John Cheever

Date of Birth: May 27, 1912

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Date of Death: June 18, 1982

Biography

John Cheever, born John William Cheever, was an American novelist and short story writer, often referred to as “the Chekhov of the suburbs.” He was born on May 27, 1912, in Quincy, Massachusetts. Cheever’s work explores the duality of human nature, often focusing on the conflict between a character’s public persona and their private self. He is best known for his short stories, many of which appeared in The New Yorker, and his novels, including “The Wapshot Chronicle,” which won the National Book Award, and “Falconer,” a novel about a prisoner which gained critical acclaim. Cheever’s writing is marked by a keen sense of the tragicomic, capturing the essence of American life in the mid-20th century. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1979 for “The Stories of John Cheever,” a compilation of his short stories. Cheever struggled with alcoholism and his bisexuality, themes which often surfaced in his work. He passed away on June 18, 1982, in Ossining, New York, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most important American writers of the 20th century.

5 Interesting Facts about John Cheever

1. John Cheever published his first story, “Expelled,” when he was just 18 years old.

2. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1979 for his collection “The Stories of John Cheever.”

3. Cheever’s work often explores the complexities of suburban life and the American middle class.

4. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, which influenced some of his later writing.

5. Cheever’s journals, published posthumously, revealed his struggles with his sexuality and personal life.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from John Cheever

1. “I can’t write without a reader. It’s precisely like a kiss—you can’t do it alone.”

2. “The need to write comes from the need to make sense of one’s life and discover one’s usefulness.”

3. “Homesickness is nothing. Fifty percent of the people in the world are homesick all the time.”

4. “The task of a writer is not to solve the problem but to state the problem correctly.”

5. “Fiction is experimentation; when it ceases to be that, it ceases to be fiction.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the height of his career, John Cheever’s net worth was estimated to be around $1 million, a substantial sum for a writer in the mid-20th century.

Children

John Cheever had three children with his wife Mary Winternitz: Susan Cheever, Benjamin Cheever, and Federico Cheever. Both Susan and Benjamin followed in their father’s footsteps and became writers.