John Cheever Biography
(Novelist & Short Story Writer)
Birthday: May 27, 1912 (Gemini)
Born In: Quincy
John William Cheever was a famous novelist and short story writer who is widely recognized as one of the most important short fiction writers of the 20th century. His writings were mostly set around locations near Manhattan, Massachusetts and Italy. His fictional plots often revolved around the duality of human nature, manifested as inner struggles within a single character or conflicts between two characters who personify different aspects of the human personality. Along with human nature he also explored the theme of nostalgia for a past way of life that is no longer there. Some of his most popular short stories are ‘The Enormous Radio’, ‘Goodbye My Brother’, ‘The Country Husband’, and ‘The Swimmer’. Though he is best remembered for his short fiction writing but he also authored the popular novel ‘The Wapshot Chronicle’ which won the National Book Award. He was born into a rich and prosperous family and enjoyed a comfortable childhood before the Great Depression struck and his father lost his successful business. Things took a turn for the worse and his family life greatly suffered. Young John was expelled from school and he wrote his first published short story: ‘Expelled’. After years of struggle he became an established writer but became victim to alcoholism due to which his personal as well as professional life suffered.