Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

John Cheever

John Cheever (May 27, 1912 – June 18, 1982) was an American novelist and short-story writer celebrated for his masterful portrayals of mid-20th-century suburban life, often infusing sophisticated with poignant explorations of , , and the quiet desperations beneath affluent American existence. Born in , to Frederick Lincoln Cheever, a shoe salesman whose business faltered during the , and Mary Liley Cheever, Cheever grew up in a troubled household marked by financial strain and familial discord; he was expelled from Thayer Academy at age 17 and forwent formal . His literary career began precociously with the publication of his first short story, "Expelled," in at age 18 in 1930, followed by early work in literary magazines amid the backdrop of the Depression. Cheever's breakthrough came through his long association with , where he contributed 121 stories starting in 1935, establishing himself as a keen observer of upper-middle-class manners and moral ambiguities. Among his most notable works are the novels The Wapshot Chronicle (1957), a semi-autobiographical family saga that won the , and its sequel The Wapshot Scandal (1964); later novels include the satirical Bullet Park (1969), the prison drama Falconer (1977), and the elegiac Oh What a Paradise It Seems (1982). His crowning achievement, The Stories of John Cheever (1978), a collection of 61 tales spanning his career, garnered the and the in 1979, affirming his status as one of the era's premier short-fiction writers. Cheever received additional honors, including the Medal in 1979 and the National Medal for Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in April 1982, just weeks before his death from cancer in . Cheever's fiction, characterized by luminous prose and an anthropological eye for social rituals, critiqued the hollowness of suburban prosperity while revealing universal human frailties; his personal struggles with , , and informed the melancholic undercurrents of his narratives. Married to painter Mary Winternitz since 1946, with whom he raised three children—Federico, Benjamin, and Susan—in suburban Westchester County, Cheever drew directly from his life to populate his stories with flawed yet sympathetic characters navigating domestic and existential unease. His legacy endures as a vital voice in , bridging the intensities of the postwar era with timeless insights into the pursuit of happiness.

Early Life

Family Background

John William Cheever was born on May 27, 1912, in , to Frederick Lincoln Cheever and Mary Liley Cheever. His father, a born in 1863, worked as a prosperous shoe salesman and part-owner of a factory in Lynn before the industry's decline. Cheever's mother, an English immigrant, managed a in that became the family's primary source of income after financial hardships set in. The family identified as part of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) establishment in , with John Cheever claiming descent from early American settlers such as the 17th-century headmaster Ezekiel Cheever of the . Cheever was the second of two sons, with an older brother, (known as ), born in 1905 and seven years his senior. The brothers shared a close but complex relationship marked by affection and resentment, which later influenced Cheever's writing, as seen in stories like "Goodbye, My Brother." The family initially enjoyed middle-class comfort in an 11-room in Quincy's affluent Wollaston neighborhood, but prosperity eroded in the mid- when the shoe industry collapsed and moved south. By the late , Frederick Sr.'s business failures, exacerbated by the 1929 , led to and emotional withdrawal, leaving Cheever feeling unwanted and unloved in a household supported solely by his mother's shop. These early circumstances profoundly shaped Cheever's worldview, providing "skeletons in the family closet" that informed his explorations of suburban , familial discord, and middle-class decline. His father's resentment and the family's descent into shabby gentility contrasted with Cheever's idealized claims of patrician heritage, fueling themes of loss and yearning in his fiction, such as the character Leander Wapshot in The Wapshot Chronicle, modeled after his father. Despite the strains, Cheever's mother introduced him to literature through readings of authors like and , sparking his early storytelling interests.

Education and Early Influences

Cheever's formal education began in the public schools of , where he was born in 1912, but it was at Thayer Academy, a prestigious preparatory school in nearby South Braintree, that he spent his most notable scholastic years. He enrolled there in 1926, transitioning from the more informal Thayerlands School, but quickly found the structured environment stifling and unengaging. Despite his evident intelligence, Cheever's academic performance was lackluster, marked by consistent underachievement and disciplinary issues, including smoking on school grounds. At Thayer, Cheever's precocious talent for narrative emerged as a to his scholastic struggles. His teacher recognized his gift for and would reward the class's good behavior by allowing him to regale them with improvised tales, fostering an early audience for his imaginative prowess. This hinted at the verbal agility that would define his later prose, though it did little to improve his standing with the administration. By 1929, at the age of seventeen, Cheever was expelled for poor grades and insubordination, abruptly concluding his formal schooling. The expulsion proved pivotal, channeling Cheever's energies toward writing. Shortly after leaving Thayer, he composed "Expelled," a semi-autobiographical that captured his disillusionment with institutional life; it was published in in October 1930, launching his literary career at just eighteen. This early success validated his departure from academia, as he relocated to and later to pursue writing full-time. Cheever's early literary influences were drawn from a eclectic mix of canonical works that shaped his elegant, ironic style. He was profoundly affected by F. Scott Fitzgerald's evocation of American aspiration and disillusionment, Ernest Hemingway's spare precision, and Gustave Flaubert's meticulous realism, as seen in . Additionally, childhood readings in Thomas Bulfinch's Mythology and the instilled a mythic and ritualistic sensibility that permeated his portrayals of suburban malaise. These sources, absorbed voraciously during his teens, provided the stylistic and thematic foundations for his exploration of middle-class .

Writing Career

Early Publications

John Cheever's earliest published work appeared at the age of 18, when his short story "Expelled"—an autobiographical account of his dismissal from Thayer Academy prep school—was printed in on September 30, 1930. This debut piece showcased the young writer's emerging voice, drawing on personal experience to explore themes of and , though it received no immediate acclaim. Throughout the early 1930s, Cheever struggled financially in , supporting himself with odd jobs while submitting stories to magazines; he published sporadically in outlets like The Left and Pagany, honing a style influenced by contemporaries such as and . His breakthrough came in 1935, when accepted "Brooklyn Rooming House," a tale of urban isolation among boardinghouse residents, marking his first appearance in the prestigious magazine on May 25 of that year. This led to a string of acceptances, including "Buffalo" on June 22, 1935, establishing Cheever as a regular contributor with stories that blended wry observation of middle-class life with subtle undercurrents of discontent. By the early 1940s, Cheever had drafted dozens of stories, many first appearing in amid his service in the U.S. Army (1942–1945), during which he was reassigned to the as a scriptwriter for training films. His debut collection, The Way Some People Live: A Book of Stories, was published by on March 8, 1943, compiling 30 pieces—23 previously printed in and others from earlier journals—arranged loosely by seasons to evoke the passage of time in American locales. The volume, limited to 2,750 copies, drew mixed critical response for its ambitious scope but uneven maturity, with reviewer John Mason Brown in describing the characters as "tortured souls" in a world of fleeting connections. Cheever later disavowed much of the book, viewing it as juvenile, though it solidified his reputation as a promising chronicler of suburban and urban ennui.

