Nice to meet you, Mr. Cheever. It's truly a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Your presence has brought a certain charm and energy to this encounter.

During our time together, I've had the opportunity to observe your unique qualities and engaging personality. It's been a memorable experience.

However, all good things must come to an end, and now it's time to say goodbye. I hope that our paths will cross again in the future.

Until then, take care and may your days be filled with joy and success. Goodbye, Mr. Cheever.

I'm awarding this passionately executed work by one of my old favorites a grumpy three stars. The reason? I found it terribly depressing. It's not the kind of depression that a powerful tragedy can bring; rather, it's like having a really bad conversation with your drunk dad.

Cheever had a stint in the mid-70s teaching creative writing at Sing Sing, and his book contains some good details from inside the prison. The dark cloud of prison does make its presence felt. The inmates socialize, but they communicate only through jokes, lies, or outbursts of excessive information. It becomes clear that casual honesty is a luxury reserved for free people.

However, for the most part, he is writing about the prison within his own life. There's his alcoholism, which is portrayed here as heroin addiction, his bisexuality (something he never admitted during his lifetime), his marital frustration, and his antagonistic relationship with his brother (the central crime being a fratricide).

You long for the kind of powerful prison reportage that Varlam Shalamov provided in The Kolyma Tales. Instead, what you get is thinly veiled autobiography and fitfully eloquent monologues, somewhat similar to John Updike's A Month of Sundays. But unlike Updike, Cheever is by nature too depressive to achieve the energy or scope that a novel requires.

It's difficult to imagine what someone unfamiliar with Cheever's life and its secrets would have made of this deeply eccentric, plotless, yet occasionally beautiful book. But back in 1978, readers turned it into a bestseller. I think my grandparents had a copy lying around the house somewhere.

Intense and difficult.

These words truly describe the journey that led to the final pages. It was a path filled with challenges and obstacles that seemed insurmountable at times.

However, despite all the hardships, I found myself cheering for Farragut. There was something about this character that compelled me to root for him.

Perhaps it was his determination in the face of adversity, or maybe it was his unwavering belief in himself and his cause.

Whatever the reason, as I turned the final pages, my heart was filled with anticipation and hope for Farragut's success.

I wanted to see him overcome the final hurdle and emerge victorious.

And as the story came to a close, I was left with a sense of satisfaction and admiration for Farragut's courage and perseverance.

It was a truly remarkable journey, and one that I will not soon forget.

John Cheever's late-in-life novel, Falconer, is a complex and often controversial work.

It begins by describing the various incarnations of the penal facility called "Falconer," which has evolved over time from a jail to a correctional facility with a softball field replacing the site of the old gallows.

Among the prisoners is Ezekiel Farragut, a 48-year-old man serving time for fratricide. As the novel unfolds, we are treated to long, rambling passages that seem to be a combination of memories, letters, and musings.

While some have praised the novel for its literary merit and its exploration of themes such as confinement and liberation, others have criticized it for its constant focus on genitalia and its seemingly improbable plot elements.

Despite these flaws, however, Cheever's ability to craft beautiful prose shines through in many passages, such as the one where Farragut describes his sense of grief and dislocation.

Overall, Falconer is a flawed but still engaging novel that offers a unique perspective on the human condition.

It was, I suppose, an inevitable development that Cheever would pen a prison novel. The very idea held a certain theoretical allure, promising a story filled with drama and depth.

However, despite a few instances of truly wonderful prose, this account of an imprisoned heroin addict who wallows in the pleasurable humiliations of jailhouse eroticism ultimately comes across as banal and even callow. Instead of firmly grounding the novel in its prison setting, the eponymous Falconer feels more like a pretext rather than a fully realized context.

The characters, too, fail to truly emerge from their arid and rambling monologues. They remain two-dimensional, lacking the complexity and nuance that would make them truly engaging.

Perhaps it's an unfair comparison, but when one contrasts this work with "Oz," the latter truly knocks it out of the park. "Oz" is renowned for its rich characterization, wicked humor, and the intense and terrifying life-on-the-edge-of-death sex and terror that it portrays. It sets a high standard that this particular prison novel fails to meet.

This is an extremely interesting novel that delves into a subject matter that is not commonly written about.

It is set within the walls of a prison, where there is a rich exploration of the prisoners' characters and their individual stories, along with the profound philosophical musings of the protagonist. The protagonist, who perhaps accidentally killed his brother and is addicted to methadone, brings a complex layer to the narrative.

