I am very relieved to have finally completed reading this extensive collection of stories.

These stories are about well-off people facing well-off people's problems. I understand that when these stories were first published, they might have had an impact on that particular group of people. However, I am so distant from that kind of upper-class extravagance that I simply didn't care at all about any of his characters.

Nevertheless, "The Swimmer" is a remarkable story. I felt a tiny bit sorry for the kid who encountered his drunken and unpleasant father in the city. It took me approximately a year and a half to get through this book. Goodness gracious!

Overall, while the collection may have its merits for some, it just didn't resonate with me due to my lack of connection to the upper-class lifestyle depicted.

Cheever's stories (many of his stories) are almost perfect little pictures of bourgeois and daily life. At the beginning, looking at the picture, one sometimes notices the radiant light, the serenity, the softness, the pleasantness of life - but looking more closely, one notices a crack, something disturbing that oppresses us, we don't quite know what, but it definitely breaks the serenity, and suddenly we realize that it casts a completely different light on the image: twilight, melancholy, sometimes tragic.

Cheever writes with rare grace and lightness, sometimes with irony; his stories glide pleasantly and leave a trail of sadness behind; but also a trail of hope.

It always takes only a few strokes to characterize the characters and create the atmosphere of the story.

Like in this stunning opening:

"Jim and Irene Westcott were part of that kind of people who have reached a satisfactory average of income, position and respectability according to the statistics regarding those who have completed their university studies. They had two small children, had been married for nine years, lived on the twelfth floor of an apartment building near Sutton Place, went to the theater on average 10.3 times a year and hoped to go and live in Westchester one day."

This "kind of people" is the protagonist of Cheever's stories (of most of them), observed with an ironic, light gaze, able to unmask hypocrisies, but without passing judgments, rather expressing participatory empathy and great humanity.

And above all, in fact, what oozes from Cheever's stories, all his stories, is a profound humanity, a profound understanding and compassion for human weaknesses, even for the most despicable behaviors. The human characteristics, the feelings, the obsessions of his characters are evoked with a few wise lines, observed with a photographic but empathetic eye:

"It is also true for the best of us that if an external observer could catch us while we are getting on a train in a secondary station, if he paid attention to our face upset by anxiety, if he evaluated our luggage, our clothes, and looked out of the window to see who has accompanied us to the station, if he listened to the harsh or tender words we pronounce in case we are with our family or if he noticed the way we lift the suitcase onto the rack, check where we have put the wallet, the bunch of keys and wipe the sweat from the nape of our neck, if he knew how to judge well the arrogance, the diffidence or the sadness with which we settle on the seat, he would enjoy a much broader picture of our life than what most of us would like to give."

And also emotions and sensations that we all have experienced at least once in life are evoked with great precision, perhaps not in the exact same situation, but perfectly recognizable as universal: a great loneliness (an orphan boy every time he feels a shoulder touched thinks that it is his dead old father who has come back to be with him and support him, and then he feels a great loneliness and the certainty that no one will ever be able to give him all the love he needs), the sense of the ridiculous and the despair for one's miserable existence (the famous swimmer who, wanting to go home swimming from pool to pool, finds himself tired, chilly and half naked crossing the highway, without the will to continue, but without being able to go back), the irrational fears, the obsessions (a man cannot accept the fact of having lost his physical prowess and insists on repeating a kind of dexterity test that he offered at all parties with his friends), the shame for one's smallnesses (another man does not find the courage to go and help an old and unpleasant neighbor who is alone at home with a broken leg and does not know who else to call), but above all, always, the need to be loved and accepted unconditionally for who we are.

Cheever manages to create deeply human characters because he manages to endow them with the characteristic of incoherence, a characteristic as human as it is difficult to render, especially in such short stories.

I would like to conclude by quoting these very beautiful words of the translator Adelaide Cioni: "Incoherence is a luxury that most of us struggle to openly concede. We all practice it, but with shame. We always tend to want to give the world and ourselves a linear image of who we are, but it is an illusion, and it is completely misleading in the search for truth. It serves the psycho-social order, but it is false. As for the universe of narrative, then, building coherent characters is one of the first rules that are taught in writing schools, although this never corresponds to the things as we live them. Because we *are* incoherent: we change ideas and sympathies, we betray, we fall in love again. We are not monolithic in our feeling and acting. If we were, the world would be immobile. The problem is to say it, admit it, and after having admitted it, tell it."

And Cheever has undoubtedly managed to tell it splendidly.