Mid-Career Success

Cheever's mid-career success solidified in the late 1950s with the publication of his debut novel, The Wapshot Chronicle, in 1957, which chronicled the quirky dynamics of a coastal New England family and earned widespread critical praise for its lyrical prose and satirical edge. The following year, the novel won the National Book Award for Fiction, marking a pivotal recognition that elevated Cheever from a prominent short story writer to a leading novelist and boosted his commercial profile. This achievement came after years of steady contributions to The New Yorker, where he had published dozens of stories since the 1930s, refining his signature style of exploring suburban malaise and human frailty. Building on this momentum, Cheever released the sequel The Wapshot Scandal in 1964, which delved deeper into the family's unraveling secrets and received the William Dean Howells Medal from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1965 for its distinguished contribution to American fiction. During the , he continued to produce acclaimed collections, including The Housebreaker of Shady Hill and Other Stories (1958) and The Brigadier and the Golf Widow (1964), which showcased his mastery of concise narratives often drawn from his observations of affluent American life. His novel Bullet Park (1969) further demonstrated his versatility, blending dark humor with social commentary, though it garnered mixed reviews; nonetheless, it reinforced his reputation for innovative storytelling. The 1970s brought even greater acclaim, highlighted by the novel Falconer (1977), a departure into that became a and drew praise for its psychological depth and experimental structure. Cheever's short fiction reached its zenith with The Stories of John Cheever (1978), a comprehensive collection of sixty-one pieces spanning his career, which won both the and the in 1979, cementing his status as one of America's foremost literary figures. This volume not only achieved commercial success as a national but also underscored the enduring impact of his work on portraying the hidden tensions of mid-century suburbia.

Later Works and Teaching

In the , Cheever published two novels that expanded on the familial and suburban themes of his earlier work. The Wapshot Scandal (1964), a to his debut novel , further chronicled the eccentric Wapshot family in a decaying , blending humor with melancholy reflections on inheritance and decline. This was followed by Bullet Park (1969), a darker narrative exploring suburban alienation and ritualistic violence through the intersecting lives of a commuter and a drifter, marking a shift toward more experimental and psychologically intense storytelling. Cheever's most commercially successful novel came later with Falconer (1977), a semi-autobiographical tale set in a fictional prison inspired by his visits to Sing Sing, where the protagonist grapples with addiction, sexuality, and redemption amid institutional decay. The book reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list and received widespread critical acclaim for its vivid prose and unflinching portrayal of personal turmoil. His final novel, Oh What a Paradise It Seems (1982), a slim, lyrical work published just months before his death, addressed environmental degradation and late-life longing in a small coastal community, serving as a poignant capstone to his career. Throughout this period, Cheever continued to produce short stories for The New Yorker, culminating in the landmark collection The Stories of John Cheever (1978), which gathered 61 pieces spanning five decades and earned the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1979, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the American Book Award. Parallel to his writing, Cheever took on several teaching roles in the 1970s, often as a means to supplement income and escape domestic pressures amid his worsening . From 1971 to 1972, he instructed classes at Correctional Facility in , an experience that influenced the prison setting of Falconer and exposed him to the raw narratives of inmates. In the fall of 1973, he served as a visiting professor at the Writers' Workshop, where he mentored emerging talents including , , and , though his heavy drinking sometimes disrupted classes. The following year, from 1974 to 1975, Cheever held a professorship at , a position he found isolating and burdensome, living in a sparse apartment while battling personal demons; colleagues like noted his deteriorating health during this time. These engagements, while sporadic, connected him to younger writers and provided material for his fiction, even as they highlighted his struggles. In recognition of his enduring contributions, Cheever received the National Medal for Literature from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters on April 27, 1982, just weeks before his death, affirming his status as a chronicler of American suburbia.

Personal Life

Marriage and Family

John Cheever met Mary Winternitz, a graduate and aspiring writer, in 1939 at a party hosted by her family at their summer estate in . The two were married on March 22, 1941, in , in a ceremony that marked the beginning of a that would last over four decades until Cheever's death in 1982. Mary, the daughter of Milton Winternitz, dean of the , and Helen Watson Winternitz, a and activist, brought intellectual and artistic depth to the union; she pursued her own career as a and while supporting Cheever's writing. In a letter written just before their wedding, Cheever promised Mary a "wonderful and beautiful life," reflecting his initial optimism about their shared future. The couple had three children: , born on July 31, 1943; Benjamin, born on October 8, 1948; and , born on March 9, 1957, in , , during a trip abroad. and Benjamin both followed in their parents' footsteps to become writers, with authoring memoirs including Home Before Dark (1984), which drew on experiences, and Benjamin publishing novels and essays. , also known as , became a law professor at the , and died on June 10, 2017, while kayaking. The initially lived in a apartment on Manhattan's before relocating to in the 1950s, eventually settling in a Dutch Colonial house on Cedar Lane in , in 1961—a home that became central to their life and inspired many of Cheever's stories about suburban existence. Family life in Ossining revolved around routines that blended creativity and domesticity, including Sunday dinners, games of , and evening recitations of by and the children. Summers were spent at the Winternitz family estate, Treetops, in , where gatherings fostered and intellectual exchange. played a pivotal role as the family's anchor, managing household responsibilities, engaging in local politics and , and later caring for Cheever during his final illness; she continued living in the Ossining home after his death, supported by his literary estate, until her own passing in 2014 at age 95. The Cheevers' marriage, though tested by personal challenges, endured as a foundation for their children's pursuits, with the family home serving as a symbol of stability amid Cheever's peripatetic career.

