Cheever: A Life (Part 1 of 2 parts)

"I might be forgotten tomorrow," John Cheever once told an interviewer, adding, "it wouldn't bother me in the least." This tight-lipped observer might have been lying, but there is little doubt that the long-lived (1912–82) author who won nearly every extant literary award would be appalled that he is now best remembered in many circles for his bisexuality and a Seinfeld skit about his secret passion. Blake Bailey's biography focuses on the gaping disparity between Cheever's proud Yankee social persona and his lifelong inner turmoil. Cheever: A Life presents a man who could have emerged fully constituted from one of his masterful novels or short stories.