A truly phenomenal collection that I have been savoring for a great many years. It is truly a treasure trove, packed to the brim with all-timers. Each item within this collection holds a special charm and significance. They are like precious pearls strung together, creating a masterpiece that never fails to captivate and delight. Whether it's a rare book, a beautiful piece of art, or a unique collectible, every single one has its own story to tell. I have spent countless hours poring over these treasures, losing myself in their beauty and history. This collection is not just a gathering of things; it is a reflection of my passion and love for the extraordinary. It has been a source of inspiration and joy for me, and I look forward to many more years of enjoying and adding to this wonderful collection.

As a general rule, it can be said that the newer an artistic movement, the more difficult it is to fully understand it. This is due to a lack of both historical distance and detailed accounts of important turning points. Given this, Postmodernism, history's last latest artistic movement, is perhaps the most difficult one of all to understand.

For starters, no one even agrees on when it exactly started and ended. Its name indicates that it's a reaction to the Modernist years that preceded it. Some argue that the seeds of Postmodernism can be traced back to the Beat poets of the 1950s, while others claim it didn't start until the civil-rights marches and obscenity-law trials of the early 1960s, and yet others say it didn't come into its own until the countercultural era of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

John Cheever is an important part of this process. He was an active artist through all three of these decades, and the public's perception of him changed over the years. In the 1950s, he was seen as a brilliant intellectual and a product of Modernism. In the 1960s, he was regarded as a middle-aged boozy square. And in the 1970s, he was recognized as a prescient genius who had predicted the rotting-out of the American System.

Cheever's life was complex and tragic, yet it had a happy ending. He was bisexual and closeted, with a self-hating attitude towards his desires. This influenced the tone and meaning of his writing. He started publishing in the 1930s and is best known for his several hundred short stories, which are considered some of the best in human history.

Reading "The Stories of John Cheever" while reading Bailey's biography was a fascinating experience. The stories are mostly autobiographical, and it's interesting to see how Cheever's real life influenced his work. "Mad Men" is in many ways a visual adaptation of Cheever's short stories.

Cheever's career had its ups and downs. In the 1960s, his alcoholism took a toll on his work and personal life. But in the 1970s, he finally found happiness and success. He was able to be himself and receive the recognition he deserved.

Cheever's work still has a lot to offer. He tells us about the human condition in a bitterly funny and sometimes breathtakingly beautiful way. He is also the most astute chronicler of the Postmodernist movement, explaining how the average person wanted the world to work and how society let them down. Both his original work and Bailey's biography are highly recommended.

This book is truly everything.

And if by some chance you are unable to discover it within these pages, within one of Cheever's numerous, numerous masterpieces, then it simply doesn't exist.

Cheever is the undisputed greatest when it comes to capturing suburban angst. His forte lies in creating characters who are extremely adept at quickly pinpointing the flaws of everyone around them, yet are completely incapable of even imagining their own.

Basically, they are just like us humans. Cheever writes about humans who are so authentically human that they almost seem inhuman.

This is because we are reluctant to see any resemblance of ourselves in these fools, these narcissists, these... people.

Read this book. Then read it again. And after that, read your favorite works of his one more time.

You might just be surprised to find that you see a part of yourself in there somewhere.

This is actually my second time delving into this book. The first time, which was many years ago, I didn't give it the attention it truly deserved. I was familiar with some of Cheever's classics, but fresh out of graduate school, my attention span when it came to getting through this hefty volume wasn't at its best. So, this time around, I dedicated a 7-month period to it, allowing myself to be fully prepared to sit down and engage with Cheever's stories at his own pace.

Cheever was one of the masters of depicting suburban misery, especially in the latter half of this collection. He himself summed it up perfectly in the preface to this book, stating that the early stories showcase him as a young man "truly shocked to discover that genuinely decorous men and women admitted into their affairs erotic bitterness and even greed." While stories like "The Enormous Radio" and "Clancy in the Tower of Babel" are brilliant in their own right, around "The Country Husband," these stories take a turn towards pure, canonical, and awe-inspiring (in the most literal sense) power.
My introduction to Cheever unfortunately began with "The Fourth Alarm." It was unfortunate only because this was Cheever at his peak - funny, profound, and charmingly lewd - and the earlier works always seemed a little lacking in comparison. This time, I still hold that view, but I still believe that the first half of this book is crucial for achieving what a lot of short fiction still struggles with - studying the necessary miseries of people, how they construct their own worlds, and how they might become more than a little perturbed when others intrude. This is an almost standard approach of Cheever's to craft his most brilliant stories.
So, start this book from the very beginning and witness Cheever's growth from the intrigued voyeur, like the brother in "Goodbye, My Brother" who finds pleasure in being cruel to his own kin, to the wise narrator of "The Fourth Alarm" who can strip down like his wife for some experimental NYC theatre but is pleased to discover that he can't leave his keys behind, or Asa Bascomb in "The World of Apples," who realizes that his erotic impulses are as much a part of his poetry as the awards he wins. In the latter work, Cheever explores how people navigate through both their grandeur and misery.