Sexuality and Private Struggles

John Cheever's sexuality was marked by , which he concealed for much of his life amid profound and societal pressures of mid-20th-century . He engaged in numerous affairs with both men and women, often grappling with intense guilt and self-loathing that intertwined with his and depressive episodes. Cheever's journals reveal a man tormented by his desires, frequently expressing disdain for in public while privately pursuing it, as evidenced by his admission of an "insatiable desire" despite a "censorious attitude towards homosexuals." This duality contributed to a tortured double life, where fueled emotional isolation and self-destructive behaviors. One of Cheever's early homosexual relationships was with composer in the 1940s, a brief but intense affair that Cheever later referenced in his journals with a mix of nostalgia and regret, noting encounters "in almost every room." His longest and most significant male affair began in 1977 with Max Zimmer, a PhD student in his early thirties whom Cheever met while teaching at the ; Zimmer, raised Mormon, became a live-in companion in the Cheever family home in , complicating Cheever's marriage. Zimmer described their physical relationship as "pretty brutal," reflecting Cheever's often aggressive and conflicted approach to intimacy, which Bailey attributes to years of suppressed urges. Cheever also had heterosexual affairs, including one with actress , underscoring his , but these did not alleviate his underlying turmoil. Cheever's private struggles deeply affected his marriage to Mary Winternitz, whom he wed in 1941, creating a facade of domestic normalcy while he pursued extramarital liaisons that strained family dynamics. His children, particularly daughter Susan, were aware of the tensions; she later disclosed his bisexuality in her 1984 memoir Home Before Dark, detailing how Zimmer's presence in the home exacerbated household discord. In a candid 1982 conversation with Susan, Cheever acknowledged his "many" gay experiences but dismissed them as "all tremendously disappointing," revealing persistent denial even as his health declined. This repression manifested in alcoholism, which Bailey links directly to Cheever's dread of exposure, as he drank to numb the "terrible dread that his family and friends would discover his bisexuality." His journals document bouts of "le cafard" (depressive despair) exacerbated by sexual anxiety, leading to cycles of binge drinking and isolation. In his later years, particularly during rehabilitation at Smithers Alcoholism Treatment and Training Center in 1975, Cheever began a slow of his sexuality, openly discussing it with and acolytes like Zimmer, though full eluded him until his . This period marked a partial from self-loathing, influenced by the evolving , yet his struggles persisted, contributing to the haunted authenticity of his suburban-themed writings. Bailey's portrays this as a haunting tale of mid-century homosexual self-loathing, where personal demons shadowed Cheever's public acclaim.

Health Challenges

Alcoholism

John Cheever's battle with spanned much of his adult life, beginning as a social habit in the literary circles of and intensifying into a debilitating that profoundly affected his personal and professional existence. By the , his daily consumption of and other spirits had become ritualistic, often starting early in the morning and interfering with his writing routine, as he would hide bottles around the house to sustain his intake. This pattern exacerbated his underlying anxieties and contributed to erratic behavior, including toward his family during heated domestic scenes. His , , and children endured years of his mood swings and unreliability, with the household tension peaking as his workdays shortened and evenings dissolved into inebriation. The physical toll became evident in 1972 when Cheever suffered a near-fatal heart attack, widely linked to his chronic heavy drinking, which prompted initial but unsuccessful attempts at moderation. By early 1975, his health had deteriorated further—marked by tremors, blackouts, and profound —leading his family to stage an . On April 9, 1975, drove him to the Smithers Treatment and Training Center in , where he underwent a rigorous 28-day rehabilitation program. The experience was transformative; Cheever later described it as a confrontation with his mortality, crediting the program's structure and group therapy for breaking his cycle of . Following his discharge, Cheever achieved lasting sobriety, supported by regular attendance at meetings, and never drank again in the remaining seven years of his life. This period of clarity revitalized his career, enabling the completion of key works such as the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Stories of John Cheever (1978) and his final novel, Oh What a Paradise It Seems (1982). His journals, published posthumously, offer raw insight into the alcoholism's psychological grip, portraying it as intertwined with his themes of suburban disillusionment and personal failure.

Cancer and Death

In the summer of 1981, John Cheever was diagnosed with following the discovery of a tumor in his kidney. He underwent in July to remove the cancerous kidney and subsequently received to address the disease, which left him for much of the time and caused symptoms including a limp and chest pains. Cheever described the experience in a February 1982 , stating, "Having cancer is a whole new world," and noting that the radiation enabled him to walk despite his weakened state. By late 1981, the cancer had metastasized, spreading to other parts of his body, including his lungs and bones, rendering his condition terminal. During his final months, Cheever remained at his home in , where he was cared for by his wife, , and his companion, Max Zimmer, who assisted with hospital visits for treatment. Despite the severity of his illness, Cheever continued limited writing and reflected on his life with a measure of acceptance, as documented in biographical accounts of his journals. Cheever died of cancer on June 18, 1982, at his Ossining home at the age of 70. His death came shortly after the publication of his final novel, Oh What a Paradise It Seems, and prompted widespread recognition of his contributions to . Flags in Ossining were lowered to in his honor.

Literary Output

Novels

Cheever's novels, though fewer in number than his short story collections, represent significant explorations of American suburban life, family dynamics, and personal disillusionment, often blending realism with subtle fantasy elements. He published five novels between 1957 and 1982, with his debut work establishing his reputation as a major literary voice. These works frequently draw on autobiographical elements while critiquing the complacencies and hidden fractures of middle-class existence. His first novel, (1957), is an ebullient centered on the eccentric Wapshot clan in the fictional coastal town of St. Botolphs, Massachusetts. The narrative follows brothers and Coverly as they navigate inheritance, sexuality, and societal expectations, juxtaposed against their aging parents' fading world. The book won the in 1958 and was praised for its lyrical prose and humorous yet poignant depiction of decline in a changing . The sequel, The Wapshot Scandal (1964), continues the story of the Wapshot family, focusing on financial ruin, scandal, and redemption amid anxieties. It shifts toward darker tones, examining themes of loss and moral ambiguity through the brothers' adult struggles, including Coverly's work on a nuclear missile project. Critics noted its expansion of the chronicle's scope while maintaining Cheever's signature blend of and . In Bullet Park (1969), Cheever delves into suburban and violence, recounting the obsessive quest of Eliot Nailles, a seemingly ordinary resident, to protect his son from a ritualistic threat posed by the enigmatic Paul Hammer. The novel contrasts idyllic community life with underlying madness, serving as both a tale and a critique of . It received mixed reviews for its experimental structure but was lauded for its psychological depth. Falconer (1977), Cheever's fourth , marks a departure into a wrenching drama inspired partly by his own experiences teaching inmates. Farragut, a former professor imprisoned for murdering his brother, grapples with , , and redemption through relationships in the fictional Falconer State Prison. The work explores themes of confinement and human connection, earning acclaim for its raw emotional intensity and stylistic innovation. Cheever's final novel, Oh What a Paradise It Seems (1982), is a slender, fable-like published shortly before his death. It follows Lemuel Sears, an elderly widower confronting , lost love, and personal regrets in a threatened village. The story weaves romance, ecological concern, and wistful nostalgia, concluding Cheever's oeuvre on a note of luminous epiphany about life's fleeting beauties.

