Cheever: A Life

by: Blake Bailey

Published by: Random House

Reviewed by Erin Clyburn

It’s not often an 800-page biography can be referred to as a page-turner, but Blake Bailey’s Cheever is. It chronicles the tormented life of John Cheever, the novel and short story author whose focus was the dysfunctions of twentieth-century suburbia. It is incredibly thorough, an almost eerily comprehensive retrospective.

At no time does this feel like a traditional biography. It doesn’t plod along with mundane details or waffle over what might or might not have happened. Bailey takes complete authority over his story and there isn’t much room to question his accuracy. Cheever gave Bailey access to his vast collection of writings, letters, and previously unpublished journals—his “paper trail,” as Bailey calls it. That, coupled with the cooperation of Cheever’s family and friends, results in a biography that relies on facts far more than speculation and leaves you with a real sense of knowing Cheever. Even the footnotes are fascinating anecdotes.

Cheever is powerful, funny, shocking, and sad. It’s easy to see how Cheever’s personality and habits might have won him as many enemies as friends, but his life story—a chronicle of alcoholism, repressed homosexuality, and a tragic family life—is undeniably compelling, and a must-read for any fan of Cheever’s.

Bailey takes the underlying passions, regrets, sadnesses, and triumphs of Cheever’s life and presents them in a respectful way. Bailey is harsh and honest, but still pays homage to Cheever’s talent and clearly admires his work. He also provides a critical look at Cheever’s novels and stories, which is just as beneficial as the life story he tells.

The publication of this book coincides with the publication of a two-volume edition of Cheever’s work, edited by Bailey. Hopefully this impressive release will prompt a resurgence in popularity for this brilliant author, often overlooked in the literary canon.

Armchair Interviews agrees.