The Letters of John Cheever [Paperback]

Benjamin Cheever (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1989

One of the most beloved and important writers of the 20th century comes vividly to life in this intimate collection of his letters, superbly edited by his son. 31 black-and-white photos.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

John Cheever's letters aren't great literaturethey weren't meant to bebut his unmistakable voice comes through on every page. Bristling with his sardonic wit and "rock-bottom irritability," they reveal a man of dark contradictions: an ardent heterosexual in public, Cheever despised his own secret bisexuality; he scorned the upper-middle class but desperately needed its approval. Letters track a romantic affair with actress Hope Lange, a competitive friendship with John Updike and dialogues with Saul Bellow, Josephine Herbst, Malcolm Cowley, Frederick Exley and Philip Roth. In the late 1960s, Cheever's merry, heavy-drinking attitude swiftly turned into family tragedy. Benjamin Cheever, the novelist's son, interweaves affectionate commentaries with the letters, telling what it was like to be reared by a famous writer who was an alcoholic. In the most affecting letters, every word is in place as Cheever paints a real-life character, comments on contemporary fiction or lays bare his frustrations. We follow the writer from a $3-a-week Greenwich Village room to the wilds of Westchester, N.Y.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This breezy, fast-paced correspondence will delight Cheever's fans. Dashed off in a tipsy or rhapsodic haze, without dates or any other thoughts for posterity, these letters focus not on Cheever's work but on "the common minutiae of lifethe raw materials of most good letters." Though occasionally savage toward other writers, the Cheever revealed here is generally light-hearted, warm, and confident. But middle age finds him "stuck in a morass of alcohol and melancholy," and the letters take on a grim undertone; the chief pleasures of his last decade seem to be his open indulgence of his homosexuality and the achievements of his children. On the whole, a splendid, lively book for anyone who likes to read others' mail. Michael Edmonds, State Historical Soc. of Wisconsin, Madison
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (October 15, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671687441
• ISBN-13: 978-0671687441
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,689,550 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Earthly Delights, August 1, 2009

By 

D. Bateman (Carlsbad, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Letters of John Cheever (Paperback)

The first industry review listed here starts with: "John Cheever's letters aren't great literature" ... and this would only be true if you think "great literature" has to be weighty, ponderous and dull. Not an unpopular belief. The fatter the volume and more stupefying the complexity, the more likely a piece of work is going to be called Great Literature. It's true that Cheever's letters are modest in scope and intent -- they might look pretty anemic next to some polysyllabic freak like Henry James' correspondence -- but what they DON'T lack is Charm. In my world, charm beats blithering intensity every time.

Cheever delighted in the world -- even the shadowy, dark night of the soul bits of it -- like (I'd wager) most of us, he needed a steady supply of love to keep that delight going. These letters seem to have been one way he kept the affection pumping along, with friends, family, lovers, both men and women. They are love letters in the broadest, least treacly sense.

And who wants to read a heavy, profound, sweaty, overintellectualized Love Letter?

Nobody.

Brevity may not ALWAYS be the soul of wit, but in Cheever's case, it absolutely is. Great literature should be great enough to make room for charming, one-of-a-kind miniaturists like Cheever the letter writer.