The Wapshot Chronicle
John Cheever
Read March 2008
Copy borrowed from Ramsey County Public Library, White Bear Lake branch
Essay written Friday, May 23rd, 2008
The copy of this book that I read was maybe from the 1960s and had been rebound in this simple red hardback binding. The pages were yellowing and brittle. Wonderful. I love reading old books like this. I feel so sorry for them.
Not terribly interesting. I was bored, didn't really care about any of the characters. John Cheever has this reputation such that when you read one of his books you keep thinking, "Okay, how long until this turns gay?" And sure enough, about two-thirds of the way in, it rained men. I'll refrain from any judgment calls, but let me say: how predictable.
It won a National Book Award, so the guy must have been doing something right. I guess I liked Falconer better though. If you're gonna go gay, go all gay. Enough tiptoeing.
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