Short Stories and Collections

John Cheever established his reputation primarily through short fiction, publishing more than 100 stories in over four decades, where his work first appeared starting in 1935. His stories often captured the quiet desperations and hidden fractures of middle-class , blending with subtle . Cheever authored seven collections of short stories, spanning from his early experimental phase to mature masterpieces that solidified his place as one of the 20th century's premier writers. His debut collection, The Way Some People Live (1943, Random House), gathered 30 stories written mostly in his youth, reflecting the influence of his Quincy, Massachusetts, upbringing and early New York experiences; however, Cheever later disavowed the book as immature and blocked its reprinting during his lifetime. The following decade saw the release of The Enormous Radio and Other Stories (1953, Funk & Wagnalls), comprising 14 tales all previously published in The New Yorker, with the title story depicting a couple tormented by a radio that eavesdrops on their neighbors' private lives, highlighting themes of intrusion and domestic unease. In 1958, The Housebreaker of Shady Hill and Other Stories (Harper & Brothers) presented eight interconnected pieces set in the fictional suburb of Shady Hill, including the acclaimed "The Country Husband," which follows a man's post-crash epiphany and fleeting rebellion against suburban conformity. This was followed by Some People, Places, and Things That Will Not Appear in My Next Novel (1961, Harper & Brothers), a slimmer volume of nine stories drawn from The New Yorker and Esquire, featuring vignettes like "The Bus to St. James," which satirize social facades and fleeting encounters. Cheever's mid-career peak arrived with The Brigadier and the Golf Widow (1964, ), containing 16 stories that expanded his scope to include international settings and moral ambiguities, most notably "The Swimmer," a surreal of denial and decline in which a man "swims home" through suburban pools only to confront his unraveling life. After a nine-year gap, The World of Apples (1973, ) offered 10 stories shifting toward introspection and eccentricity, such as the title tale about a poet grappling with temptation in , praised for its lyrical exploration of artistic isolation. The capstone of his short fiction career was The Stories of John Cheever (1978, ), a comprehensive volume compiling 61 stories from across his oeuvre, excluding only those from his repudiated debut; it became a bestseller and earned the and the in 1979, affirming Cheever's mastery in distilling the into concise, resonant narratives. Posthumously, the edition Collected Stories and Other Writings (2009) incorporated additional uncollected pieces, further preserving his legacy in short form.

Style, Themes, and Critical Reception

Writing Style

John Cheever's writing style is distinguished by its lyrical , which intertwines precise observations of everyday suburban life with subtle infusions of fantasy and irony, creating a vivid portrayal of middle-class ennui and hidden turmoil. This approach allows him to elevate mundane settings into arenas of profound psychological and moral exploration, often through economical yet evocative descriptions that capture the fleeting beauty and underlying decay of American domesticity. A hallmark of Cheever's technique is the rapid shifting of viewpoint and diction, blending heterogeneous attitudes to produce a dynamic narrative flow that mirrors the instability of his characters' inner worlds. In works like "The Enormous Radio," this manifests in a seamless transition from realistic domestic scenes to surreal intrusions, where ordinary objects become symbols of repressed anxieties, underscoring his skill in deploying irony to expose human vulnerabilities without overt didacticism. Critics have described this as a "complex amalgam" that balances clarity with ambiguity, enabling readers to glimpse the fractures beneath polished surfaces. Cheever's prose also exhibits a democratic —rooted in clear, unadorned sentences—yet carries an exclusive undercurrent through its sophisticated allusions and psychological acuity, reflecting a self-divided that critiques the very complacencies it depicts. This "Cheeveresque" style, which matured in the through his collections, emphasizes keen insight into character motivations, often revealed through that mimics natural speech while laced with subtle wit. For instance, in The , his narrative voice weaves familial anecdotes with mythic undertones, using imagery of landscapes to symbolize broader themes of loss and renewal. His experimental use of narrative perspectives, including third-person omniscient shifts and occasional stream-of-consciousness elements, further enhances the intimacy and immediacy of his , fostering a sense of voyeuristic intrusion into private lives. This technique, evident in novels like Falconer, combines gritty with redemptive , where even institutional settings are rendered with a poetic sensitivity that highlights human resilience amid despair. Overall, Cheever's style prioritizes emotional resonance over plot complexity, earning praise for its ability to distill universal truths from the particularities of postwar suburbia.

Major Themes

John Cheever's fiction recurrently examines the discontents of suburban existence, portraying affluent communities as sites of emotional isolation and spiritual void, where material prosperity masks profound personal dissatisfaction. His characters, often upper-middle-class professionals, confront a pervasive sense of stemming from social fragmentation and disconnection from authentic human bonds or the natural world. This theme is evident in stories like "The Country Husband," where domestic routines expose underlying marital discord and unfulfilled aspirations, highlighting how suburban conformity erodes individual vitality. Central to Cheever's oeuvre is the exploration of family ties, particularly fraternal relationships, which serve as metaphors for broader tensions between for and the disorienting pace of modern progress. In novels such as (1957) and The Wapshot Scandal (1964), brothers embody conflicting impulses toward preservation of familial heritage and adaptation to contemporary change, often resulting in rivalry and loss. This recurs in short stories, underscoring Cheever's toward time's passage and the erosion of personal in evolving social landscapes. Infidelity and sexual form another key thread, reflecting hidden desires and moral ambiguities within seemingly stable marriages. Cheever's narratives frequently depict adulterous affairs as desperate bids for vitality amid routine ennui, influenced by his own experiences of and marital strain. Works like illustrate how private transgressions infiltrate domestic harmony, amplifying themes of guilt and psychological fracture. Alcoholism and existential anxiety permeate Cheever's portrayals of human frailty, with drinking often symbolizing failed attempts to reconcile inner turmoil with outward success. Characters succumb to as a response to bankruptcy and domestic pressures, as seen in the pervasive boozing across his Shady Hill tales, where blurs the line between revelry and despair. Nature imagery, particularly motifs of water and light, reinforces themes of memory, , and disorientation in the modern world. In Bullet Park (1969), elemental forces like rivers evoke nostalgic retreats from urban , while travel disrupts characters' sense of self. The iconic short story "The Swimmer" (1964) exemplifies this through its protagonist's aquatic odyssey across backyard pools, a hallucinatory traversal symbolizing the inexorable flow of time, denial, and ultimate reckoning with personal decline.