This book seemed to me to be a bit overly filled with the smugness characteristic of the upper-middle class in the 1950s. The world it presented was both interesting and yet, at the same time, rather boring. One has to wonder how many cocktails can be mixed when social snobbery and thinly veiled sexism are constantly being excused.

Maybe if I were tasked with teaching a group of 18-year-olds English 101, and clearly had the curriculum centered around the short story, then perhaps one of John Cheever's stories could be included as part of the required reading.

There was one story in particular that managed to break through the doldrums of the 1950s: Christmas Is A Sad Season For The Poor. It truly is a class act. It offers a unique perspective and delves into themes that are both relevant and thought-provoking, making it stand out among the other works of that era.

Overall, while the book had its flaws in terms of the portrayal of the 1950s upper-middle class, this particular story by John Cheever has the potential to be a valuable addition to an English 101 curriculum, providing students with an opportunity to explore different literary styles and social commentaries.

The New Yorker Fiction Podcast's choice of a story for its inaugural episode was spot-on. Aired on May 3, 2007, and hosted by Deborah Treisman, it featured Richard Ford promoting his upcoming paperback novel. Ford's previous collection included a story titled Reunion, inspired by John Cheever's story of the same name. Cheever's Reunion, published in 2000, is narrated by a boy named Charlie who meets his father in Grand Central Terminal. The first paragraph is a masterclass in efficiency, introducing the characters and setting the stage. As they have lunch, the father's true nature is revealed, and Charlie's expectations are shattered. The story ends with Charlie boarding his train, signifying the end of their relationship. It's a great tribute to Cheever's talent that his short story could influence a writer like Ford. When you read or listen to Ford's Reunion, you can see just how much he values this gem of dirty realism.

Cheever's Reunion is a prime example of his Chekhovian mastery of the short story. In just a few pages, he manages to convey a wealth of emotions and ideas. The story is not only about the relationship between a father and son but also about the passage of time, the loss of innocence, and the harsh realities of life. It's a story that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it. And it's a story that shows just how powerful the short story can be when in the hands of a master like John Cheever.

Note: The following is not a review of the entire collection. Rather, it's of one of the stories, probably the shortest, in the collection. This story alone, in my view, merits a five-star rating, representative of the rest.

A collection consists of fifteen stories, most of which have domestic themes (relationships between people, failures, and disappointments of daily life, etc.).

The stories of interest are: The Imaginary Treasure, The Big Radio, The Divorce Season, The Treatment, Oh City of Lost Dreams, Goodbye My Brother, The Reunion, and The Misfortunes of Jin.

These stories explore various aspects of family life, delving into the complex emotions and experiences that people encounter within their households. From the joys and sorrows of love and marriage to the challenges of raising children and dealing with financial difficulties, each story offers a unique perspective on the human condition.

Readers can expect to be entertained, moved, and perhaps even inspired by these tales of family, friendship, and the pursuit of happiness. Whether you are looking for a lighthearted read or a more profound exploration of the human spirit, this collection has something for everyone.

If you are a lover of American short stories, don't miss Cheever.

If I were to single out a favorite story, it would be "The Enormous Radio". As you listen to Cheever's "The Enormous Radio", you will hear how a realist charmingly flirts with magical realism, normalizing the things heard on the radio. The voices of other people's lives and the extraordinary voyeurism are interrupted when we look a little into our own lives instead of those of others.

I would also single out "The Meeting", "Goodbye, My Brother", "Christmas Is a Sad Season for the Poor" and "The Swimmer".

I would like to add that while reading this collection, I thought that Cheever must have had an influence on Raymond Carver's writing. And this is not far from the truth, because not only were they friends, but also one of Carver's stories ("The Train") continues from Cheever's ("The Five-Forty-Eight"), which is his wonderful homage to this writer. Maybe Carver's "dirty realism" is a little "dirtier" than Cheever's, but the fact is that critics call both of them the American Chekhov of the 20th century, so... you judge for yourself why.

