Cheever's tension is a novella that deals with rural/urban types through environmental awareness.

There are sexual tensions, awakenings, a sense of competition, and small tragedies.

At one point in the book, there is a strange description where the character's penis is likened to the Treaty of Versailles.

This unique and perhaps somewhat unexpected comparison adds an interesting layer to the story.

Cheever's exploration of these themes and his use of such vivid and unusual imagery make the novella a captivating read.

It delves into the complex emotions and relationships of the characters, painting a vivid picture of their lives and the world they inhabit.

Overall, it is a work that showcases Cheever's talent for creating engaging and thought-provoking stories.

It marches along with a strange cheerfulness.

Underneath, there hums a discontent with modernity that culminates in Chisholm’s disassociative episode on the 6-lane highway (my favorite passage).

The story seems to be a somewhat clumsy reflection on sexual repression and spiritual bankruptcy, which leaves the reader confused.

The ending, in which all is made right, the pond is saved, and everyone goes unscathed except poor Chisholm, is also unsatisfactory.

It feels too neat and tidy, as if the author is trying to tie up all the loose ends in a hurry.

Perhaps a more nuanced exploration of the themes would have made for a more engaging and thought-provoking read.

Overall, while the story has its moments, it ultimately falls short of its potential.

Corruption. Seduction. Holdings. Homosexuality. Murders. Pollution. Supermarket carts. Travels. Old people. Technical details of computers and pipes. All of this in less than 150 pages, with a lot of complicity and certain connections in the plots that made me remember Franzen's first book and something of Graham Greene.

With a start like Bullet Park and the craftsmanship of an author who tells with all the calm that his experience gives him, without haste or worries. I imagine myself lying in bed with a friend who asks me what the book is about. I clumsily try to explain it to her and give some opinion so that she answers me "you don't know anything about women", with the consolation that I still have a lot to learn about literature.

This book seems to be a complex web of various themes and elements, all intertwined in a way that keeps the reader engaged. The author's ability to handle such diverse topics with ease and confidence is truly remarkable. It makes me eager to explore more of his work and see what other literary treasures he has in store.

Despite my initial confusion and lack of understanding, I can sense the depth and beauty of this book. It challenges me to think beyond the surface and discover the hidden meanings and connections within the story. I look forward to delving deeper into its pages and uncovering its secrets.

Here, Cheever's style remains as distinct and remarkable as it has always been.

The scenes he vividly portrays of suburbia are truly striking, filled with a sense of nostalgia and a borderline sentimentality. However, he promptly reveals to the reader that this is nothing more than a sham, leaving us with circumstances that neither the reader nor, especially, the protagonist desires.

Cheever's characters are utterly specific, yet they are eerily relatable in a text that evokes a sense reminiscent of Phillip Roth's Everyman. The elements he uses to weave his narrative, such as supermarkets, backyards, and empty apartment buildings, are stitched together into an intricate pastiche. He places this as a veneer over the raw, primal emotions and compulsions that are bubbling just beneath our superficialities.

Moreover, he aestheticizes contemporary ennui, aloneness, and alienation in a rare and unique fashion. I, for one, did not expect to be so deeply struck by the novel's tenderness. It is a quality that adds an unexpected layer of depth and poignancy to the overall work.

I finished reading a book three days ago. I picked it up because I wanted to experience the joy of reading a short book and finishing it quickly. And today, I completed it. ;) The depth that the book evoked in me and the author's writing style were very beautiful. However, for me, it wasn't one of those books that could be finished in one sitting. It was the first time I came across this author, and his writing is quite impressive. It makes the reader think about a lot of things while reading.
The story takes place in a small town in America. There is a magnificent lake in the town. Of course, as always, there are also those who want to destroy this beautiful nature just for profit. We read about the town's people's struggle to prevent the lake from turning into a landfill, and at the same time, we also read their individual stories. The stories of those characters are so deep that each of them could be a separate book. In fact, while reading them, I forgot the main theme of the book, which is the brutality of nature. It is a text that describes the social transformations of individuals without being preachy. It's as if I'm writing something, but you put the pieces together, analyze, read, and understand what my brother is telling me. :) I don't know if everyone will like it, and I don't think so, but the author definitely has a different way of thinking, which is certain for me. I will definitely continue reading this author.

If I have noticed that I have a series of books that I read some time ago, but on which I have not expressed my opinion, I said it was time to get to work.

"Everything Is a Paradise" is a short novel, but surprisingly good. At least that's how it was for me. Things are presented in a direct and clear way, so that the reader immediately enters the atmosphere of the town that is the main character and is called Janice. To my great surprise, as it is a woman's name. On the outskirts of the town there is a lake, Beasley's Pond, where an old man named Lemuel Sears is used to skating to relax. One day, wanting to unwind after the office work that he periodically undertakes, Sears takes the train towards Beasley's Pond, with the same intention as always, namely to skate. What he finds there is kept secret, however, because the lake had begun to be used as a landfill, with a dog's corpse on top. So, the days when he could slide on the ice with an infinite feeling of freedom, the precious moments of lightness and rejuvenation are gone.

In the end, Sears becomes obsessed with restoring the lake, so he begins to conduct a campaign in this sense, even hiring a lawyer to investigate exactly how this situation came about. We find out, quite easily, that the mayor of the town of Janice was involved in a series of shady deals with the mafia, and that he had hired special people to dump all kinds of garbage in the former lake. One of these characters has a family, and before being hired by the mafia, he had serious financial difficulties. In other words, I think what Cheever is trying to convey to us is that there are always two sides to a story: there is the social perspective, which encourages us to look accusatorily at the people who commit condemnable acts, but there is, of course, also the other angle, that of the character who is responsible for those actions. He will always find an excuse, and maybe, sometimes, it will even be a respectable one. For example, how many cases of prostitution have we heard on television that exist just because those women have nothing to eat, or nothing to put on the table for the child when he comes home from school?