Critical Reception

John Cheever's literary output garnered significant acclaim, particularly for his short stories, establishing him as a master chronicler of mid-20th-century suburbia. Often referred to as the "Chekhov of the suburbs," he was praised for blending with , irony, and subtle fantasy in depicting upper-middle-class life. Critics such as hailed him as an "enchanted realist," while commended stories like "The Country Husband" for their "satisfying coherence" and depth. His 1978 collection The Stories of John Cheever received widespread praise, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and becoming a bestseller that revitalized interest in the short story form. However, his novels elicited more mixed responses. Early successes like The Wapshot Chronicle (1957) earned the National Book Award and positive reviews, but later works such as The Wapshot Scandal (1964) and Bullet Park (1969) faced criticism for perceived uncertainty and lack of resolution, including a notably negative review of Bullet Park in The New York Times. Cheever's first short story collection, The Way Some People Live (1943), also drew mixed reviews, which he later came to dislike. Posthumously, his reputation endured and deepened, influenced by Blake Bailey's 2009 biography that revealed his personal struggles with sexuality and , providing new context for his themes of hidden turmoil. Overall, Cheever is regarded as one of the premier short fiction writers of his era, though some critics noted a "phantom " in his WASP-centric settings that occasionally masked deeper .

Awards, Legacy, and Adaptations

Honors and Recognition

John Cheever received numerous prestigious literary honors throughout his career, recognizing his contributions to American fiction, particularly his short stories and novels that captured the complexities of suburban life. These accolades, spanning fellowships, short story prizes, and major book awards, affirmed his status as a leading mid-20th-century author. His works were frequently selected for inclusion in annual anthologies, and he was elected to influential literary institutions, culminating in lifetime achievement recognitions shortly before his death. Early in his career, Cheever benefited from foundational support through the in 1951, which allowed him to focus on writing full-time. His short story "The Five-Forty-Eight," published in , earned the Magazine Award in 1955, highlighting his emerging talent for psychological depth in concise narratives. Cheever's stories were selected for the Prize Stories anthology multiple times, including in 1951 for "The Pot of Gold" and in 1956 for "The Country Husband," underscoring his mastery of the form. Cheever's first novel, The Wapshot Chronicle (1957), won the in 1958, marking a significant milestone and establishing him as a of note. His sequel, The Wapshot Scandal (1964), received the from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1965, an award given every five years for the most distinguished American fiction of the prior half-decade. In the late 1970s, Cheever's comprehensive short story collection The Stories of John Cheever (1978) garnered widespread acclaim, winning the in 1979, the for Fiction in 1979, and the American Book Award for Fiction in 1981. The paperback edition further received the (Paperback) in 1981. These honors collectively celebrated the collection's enduring , drawing from over three decades of his output. He also received the in 1979 for his outstanding contributions to . Cheever was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1957. Just months before his death, on April 27, 1982, he was awarded the National Medal for Literature by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the highest U.S. literary honor at the time, which included a $15,000 prize and a bronze medallion.
YearAwardWorkSource
1951Guggenheim FellowshipN/Ahttps://www.gf.org/fellows?page=158
1951O. Henry Prize"The Pot of Gold"https://www.abaa.org/book/849927004
1955Benjamin Franklin Magazine Award"The Five-Forty-Eight"https://www.nytimes.com/1955/05/29/archives/magazine-awards-made-u-of-illinois-gives-redbook-gold-medal-for.html
1956O. Henry Prize"The Country Husband" (selection)https://www.nytimes.com/1956/01/08/archives/repeaters-and-rookies.html
1958National Book Award (Fiction)The Wapshot Chroniclehttps://www.nationalbook.org/books/the-wapshot-chronicle/
1965William Dean Howells MedalThe Wapshot Scandalhttps://www.nytimes.com/1965/03/24/archives/cheerer-to-get-howells-medal-for-writing-wapshot-scandal-american.html
1979Pulitzer Prize (Fiction)The Stories of John Cheeverhttps://www.pulitzer.org/winners/john-cheever
1979National Book Critics Circle Award (Fiction)The Stories of John Cheeverhttps://www.nytimes.com/1979/01/16/archives/national-book-critics-prize-to-stories-of-john-cheever-getting-the.html
1981American Book Award (Fiction)The Stories of John Cheeverhttps://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/01/books/american-book-awards-are-given-for-22-works.html
1981National Book Award (Fiction - Paperback)The Stories of John Cheeverhttps://www.nationalbook.org/people/john-cheever/
1982National Medal for LiteratureLifetime achievementhttps://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/13/books/cheever-wins-letters-medal.html

Cultural Impact and Adaptations

John Cheever's works have profoundly shaped the literary and cultural depiction of mid-20th-century American suburbia, often portraying it as a site of underlying , , and existential unease beneath its surface affluence. His stories, particularly those set in fictional locales like Shady Hill, captured the era's social rituals—cocktails at dusk, backyard barbecues, and commuter trains—while exposing the emotional isolation and moral ambiguities of upper-middle-class life. This portrayal influenced subsequent writers and filmmakers in exploring suburban disillusionment, establishing Cheever as a key chronicler of the post-World War II American Dream's fractures. Cheever's emphasis on the psychological toll of suburban existence resonated in broader cultural critiques, contributing to a reevaluation of domesticity in and media. His narratives highlighted themes of and repressed desires among the white-collar elite, influencing works that probed the era's roles and social expectations. For instance, his stories informed the visual lexicon of mid-century , from suits and station wagons to country-club dances, embedding these images in as symbols of both and . This extended to , where Cheever's suburban archetypes appeared in films and television exploring similar tensions. Several of Cheever's short stories have been adapted for , amplifying his reach beyond . The most notable is "The Swimmer," adapted into a 1968 feature film directed by and starring as the protagonist Ned Merrill, who swims across a chain of suburban pools in a hallucinatory journey symbolizing personal decline; the film, produced by , was praised for its surreal evocation of Cheever's themes despite production challenges. In television, three stories were dramatized in 1979 for WNET's series: "The Sorrows of Gin," aired on October 24 and focusing on a child's perspective of parental ; "O Youth and Beauty!," broadcast on October 31 and depicting midlife envy among friends; and "The Five-Forty-Eight," presented on November 7, which portrays a secretary's revenge against her exploitative boss. Additionally, Cheever himself scripted "The Shady Hill Kidnapping" for the 1982 premiere of PBS's , adapting his 1963 story about a suburban family's chaotic response to a mock abduction into a teleplay that aired on January 10. These adaptations, often emphasizing Cheever's blend of irony and , introduced his narratives to wider audiences and underscored his enduring appeal in visual media.