A very good, engaging, precisely and vividly written short story collection. There are sixty-one stories written over the period 1947 to 1978, which are chronologically arranged. The stories cover a wide range of themes such as marriage, suburbia, the middle class, Manhattan, Italy, decency, boredom, and apartment living. Each story offers a unique perspective and delves deep into the human psyche.

My favourite stories are ‘The Swimmer’, which takes the reader on a strange and captivating journey; ‘The World of Apples’, which explores the complex relationships within a family; ‘The Country Husband’, which examines the effects of a traumatic event on a man's life; ‘Goodbye, My Brother’, which is a poignant tale of family conflict and estrangement; ‘The Enormous Radio’, which uses a supernatural element to揭示 the hidden secrets and tensions in a marriage; and ‘Christmas is a Sad Season for the Poor’, which offers a touching and thought-provoking look at the lives of the less fortunate during the holiday season.

This short story collection is a masterpiece that has won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and the 1978 National Book Critics Circle Award. It is a must-read for anyone who loves great literature and wants to explore the human condition.

Si te gustó Mad Men porque creías que retrataba a la perfección la desesperación elegante de los años 60 y esa sensación constante de que detrás de cada sonrisa había un abismo, felicidades: ya llegas tarde. John Cheever lo hizo primero y, siendo sinceros, lo hizo mejor.

Cheever no solo retrató el alma de los suburbios y las oficinas de Manhattan antes de que Don Draper encendiera su primer cigarrillo en pantalla; la definió. En sus páginas encuentras la misma melancolía elegante, los mismos martinis cargados de arrepentimiento, y esa capacidad brutal de mostrar cómo las vidas más perfectas se desmoronan en silencio.

Si creías que los secretos de Draper eran oscuros, espera a conocer a los personajes de Cheever: sus dilemas, sus caídas, y ese eco persistente de soledad que ni la piscina más cristalina puede borrar. Cheever es como si Don Draper dejara de posar para el fotógrafo de Esquire y, por fin, se quitara la máscara. Y lo que ves no siempre es bonito.

Porque Cuentos, de John Cheever, una antología de sus mejores cuentos en un solo volumen, no es solo una enorme colección en todos los sentidos —casi 1000 páginas, según la edición, y 61 cuentos—; es de esas que se quedan contigo y te hacen mirar los pequeños detalles de la vida con nuevos ojos.

Cheever tiene un talento único para quitar el barniz de las vidas perfectas y mostrarnos lo que realmente hay debajo: una mezcla de belleza, desesperanza, humor sutil y una honestidad que golpea fuerte. Esos momentos incómodos, esas personas que parecen tenerlo todo bajo control mientras se tambalean al borde del desastre… Todo eso está aquí. Pero tranquilo, Cheever lo hace con una elegancia tan sobria que incluso los momentos más duros se sienten profundamente humanos. Y, por supuesto, en Cheever, el alcohol está siempre presente. En eso, también te recordará a Mad men.

Cheever y Carver, son seguramente los dos reyes de la narrativa breve estadounidense de la segunda mitad del siglo XX, pero si alguna vez piensas que están cortados por el mismo patrón, déjame decirte que no podrían ser más distintos. Carver es el rey del minimalismo, el tipo que te deja con la boca seca y el corazón dando vueltas, pero siempre en el límite de lo que no se dice, de lo que queda fuera de la escena.

Sus personajes se ahogan en la insignificancia de sus vidas, pero Cheever, oh, Cheever no juega con esas limitaciones. Si Carver hace un plano de un cenicero vacío, Cheever te da una piscina suburbana a punto de desbordarse. Su prosa no tiene miedo de ser exuberante, de nadar en los detalles, de construir un mundo que parece perfecto por fuera y tiene el alma hecha trizas por dentro.

Y no es que sea cursi, no, es simplemente que Cheever entiende algo que Carver no: la vida no siempre es oscura, a veces es simplemente de una tristeza tan elegante que duele.

Mientras Carver te da a esos tipos atrapados en sus rutinas, comiendo sopas frías en la mesa de la cocina, Cheever te muestra a los mismos tipos, pero con cócteles en mano, en fiestas en jardines perfectos, a punto de desmoronarse sin que nadie lo note.