The novel touches on various themes such as prisoner's rights, memories, a homosexual love affair, a clergy visit, and even a hint of revolution. It leaves the reader with a strange, almost indecipherable feeling throughout, especially with an ending that can be interpreted either literally or metaphorically.

Whether it was written in the 70s or in our current time, there are few authors who truly explore the humanity of prisoners, including their qualities and flaws, as well as that of the prison guards to some extent (though the focus is more on the prisoners). Cheever adds a certain charm to the novel through the way the characters speak and their eagerness to share their life histories, sometimes even resorting to bribes.

I firmly believe that this novel is not only worth reading but also worth pondering. We often view criminals in a very different light, but this novel, despite being just over 200 pages, takes its time to develop the storyline around characters who are easily overlooked and forgotten, and who are not usually the focus of most novels.

Some of the memorable quotes from the novel include: "Loneliness taught the intransigent to love their cats as loneliness can change anything on earth."; "Farragut, lying on his cot thinking of the morning and his possible death, thought that the dead, compared to the imprisoned, would have some advantages."; "It was a very heavy and beautiful snow that, like some juxtaposition of gravity, seemed to set the mountain range free of the planet."; "I wouldn't be able to speak to you softly and with patience at this point if I did not believe that mathematics and geometry are a lying and a faulty analogy for the human disposition."; "...so I figure I must come into this life with the memories of some other life and so it stands that I'll be going into something else and, you know what, Zeke, you know what, I can hardly wait to see what it's going to be like..."; "Had he raised his head, he would have seen a good deal of velocity and confusion as the clouds hurried past the face of a nearly full moon."; "I got plenty of money. I been evicted because I'm a human being, that's why."

These quotes add depth and meaning to the overall narrative, making the novel even more engaging and thought-provoking.

In BULLET PARK, Cheever made a genuine attempt to break free from his gentle New England surrealism, yet he didn't fully succeed. Oh, but in this work, he does!

Cheever attains remarkable fluency and a surprising poignancy when writing about a professor imprisoned for murdering his brother. Much like Alan Hollinghurst, he has the ability to describe the more seedy pastimes of sexuality, such as masturbation, as if it were the most beautiful thing in the world.

He also showcases a surprising range in dialogue, especially with the jokes among the prisoners and the motivations of a prison guard. It is truly a challenge to determine which of his novels, THE WAPSHOT CHRONICLE or FALCONER, is the best. However, I firmly believe that both are masterpieces.

Each of these works offers unique insights into the human condition, exploring themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning in life. The characters are vividly drawn, and the settings are richly detailed, transporting the reader into a world that is both familiar and strange.

Whether you prefer the more lighthearted and humorous tone of THE WAPSHOT CHRONICLE or the darker and more intense atmosphere of FALCONER, there is no denying the power and beauty of Cheever's writing.

This shit about being fearless before death ain't got no quality. How could you say you were fearless about leaving the party, even in stir? Even franks and rice taste good when you're hungry, even an iron bar feels good to touch, it feels good to sleep. It's like a party even in maximum security and who wants to walk out of a party into something that nobody knows anything at all about?

The story is about a middle-aged man who is incarcerated in prison for the 'accidental' murder of his brother. While in prison, he recalls his hollow childhood and equally hollow family life.

I initially struggled with the tone. I couldn't quite determine it. Was it supposed to be ironic and self-deprecating? Or existential and poignant? Then I realized it was perhaps meant to be ironically existential. That's what I liked about the book in hindsight. It could transition from the absurd to some of the most moving passages I've ever read. The writing is filled with such stark honesty.

I also keep seeing it being described as a tale of redemption. However, I don't view it that way. Farragut enters the prison as a narcissist and remains a narcissist. There is no significant change, no major revelations, and no Hollywood-style epiphanies, and that's what makes the book perfect. There is room for utterly unlikable characters in literature as well.

Sometimes I felt a bit too detached from the story, but at the same time, this style appealed to me. I guess I'm still trying to figure out the book. I'm still affected by it. There will definitely be more Cheever in my future reading.

Cheever has read "The Count of Monte Cristo" and "Crime and Punishment"

and has brought them into the 20th century.

These classic works have had a profound impact on Cheever's writing.

By incorporating elements from them, he creates a unique literary world that combines the drama and complexity of the past with the sensibilities of the modern era.

Cheever's reinterpretation of these masterpieces allows readers to experience the timeless themes of revenge, redemption, and moral ambiguity in a new and exciting way.