References

  1. [1]
    John Cheever | The Montgomery Fellows Program - Dartmouth
    A master of the sophisticated, satirical short story and the socially critical novel, John Cheever (1912-1982) built his career by chronicling the manners ...Missing: key | Show results with:key
  2. [2]
    https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.2013.100
  3. [3]
    English 100 Lehigh: John Cheever
    Oct 19, 2004 · John Cheever was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, on May 27, 1912. His father was a shoes salesman, who lost his job and found it hard to find another.
  4. [4]
    O Joy! O Sorrow! O Cheever! - Commentary Magazine
    Apr 1, 2009 · John Cheever was born in 1912 to a WASP family resident in Quincy, Massachusetts. The first Cheever in America was Ezekiel, headmaster of the ...
  5. [5]
    The deep end | Books | The Observer - The Guardian
    Aug 6, 2005 · His first novel, The Wapshot Chronicle (1957), was a loosely autobiographical account of a family's decline; it won the National Book award. The ...
  6. [6]
    National Book Critics Prize To `Stories of John Cheever
    Jan 16, 1979 · Natl Book Critics Circle awards go to The Stories of John Cheever by John Cheever (fiction), Hello, Darkness: The Collected Poems of L E ...
  7. [7]
    JOHN CHEEVER IS DEAD AT 70; NOVELIST WON PULITZER PRIZE
    Jun 19, 1982 · It was an achievement recognized by a Pulitzer Prize, a National Book Award, a National Book Critics Circle Award and the Edward MacDowell Medal ...Missing: major | Show results with:major
  8. [8]
    CHEEVER WINS LETTERS MEDAL - The New York Times
    Apr 13, 1982 · Mr. Cheever has won the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Critics Circle Award, National Book Award and, last year, the American Book Award. His ...Missing: major | Show results with:major
  9. [9]
    The demons that drove John Cheever | Biography books
    Oct 17, 2009 · It remained on the New York Times bestseller list for six months, and won the Pulitzer, the National Book Critics Circle award and the American ...
  10. [10]
    Suburban Dwelling | National Endowment for the Humanities
    In 1960, well into middle age and father to three children with his wife, Mary, John Cheever at last plunked down money to buy an imposing house situated on six ...Missing: key | Show results with:key
  11. [11]
    John Cheever | Encyclopedia.com
    Personal. Born May 27, 1912, in Quincy, MA; died of cancer, June 18, 1982, in Ossining, NY; son of Frederick (a shoe salesman and manufacturer) and Mary (a ...Missing: major | Show results with:major
  12. [12]
    [PDF] John Cheever - Rivier University
    Abstract. While it is firmly established that Pulitzer Prize winning author John Cheever honed his distinctive. Cheeveresque writing style during the decade ...
  13. [13]
    John Cheever: Reluctant New Dealer on the Way to Fame
    From Prosperity to Poverty ... Cheever, born in 1912, was descended from an old Yankee family. Expectations for a life made easy by a trust fund weren't out of ...Missing: ancestry WASP
  14. [14]
    John Cheever Biography - life, family, childhood, children, parents ...
    Born: May 27, 1912. Quincy, Massachusetts Died: June 18, 1982. Ossining, New York American writer and author. American writer John Cheever is best known for ...Missing: major | Show results with:major
  15. [15]
    The First Suburbanite - Before John Updike and Richard Yates ...
    Feb 27, 2009 · “Falconer” and “The Wapshot Chronicle,” Cheever's other great novel, which made the Modern Library's list of the top 100 English-language novels ...Missing: major | Show results with:major<|control11|><|separator|>
  16. [16]
    John Cheever - George McLoone collection
    Best know for his depiction of the emptiness at heart of the so-called American Dream, John Cheever was born in Quincy, Massachusetts to Frederick Lincoln ...
  17. [17]
    REMEMBERING JOHN CHEEVER - The New York Times
    Sep 9, 1984 · He won the National Book Award, and the Howells Medal from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Pulitzer Prize, and the National ...
  18. [18]
    John Cheever | Research Starters - EBSCO
    John Cheever was an American author recognized for his contributions to both the short story and novel genres, particularly during the mid-20th century.Missing: influences reliable
  19. [19]
    Cheever's Art of the Devastating Phrase | The New Yorker
    May 30, 2012 · You feel, too, the vivid immediacy, and the turbulent, benign influence of a number of authors—particularly Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Flaubert, ...
  20. [20]
    John Cheever Turns 100 | Allan Gurganus
    Nov 8, 2012 · This high school dropout's sources? Solely the best. Madame Bovary, Bulfinch's Mythology, the Book of Common Prayer, parables from our King ...Missing: education reliable<|control11|><|separator|>
  21. [21]
    A Journey Through John Cheever's Literary World
    Jun 24, 2025 · Cheever's literary journey began in the 1930s, with his early works reflecting the influences of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway.
  22. [22]
    John Cheever's First Ever Short Story Expelled | The New Republic
    Nov 12, 2013 · John Cheever's First Short Story, Ever. "Expelled": The tale of his expulsion from prep school.
  23. [23]
    Collected Stories and Other Writings - Library of America
    Cheever's superlative gifts as a storyteller are evident even in his first published work, “Expelled” (1930), which appeared in The New Republic when he was ...
  24. [24]
    Cheever, John
    **Summary of John Cheever's Later Works and Teaching Career**
  25. [25]
    Brooklyn Rooming House | The New Yorker
    Brooklyn Rooming House” by John Cheever was published in the print edition of the May 25, 1935, issue of The New Yorker.
  26. [26]
    Eighty-five from the Archive: John Cheever | The New Yorker
    Apr 29, 2010 · His first story, “Brooklyn Rooming House,” appeared in 1935, his last, “The Island,” in 1981. Though he published five novels, it is for his ...Missing: early publications
  27. [27]
    Posthumous Output | The New Yorker