Si Carver ve la belleza en los vacíos, Cheever ve la tragedia en la fachada. Y esa diferencia es la que marca la línea. Carver te deja esperando un cambio que nunca llega; Cheever, por su parte, te da la caída, pero la viste con una chaqueta de lana cara y una sonrisa rota.

Vamos a ser claros: juzgar una antología que recopila 61 cuentos de un autor que escribió mas de 200 es un desafío. No hay forma de evitarlo. Hay altos, bajos, momentos de gloria absoluta y algunos que, sinceramente, te hacen preguntarte si acaso Cheever no estaba de mal humor ese día.

No es fácil darle una puntuación de 5/5 a algo que está tan lleno de variaciones. Pero, ojo, esta no es una selección cualquiera; si está antología de relatos llegó a llevarse el Pulitzer de Ficción en 1979 algo debe tener.

Así que, en lugar de darte una lista interminable de relatos que solo te harían bostezar, he decidido destacar los que, para mí, son los más interesantes, representativos o simplemente los que me dejaron pensando. No es que otros relatos no sean valiosos, pero, como en la vida, a veces hay que elegir. Y, de paso, te dejo con las mejores joyas de esta antología.

Porque si vas a leer 61 cuentos, lo mínimo es hacerlo con lo que te haga mirar de nuevo las pequeñas cosas de la vida.

Los que no te puedes perder:

El tren de las cinco cuarenta y ocho

Un clásico absoluto. Este cuento es la esencia misma de lo que Cheever sabe hacer como pocos: crear tensión. La historia de un hombre acosado por los fantasmas de sus decisiones se desarrolla de forma sutil, pero cuando te das cuenta, ya estás completamente atrapado en su atmósfera de incomodidad.

El desenlace es brutal, devastador, y te deja con esa sensación de que, a veces, las decisiones no tienen marcha atrás. Es oscuro, inquietante, y la reflexión moral se clava en ti de manera tan afilada que no puedes dejar de pensar en ella.

Curiosamente, Raymond Carver escribió un relato dedicado a Cheever que tituló El tren, incluido en la colección Catedral y que retoma la acción de este cuento justo donde Cheever la dejó.

Reseña de Catedral, de Raymond Carver, aquí

La monstruosa radio

Este es uno de esos relatos que, a primera vista, puede parecer sencillo, pero que, con el paso de las páginas, se te mete bajo la piel. La radio no es solo un aparato, es la metáfora perfecta de la invasión de la privacidad y el despertar de secretos que todos preferiríamos dejar enterrados.

A medida que los personajes escuchan lo que no deberían escuchar, tú también eres testigo de cómo esas pequeñas vidas, aparentemente inofensivas, son mucho más complejas de lo que parecen. Es inquietante, sí, pero también fascinante.

Cheever te deja con la sensación de que tal vez, después de todo, es mejor no saber lo que ocurre en la casa de al lado.

Canción de amor no correspondido

Es incómodo, sí. Y por eso es tan memorable. Un relato sombrío sobre Joan, una mujer marcada por la mala suerte en las relaciones, que pese a las cicatrices del abuso y el dolor, nunca pierde su vitalidad.

Cheever utiliza la historia para mostrar cómo los intentos de alcanzar la felicidad y el éxito son, en realidad, ilusiones a plazos, y, aunque tratemos de ignorarlo, siempre hay una deuda pendiente que, tarde o temprano, tenemos que pagar.

El nadador

Probablemente el más conocido de los relatos de Cheever, y no es para menos. El nadador es un descenso alucinante en lo surrealista, pero también es un golpe directo a la realidad humana.

Un hombre, una especie de Ulises redivivo, decide regresar a su casa después de una fiesta nadando a través de las piscinas de su vecindario. A medida que avanza, las piscinas se convierten en el escenario perfecto para una metáfora sobre la negación, el paso del tiempo y la desesperación.

Y el final… bueno, es uno de esos que te hace mirar al reloj, al calendario, e incluso a tu propia vida. Inolvidable.

Reunión

Las relaciones entre padres e hijos pueden ser complicadas, pero lo que Cheever hace en Reunión lleva esa complejidad a otro nivel. En apenas unas páginas, consigue transmitir la desilusión, la brutalidad emocional y la desconexión profunda entre un padre y su hijo.

El final, aunque no busca dramatismos, te golpea con su frialdad y te deja reflexionando sobre el vacío de las promesas rotas. No hay grandes revelaciones, pero hay una verdad incómoda que se queda flotando en el aire.