His works not only pay homage to the great literary traditions but also offer fresh perspectives and insights into the human condition.

Through his writing, Cheever shows that the power of these classic stories still holds true in the 20th century and beyond.

Cheever has the remarkable ability to blend black humor and nostalgia in the small story of an enormous character. His writing style is unique, as he manages to bring out the comical and the sentimental aspects simultaneously. The story unfolds in a way that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish. The use of black humor adds a touch of irony and absurdity, making the narrative more interesting. At the same time, the element of nostalgia evokes a sense of longing and reminiscence. It makes the reader reflect on their own past and the people who have played significant roles in their lives. Cheever's portrayal of the character is vivid and detailed, allowing the reader to form a clear image in their mind. Overall, this small story is a masterpiece that showcases Cheever's talent as a writer.

Falconer

They were free and yet they moved so casually through this precious element that it seemed wasted on them. There was no appreciation of freedom in the way they moved.
...
“Farragut, Farragut,” he asked, “why is you an addict?”

Ezekiel Farragut has just arrived at Falconer, a New York prison, after being convicted of killing his brother while he was high. Goodreads describes this novel as “[s]tunning and brutally powerful... [about a] struggle to remain a man in a universe bent on beating him backwards into childhood... grand themes with the irony, unforced eloquence, and exhilarating humor that make Falconer such a triumphant work of the moral imagination.” However, I’m not so sure Goodreads and I read the same book.

Since the release of this book in 1977, there have been numerous novels, movies, and television shows about life in prison. These works have delved into various aspects such as the brutality between guards and inmates, among the inmates themselves, gangs, race, drugs, sex, rape, etc. Falconer, on the other hand, has very few of these explorations. Farragut goes through methadone withdrawal, briefly takes a male lover, and there’s a riot with hostages taken, but it all happens off-screen and at another prison. In short, in 2020, there’s nothing here that I would describe as stunning or brutally powerful.

More importantly, I also failed to see a “struggle to remain a man” or a “work of the moral imagination.” There’s hardly a plot. Farragut complains about his wife, who was cold to him, and his father, who was verbally abusive. He writes letters complaining and remembering to the Governor, a bishop, and an old lover. He thinks a lot about drugs and addiction. But he never takes responsibility for his crime, finally describing it late in the novel as:

Then Farragut struck his brother with a fire iron. The widow testified that Farragut had struck his brother eighteen to twenty times, but she was a liar, and Farragut thought the doctor who corroborated this lie contemptible.

He never grapples with or accepts the truth that while high and in anger, he took the life of his own brother. Without that reckoning, I don’t see how Falconer can be considered a “work of the moral imagination.” Instead, the book is filled with a lot of 1970s-style writing about sex as a proxy for power, standing, self-worth, and conquest. “Considering the sovereignty of his unruly cock, it was only a woman who could crown that redness with purpose.” Ugh.

I read this book because I'm working my way through the Pop Chart 100 Essential Novels. There are books on the list like To Kill a Mockingbird that I already knew and loved. There are also books that I’d never read, or sometimes even heard of, such as The Bridge of San Luis Rey, that I also loved. And there are books that I understand being on the list because they are historically important for one reason or another, like Robinson Crusoe, but where the story didn’t work for me.

Sadly, I’d put Falconer into an even lower category as I’m not sure why it’s on any contemporary lists of the 100 best or most essential novels. It seems to be a relic of its time that lacks too much to deserve inclusion in such extraordinary company. But this is just my opinion, and as Farragut observes: “Opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one and they all smell.”

Update: the good people at Pop Chart recently updated their 100 Essential Novels list, adding five new novels and removing five old ones. Falconer is one of the five novels that got replaced. Well done, Pop Chart!

**Not Enough Falcons**

In the world of nature, the population of falcons is facing a concerning issue - there are not enough of them. Falcons are magnificent birds of prey, known for their speed, agility, and sharp hunting skills.

However, due to various factors such as habitat loss, illegal hunting, and the use of pesticides, their numbers have been steadily declining.

This shortage of falcons has significant implications for the ecosystem. They play a crucial role in controlling the population of small mammals and birds, which helps maintain the balance of nature.

Moreover, falcons have cultural and historical significance in many societies. They have been revered and used in falconry for centuries.

To address this problem, conservation efforts are underway. These include protecting their habitats, cracking down on illegal hunting, and raising awareness about the importance of falcons.

It is essential that we take immediate action to ensure the survival of these remarkable birds and safeguard the delicate balance of our ecosystem.