Thirteen Uncollected Stories By John Cheever

by John Cheever, Franklin H. Dennis (Editor)

A collection of thirteen previously uncollected short stories by the noted author

Genres: Short Stories

240 pages, Hardcover

First published August 30, 2005

About the author

John Cheever was an American novelist and short story writer, sometimes called "the Chekhov of the suburbs" or "the Ovid of Ossining." His fiction is mostly set in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the suburbs of Westchester, New York, and old New England villages based on various South Shore towns around Quincy, Massachusetts, where he was born.

His main themes include the duality of human nature: sometimes dramatized as the disparity between a character's decorous social persona and inner corruption, and sometimes as a conflict between two characters (often brothers) who embody the salient aspects of both--light and dark, flesh and spirit. Many of his works also express a nostalgia for a vanishing way of life, characterized by abiding cultural traditions and a profound sense of community, as opposed to the alienating nomadism of modern suburbia.

Reviews

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Trouble with Marcie Flint by John Cheever

Like all the stories of John Cheever, this is wonderful



- Why this is called the Trouble with Marcy?

- I sure think it is more about her husband

The story starts with Charlie on board a ship and then continues with his thoughts, endeavors and misdemeanors.

From the beginning the reader smiles learning that Charlie Flint has a suitcase full of peanut butter because girls in Torino love it.

What strikes me is that in the first place the story is told by the author, only to be somehow replaced by Charlie.

Marcie has been abandoned by her husband and I suppose that this is where the trouble starts and then the cook is fired.

The couple has been married for fifteen years and they have children.

During this time they had differences and Charlie has been away, time during which there have been nights when Marcie felt lonely.

They live in Shady Hill and the night life had parties and political discussion groups, dancing classes and lectures on philosophy, literature city planning…

Marcie joined the madrigal group, the political group and then became a member of the city council.

I wonder if the author is ironic when he invites us to imagine Marcie singing madrigals and then discussing Marx.

I see a contradiction here that appears somewhat humorous, but then I am so prejudiced against Marx that I see him in opposition to anything.

Anything good that is.

The village has no public library and this is an important issue which divides the locals into two groups.

There is a meeting presided by the mayor and various points of view are expressed and this makes me appreciate again the great talent of John Cheever, who can describe pretty much anything and keep me interested.

Even a talk on a public library in a small village.

There is in fact a very passionate plea made in favor of the creation of library, made by a man who says that

- I have been changed by books

There is opposition which claims, through the voice of an angry man that-

- No book helped me get where I am. I want my kids out in the fresh air, not reading books in the library.

After the project of the library, there is talk about another issue concerning housing developments which would involve houses that look all alike.

Marcie Flint has a showdown with one of the people involved in supporting some of these proposals and it does not come out all right.

Because she cannot stand the pressure or because she lacks the support of her gone away husband or even for some other unclear reason, the confrontation turns into a reason to divorce her husband, but I am not sure how to interpret this situation.

There is yet another climax, and I hesitate which provides the highest tension, the perspective of the divorce or the sickness of the kids.

They buy some medicine which turns out to be poisonous, even if the seller refuses to admit his guilt, but there is a happy end, at least to the children’s problem.

Like all the other Cheever short stories, without exception, this one is also wonderful, insightful and meaningful.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have long thought that John Cheever was the master of the short story. His stories often dealt with discordance and alienation between family members or a changing way of life, and these early stories of his show how his writing craft improved. Collected in chronological order, the first story was published in 1931 when he was 19 and the stories continue until 1949 when you can start to recognize his style of writing that became famous in the 50s and 60s. The early stories are very dated but were written during the Great Depression, and had a different tone than his later writing which often dealt with suburban angst. I was surprised that a few were written from a female's perspective as both Bayonne and The Man She Loved were insightful to a woman's plight. Family Dinner was a poignant look at keeping up appearances while Saratoga contained interesting character studies. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to the average short story reader, if you are a fan of Cheever it is a very worthwhile read.

[Drew Helland · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a nice quick read. At times it felt more Hemingway than Cheever.

My favorites were:
- Bock Beer and Bermuda Onions
- Bayonne
- His Young Wife

[Robert Morgan Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the Hopper painting on the cover to the carefully-curated 13 stories by Cheever at the start of his literary journey, this is a treasure. It's all there, right at the beginning. Cheever so fully in control of his storytelling. Whereas my least favorite Bukowski stories have him at the race track, some of the best stories in here are set at Belmont and Saratoga but never get bogged down in gambling particulars. These are stories about people with dreams, hopes and failing spectacularly sometimes through no fault of their own or by human weakness. Such a wise old soul.

If you have the big red collected stories, this should stand right alongside.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stories were quite good. Others left me wanting more, which is a good thing in those instances, and a couple of them I just didn't care for. Would be interested in reading a book he has written instead of short stories.

[Kieran Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow start but I very much got into the stories as I went on. A lot on horse racing and the culture of it during the 1930s, as well as the joys and sorrows it can bring. A nifty little read.

[bedheaded · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this as an intro to his work. Favorite stories were In Passing and Family Dinner.

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been utterly disappointed in the collected works of Mavis Gallant, I was hesitant to pick up the collected Cheever. When I spotted this smaller collection it seemed to be a safe risk without a huge commitment.

Terrific stuff. At some point I'll certainly be picking up the collected works.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[John Daily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating look at a master storyteller's start. It's a footnote to an amazing career that shows what might have been, had Cheever not had sense enough at age 19 (when most of this collection was written) to quickly recognize his own stifled creativity as he aped his literary hero. What starts off as a few, almost mimeographed copies (this is 1936, after all) of Hemingway's tough, terse voice for prose, changes more quickly than one can almost believe. Joycean sentences begin to add subtle flavor until we begin to see, only a baker's dozen tales later, the quirky, fully fleshed characterizations for which Cheever eventually became known.

While some of the stories are a bit (unsurprisingly) brisk and thinly realized, some (particularly the last three) are certainly worthy of his Pulitzer prize-winning collection. More than just a curiosity for Cheever's fans, this book deserves a place in their collection. Very strong stuff for such a young man.

[Billy · Rating 3 out of 5]

good, only because there is a red handed fanny notion in this. ar har.

he writes okay. he is, um, proliferate.

[Pbwritr · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not enjoy at all. Stories don't make sense. No point to them that I could tell.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheever is undoubtably one of the great American writers of the twentieth century. Really very enjoyable to read.

[Melanie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happy that I read it. Can see the future of genius, but his special spark was still in its infancy.

[Og Maciel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just couldn't put it down... and if this is considered to be his "embryonic phase" as a writer, I can hardly wait to read what critics call his best works!

[Marianna Monaco · Rating 3 out of 5]

13 of Cheever's early stories.