    He was over thirty when his first collection, “The Way Some People Live,” was published, in 1943; it brought together thirty stories, all but seven of them from ...
  28. [28]
    The Wapshot Chronicle - National Book Foundation
    NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER – John Cheever's classic novel about one eccentric New England family. The Wapshots have called the quintessential Massachusetts ...
  29. [29]
    National Book Foundation - National Book Awards 1958
    the National Book Awards, and more. 1958. winners. Discover honored books by category: Fiction Nonfiction Poetry. WINNER. The Wapshot Chronicle. John Cheever.
  30. [30]
    John Cheever Latest Articles | The New Yorker
    John Cheever ; Another Story. February 18, 1967 ; The Ocean. July 25, 1964 ; The Swimmer. July 11, 1964 ; Marito in Città. June 27, 1964.Missing: short publications
  31. [31]
    Cheerer to Get Howells Medal For Writing 'Wapshot Scandal ...
    John Cheever will receive the Howells Medal, given by the American Academy of Arts and Letters every five years for the most distinguished work of American ...
  32. [32]
    The Stories of John Cheever, by John Cheever (Knopf)
    Winning Work ; "Percy" (September 14, 1968) ; "Another Story" (February 25, 1967) ; "The Ocean" (August 1, 1964) ; "The Swimmer" (July 18, 1964) ; "Marito in Città" ...
  33. [33]
    Books of The Times - The New York Times
    Mar 3, 1977 · After a first reading of John Cheever's extraordinary new novel, “Falconer,” I could report that I had devoured it hungrily, marveled at the ...
  34. [34]
    John Cheever at Sing Sing | The New Yorker
    Aug 13, 2013 · In 1977, the year John Cheever published his acclaimed prison novel, “Falconer,” the program received a grant to set up a lecture series inside prisons ...Missing: major | Show results with:major
  35. [35]
    John Cheever - LitCity - The University of Iowa
    John William Cheever (1912 – 1982) was an American novelist and short story writer. In the fall of 1973, Cheever taught at the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where his ...
  36. [36]
    John Cheever - 1979 Edward MacDowell Medalist
    A compilation of his short stories, The Stories of John Cheever, won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and a National Book Critics Circle Award, and its first ...
  37. [37]
    Mary Cheever dies at 95; author and widow of writer John Cheever
    Apr 10, 2014 · Mary Cheever, an accomplished author and poet best known as the enduring spouse and widow of John Cheever, has died, after surviving by decades a husband.
  38. [38]
    John Cheever Biography, Life, Interesting Facts - SunSigns.Org
    Jun 18, 1982 · On May 27, 1912, John William Cheever was born to Lincoln Cheever and Mary Liley Cheever in Quincy, Massachusetts. He is the second born and has ...Missing: background | Show results with:background
  39. [39]
    Federico Cheever Obituary June 10, 2017
    Jun 10, 2017 · Federico Cheever was born on March 9, 1957, in Rome, Italy, to Mary Winternitz Cheever and John Cheever. He passed away on June 10, 2017.
  40. [40]
    Mary Cheever, a Central Figure in a Literary Family, Dies at 95
    Apr 9, 2014 · It was the family home of their three children, two of whom, Benjamin and Susan, grew up to become writers themselves. It was also at the center ...
  41. [41]
    My Parents' Marriage by Susan Cheever - The Paris Review
    Oct 7, 2025 · “I am so proud of my family,” he wrote soon after we moved to the suburbs. “I love to walk with them on a Sunday.” His children made him happy.
  42. [42]
    The diaries of a determined woman | Biography books - The Guardian
    Jan 3, 2009 · For most of his adult life, Cheever was unable to reconcile a censorious attitude towards homosexuals with an insatiable desire, as he ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  43. [43]
    Colm Tóibín · My God, the Suburbs! John Cheever
    Nov 5, 2009 · One of John Cheever's most famous stories is ... In 1979, Cheever's collected Stories won a Pulitzer prize and wide critical acclaim.
  44. [44]
    Bisexual USA novelist and short story writer John Cheever was ...
    May 27, 2025 · He had relationships with both men and women, including a short relationship with composer Ned Rorem and an affair with actress Hope Lange.
  45. [45]
    John Cheever biography by Blake Bailey delves into a chaotic ...
    Mar 17, 2009 · Six years later, Cheever's daughter, Susan, disclosed his bisexuality in her memoir "Home Before Dark" and discussed it again in her 2008 volume ...
  46. [46]
    Cheever: A Life by Blake Bailey | Books | The Guardian
    Nov 27, 2009 · ... Review. Cheever: A Life by Blake Bailey. This article is more than 15 years old. A funny, astute and clear-eyed biography of John Cheever ...
  47. [47]
    John Cheever on the Rocks - Believer Magazine
    Jun 1, 2008 · Aside from the Ibsenesque genetic factor, Cheever drank to ease a terrible dread that his family and friends would discover his bisexuality—a ...Missing: key | Show results with:key<|control11|><|separator|>
  48. [48]
    A Rather Bestial Fellow, Bailey's Cheever: A Life - The Brooklyn Rail
    Sexual anxiety fueled both massive depression (what Cheever called le cafard, or “the cockroach”) and astonishing alcoholism. Bailey offers a succinct and ...Missing: guilt facts
  49. [49]
    Cheever: A Life - Harvard Review
    Mar 2, 2015 · While his writing received critical acclaim, in his personal life Cheever suffered from alcoholism, depression, sexual frustration, and family ...Missing: education early influences reliable
  50. [50]
    The Journals of John Cheever | Biography books | The Guardian
    Oct 30, 2009 · Cheever's slow discovery and eventual acceptance of his sexual identity conforms to the larger story of homosexuality in the 20th century.
  51. [51]
    None
    Nothing is retrieved...<|control11|><|separator|>
  52. [52]
    Basically Decent | The New Yorker
    Mar 1, 2009 · On the one hand, Blake Bailey's biography “Cheever: A Life” (Knopf; $35) is a triumph of thorough research and unblinkered appraisal—a seven- ...
  53. [53]
    John Cheever describes battle with cancer - UPI Archives
