The Great Gatsby, this novel conveys, with brilliant erudition, the exacting cost of chasing the American dream.” The comfortable Roger Sherman Inn has been a local fixture - first as a private home, then as an inn - for hundreds of years. It wouldn't be hard to imagine Richard Yates working on his manuscript in an adjoining room.

Read Anthony Bailey's In the Village while staying at the Inn at Stonington in Stonington. This beautifully written classic from 1971 profiles the tiny seaside Stonington Borough at Connecticut's southeastern tip - the people, the history and the problems of blending local traditions with modern pressures.

Bailey's “village” has not changed dramatically in the 40-plus years since he wrote the book, and it is easy to walk upon and enjoy the same streets and lanes that he describes. As for your overnight, the Inn at Stonington offers very pleasant rooms right in the center of town and views of many of Bailey's sights.

Read Stewart O'Nan's Last Night at the Lobster and Mary-Ann Tirone Smith's Girls of Tender Age while staying at the Simsbury 1820 House. Here's a double reading assignment. O'Nan's critically acclaimed book is set on the last night of a Red Lobster restaurant in a New Britain mall, and it details the effect of its demise on all involved, especially embattled manager, Manny DeLeon. Tirone Smith's memoir, set in Hartford, weaves memories of her family and upbringing together with the story of a psychopath who preyed on her friend and other little girls.

The Simsbury 1820 House, not far from both New Britain and Hartford, offers comfortable rooms, public areas and wide porches for your reading pleasure.

Read Harriet Beecher Stowe's Poganuc People while staying at Winvian in Morris. The author of Uncle Tom's Cabin grew up in the Connecticut town of Litchfield, and Poganuc People is her warm recollection of life there in the early 19th century.

With great fondness and a brilliant eye for detail, the author brings village characters to life, including their views on religion and politics, and creates a lovely profile of a New England village from a time long gone. Winvian, located just south of Litchfield's present-day center, features individual-themed cottages. One, called Library, offers ideal reading environments and its own collection of books, including many by Connecticut authors.