Cheever no necesita hacer grandes gestos para que esta historia te estremezca; su sutileza es lo que te cala hondo, dejándote con una sensación de vacío y comprensión dolorosa sobre lo que significa realmente la familia.

El marido rural

En este cuento, Cheever hace lo que mejor sabe: disecciona la vida suburbana con la precisión de un cirujano. El protagonista, un hombre que lo tiene todo, se enfrenta a una crisis existencial que no puede encajar dentro de la imagen perfecta que quiere proyectar.

El cuento, en su tensión entre deseo y deber, presenta una mirada aguda a la mediocridad de las vidas aparentemente ideales y las grietas emocionales que las atraviesan.

Con una prosa precisa y evocadora, Cheever muestra cómo el hombre moderno, atrapado entre sus deseos reprimidos y las expectativas sociales, busca un escape que no puede encontrar. Un relato sobre la desilusión, el deseo y la frustración de no poder ser quien uno realmente es.

Adiós, hermano mío

Este cuento es una joya en toda regla. ¿Estamos ante una versión distinta de la historia de Caín y Abel? Adiós, hermano mío es un relato sobre la rivalidad entre hermanos, pero va mucho más allá de eso.

Se trata de las emociones crudas, el resentimiento acumulado, y lo que realmente significa el perdón. El conflicto entre los dos hermanos está tan bien construido que puedes sentir la tensión en cada palabra.

La manera en que Cheever captura lo que está oculto debajo de las relaciones familiares es simplemente brillante. No es solo un cuento sobre hermanos, es un estudio sobre el amor, la culpa, y la reconciliación. Y lo hace sin adornos, de una manera tan directa que te golpea.

El ladrón de Shady Hill

El ladrón de Shady Hill es un cuento que juega con la moralidad de una manera que te hace dudar de lo que creías saber sobre lo correcto y lo incorrecto. El protagonista se enfrenta a un dilema ético mientras intenta escapar de la rutina de su vida suburbana, y Cheever se luce al mostrar cómo las decisiones más pequeñas pueden tener consecuencias devastadoras.

La historia es tensa y está llena de momentos que te hacen pensar: \\"¿Está tomando la decisión correcta?\\" Es una mirada intrigante a la vida en los suburbios, llena de tensiones no resueltas y miedo a lo desconocido.

Las amarguras de la ginebra

Este es uno de esos relatos que te golpea de inmediato, porque no esconde la crudeza de sus personajes y porque no podemos evitar ver en él un reflejo de la propia vida del autor. Cheever vivió atrapado en el alcoholismo durante gran parte de su vida.

A través de los ojos de una niña, Cheever nos presenta la fragilidad humana de una forma descarnada. Es el relato de cómo la adicción al alcohol de un hombre afecta a su única hija.

La escritura es como un espejo que muestra un reflejo tan incómodo que no puedes apartar la vista. Una pieza que destila angustia y reflexión.

——

Seguramente ya has leído a los grandes de la narrativa breve y pienses… “Bah, ¿otra colección de cuentos?” Pero es que este libro… este libro tiene algo que no encuentras fácilmente en los relatos de los demás.

No es solo el retrato de la desesperación de la clase media americana, ni esa nostalgia de lo perdido que tan bien manejan Fitzgerald o Hemingway. Es mucho más cruel, mucho más humano.

Cheever no se limita a contar historias de gente rota, se adentra en lo que nos hace humanos: esa mezcla de egoísmo, desesperación y, sobre todo, esa constante búsqueda de algo que nunca acaba de llegar.

Cada uno de sus relatos te deja con la sensación de que has mirado más allá de la superficie, de que has tocado algo real y, a la vez, crudo.

Porque Cheever tiene esa rara habilidad de captar lo que todos preferimos no ver: las grietas en las vidas aparentemente perfectas, las tragedias pequeñas pero devastadoras que nos definen.

Y lo hace con una sinceridad inquietante, casi incómoda. Su talento está en desnudar las vulnerabilidades más profundas de las relaciones, en captar esa soledad que se arrastra incluso cuando estamos rodeados de gente, y en mostrar el peso aplastante de las decisiones equivocadas que, una vez tomadas, ya no tienen vuelta atrás.

Después de leerlo, este libro no te va a dejar igual. Va a seguir rondando por tu cabeza, haciéndote pensar en tu vida, en las decisiones que tomaste y en todo lo que se queda sin decir.

Léelo, no por la fama del autor, sino por lo que se esconde detrás de esas historias. Y cuando termines, me darás la razón: Cheever es otra cosa.