    Feb 28, 1982 · The conditions were pronounced cancerous and the novelist is bedridden much of the time. 'Having cancer is a whole new world,' he said. ' ...Missing: diagnosed 1981
  54. [54]
    John Cheever and Djuna Barnes, Patron Literary Saints of Suburbia ...
    Jun 18, 2021 · John Cheever and Djuna Barnes, Patron Literary Saints of Suburbia ... Cheever, just turned 70, died of a lung cancer that had spread ...
  55. [55]
    Author John Cheever dead at 70 - UPI Archives
    Jun 18, 1982 · John Cheever, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author who was known ... ' 'Falconer' won critical acclaim. His most recent work was 'Oh What ...
  56. [56]
    John Cheever: Complete Novels - Library of America
    In stock Free 30-day returnsHere, for the first time in a single volume, are Cheever's complete novels, ranging from the ebullient family saga of The Wapshot Chronicle (1957) and its ...Missing: 1960 | Show results with:1960
  57. [57]
    John Cheever | Penguin Random House
    In 1965 he received the Howells Medal for Fiction from the National Academy ... John Cheever won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize.<|control11|><|separator|>
  58. [58]
    Oh What A Paradise It Seems - Penguin Books
    Nov 5, 2009 · Oh What A Paradise It Seems · This delightful fable shows him at the height of his powers · John Cheever is an enchanted realist, and his voice, ...Missing: summary | Show results with:summary
  59. [59]
    The Stories of John Cheever - Penguin Random House
    In stock Free deliveryHe is the author of seven collections of stories and five novels. His first novel, The Wapshot Chronicle, won the 1958 National Book Award. In 1965 he received ...
  60. [60]
    The Way Some People Live. A Book of Stories by John Cheever
    In stock $6 delivery1st Edition - Hardcover - New York Random House 1943 - Dust Jacket Included - First Edition of the AuthorÕs First Book. Fine in a near fine neatly ...
  61. [61]
    THE ENORMOUS RADIO AND OTHER STORIES | John Cheever
    In stockFirst edition. The author's second book, a collection of fourteen short stories, all first published in THE NEW YORKER. A fine copy in very good dust jacket ...
  62. [62]
    THE HOUSEBREAKER OF SHADY HILL and Other Stories
    In stockNew York: Harper & Brothers, 1958 . First Edition. Hardcover. Cheever's fourth book, containing some of his greatest stories, including The Country Husband ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  63. [63]
    SOME PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS THAT WILL NOT APPEAR ...
    A collection of nine episodes, ranging from the stinging to the bleak, and including a Mllany of Characters TWNAIMN, comes from Esquire and The New Yorker ...
  64. [64]
    The Brigadier and the Golf Widow - christopher's rare books
    John Cheever. The Brigadier and the Golf Widow. New York: Harper and Row, 1964. First printing. A collection of sixteen stories from Cheever, at the height ...
  65. [65]
    The World of Apples - The New York Times
    May 20, 1973 · John Cheever's new collection of stories, “The World of Apples,” his first collection in nine years, is an extraordinary book, a transfiguring experience for ...
  66. [66]
    Analysis of John Cheever's Novels - Literary Theory and Criticism
    May 23, 2018 · Outwardly, Cheever's first two novels are quite similar in theme, character, and structure. Like The Wapshot Chronicle, The Wapshot Scandal ...
  67. [67]
    [PDF] John Cheever and the Management of Middlebrow Misery
    Francis is happy” (82). On the whole, Cheever is sympathetic to the rituals suburban men employ to affirm their sense of self; he does not believe such ...Missing: key | Show results with:key
  68. [68]
    [PDF] Brothers and the Problem of Balance in the Stories of John Cheever
    John Cheever, in his fifty-year career as a published writer, examined few topics as often or as intently as the dynamics within families.Missing: background | Show results with:background
  69. [69]
    Time and Balance in the Brother Stories of John Cheever
    8Cheever's ambivalence toward past and present comes into particular relief when his stories focus on brothers. This topic, like that of nostalgia and “progress ...Missing: scholarly analysis
  70. [70]
    The Stories of John Cheever Themes | GradeSaver
    Nov 25, 2018 · Cheever fills anxiety, moral bankruptcy, domestic stress and psychological dislocation to tell stories about common, ordinary people confronting the dark side ...Missing: scholarly | Show results with:scholarly
  71. [71]
    Nature Imagery in the Novels of John Cheever - UNT Digital Library
    John Cheever uses nature imagery, particularly images of light and water, to support his main themes of nostalgia, memory, tradition, alienation, travel, and ...
  72. [72]
    [PDF] John Cheever.vp - Salem Press
    As critic Charles C. Nash notes, one of the recurring themes in John. Cheever's fiction is provided by the metaphorical struggle between two brothers.
  73. [73]
    The Birth of “The New Yorker Story”
    Oct 27, 2015 · The following is drawn from “The 50s: The Story of a Decade,” an anthology of New Yorker articles, stories, and poems, published this week.Missing: contributions 1960s
  74. [74]
    https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/3667/the-art-of-fiction-no-62-john-cheever
  75. [75]
    How Cheever Really Felt About Living in Suburbia
    Apr 30, 2009 · JOHN CHEEVER was perhaps America's foremost chronicler of suburbia, and in his quirky short stories and novels, fictional suburbs like Shady ...
  76. [76]
    Cross-County 'Swimmer':Burt Lancaster Stars in Cheever Story Also ...
    '"So starts "The Swimmer," John Cheever's spare, horrifying New Yorker story about a man going to pieces on the outer reaches of suburbia.Neddy Merrill, an ...
  77. [77]
    How a Trio Of Cheever Stories Made It to TV - The New York Times
    Oct 14, 1979 · Ralph Tyler reviews WNET's Great Performances dramatizations of John Cheever short stories The Sorrows of Gin, O Youth and Beauty and The ...
  78. [78]
    CHEEVER SCRIPT OPENS 'AMERICAN PLAYHOUSE'
    Jan 10, 1982 · In 1978, WNET had produced adaptations of three Cheever short stories. The author, now 70, declined to write the scripts himself, but he did ...