In addition to this, emphasis is placed on the adventure that Lemuel has with a certain woman, whom he meets in completely ordinary circumstances, but who simply opens his eyes. Of course, there is also a rather big difference here - after he realizes the feelings he has for her, Lemuel wants a stable relationship, but Renee is too used to the libertine promiscuity that she has already installed in her personal value system for a long time. There are nice details that outline quite well Sears' life and his typical nature.

It remains for you to discover how the problem of the lake will be solved, whether it will be solved or whether, on the contrary, the mafia and corruption will win to the detriment of sincere values such as justice and environmental protection.

Cheever seems to me to be an absolutely amazing narrator, who is not boring at all thanks to the details. The details are in an absolutely decent number, so that the one who reads a page can imagine for himself the appearance of the landscape, as well as of the characters. I think it is very important for a writer to leave the reader free, otherwise the novel tends to become either too difficult or downright cinematographic.

Oh, this seems like paradise! Here, you will encounter the stories of different characters. After reading, you can notice that there is a connecting thread among them.

In summary, an older man who loves ice skating on a lake has sexual and emotional relationships with a younger woman and a younger man. At the same time, he struggles to prevent water pollution at the hands of multinational corporations.

Each moment is a brief snapshot of what the characters think, feel, and do. It quickly moves on to something else in a harmonious way, and in no way does it feel like a set of abrupt cuts.

Only the way the characters act or respond in certain situations seemed strange to me, as if something didn't quite fit well.

I really liked the epilogue by Rodrigo Fresán in this edition. It adds to the experience and helps to better understand the author, and I wish to read some of his other works.

Like all of Cheever’s work, the prose in ‘Oh What a Paradise It Seems’ is truly magnificent.

There are numerous impactful and breathtaking passages scattered throughout the story.

However, for me at least, the plot here was rather weak. It didn't have the strong foundation and engaging twists and turns that I usually look for in a great story.

Moreover, the tone wavered too much for my taste. It seemed to shift abruptly at times, making it a bit difficult for me to fully immerse myself in the narrative.

Despite these drawbacks, I'm still happy that I read it. After all, it's Cheever, and any work by him has its own charm and value.

While it may not be my favorite Cheever piece, it still offers some beautiful writing and moments that are worth savoring.

Overall, it's a testament to Cheever's talent that even in a story with some flaws, there is still so much to appreciate.

I have a deep affection for the way Cheever writes. His style is truly remarkable as it combines frankness and mystery simultaneously, which is simply amazing.

This particular book delves into the life of a small town, encompassing themes such as corruption, love, and pollution. At first glance, these elements don't seem to blend well together, do they? However, through Cheever's masterful pen, he manages to make it all work seamlessly.

Despite being a short work, it is of great quality. I find myself already eager to reread it, as there are likely many more nuances and subtleties that I may have missed during my initial reading. Each time I pick up this book, I am sure to discover something new and be captivated by Cheever's unique storytelling once again.

The story seemed precious to me.

A lonely old man (who doesn't have such a good memory) tries to love, do the things he likes, and fight for what he believes is right.

At times, Sears "loves" and at other times, he really feels loved. All of this is also told in parallel with the story of a neighboring couple of a family that has a semi-illegal business. I love that the connection between both stories is Chisholm, Sears' lawyer.

Cheever wants to describe to us that what really matters is the present!!

I keep in mind that sometimes it's important to do things out of love because that's what leads us to give our all for something and do it in the best possible way. Also, the fact that the author has portrayed his fears of approaching old age and how this affects the loss of different faculties.

Another nice thing is how in one of the chapters he describes how two people can see the same situation depending on how they face it. The road can be the bridge/connection to get to a place you desire, as well as it can be a mess because there is too much traffic.

I thought the chapter about the supermarket was great. One conclusion: Let's not fight over trifles.

I think I liked it because it describes the things that the human being repudiates, but also the things that he loves. It tells us about the beautiful sensation that some things produce in him and the connection he has with them.

Likewise, it narrates how for most people with power, only money and false progress interest them, not nature/culture and its preservation.

I kept waiting patiently for this story's soul to make its appearance.

I had high expectations, hoping that it would suddenly emerge and bring a sense of depth and meaning to the narrative.

However, as time passed, it seemed that the story's soul was taking an extremely long lunch break.

Maybe it was lost in thought, or perhaps it was simply reluctant to reveal itself.

I couldn't help but wonder if it would ever show up at all.

Despite my anticipation, I remained in a state of uncertainty, not knowing when or if the story would come alive with its true essence.

But I continued to wait, holding onto the hope that the story's soul would eventually grace me with its presence and transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Despite one of the best opening lines I've come across lately - "This is a story to be read in bed in an old house on a rainy night." - the rest of the book was nothing too special.

It is a short novella that seems to go round and round in circles. Despite having some interesting sections and exceptionally well-written paragraphs, it ultimately ends up going nowhere.

Still, it does not quite measure up to the high quality of Cheever's earlier short stories. After all, this was his last book.

I would recommend it only to those who have an absolute need and desire to read everything he's written. Otherwise, I'd suggest giving it a pass.

Perhaps if the story had had a more conclusive ending or a more engaging plot, it would have been a more memorable read. As it stands, it's a bit of a disappointment, especially considering the promise held by that wonderful opening line.