John Cheever is perhaps better known as a short story writer, and his novels are often regarded as mere extended short stories. However, the truth is that Cheever himself preferred to be considered a novelist and regarded his short stories almost as commissioned works. 'Bullet Park' (Emecé), perhaps Cheever's most famous novel, clearly divides into two parts: the first is centered around a man named Nailles, and the second around another man called Hammer. With names like these (sounding like nails and a hammer), it seemed as if they were destined to meet. The book begins when Hammer relocates to a suburban neighborhood called Bullet Park, which Cheever describes in a very particular way, both mythical and ironic, perfectly aware that in large part it has been his works that have established the tropes of these suburban settings, such as parties with copious amounts of alcohol, monotonous train rides to work in the city, and repressed dissatisfaction.

Nailles and Hammer first meet one Sunday in church, as Nailles attends church every Sunday more out of habit than genuine faith. Like almost all the inhabitants of Bullet Park, Nailles' life has lost any spiritual meaning it might have had, but still, it seems that at times he insists on seeking it, no matter how much he doesn't dare to admit it aloud or even to himself. 'Bullet Park' is a novel that in a way seems like an allegorical fable, at times particularly sordid and disturbing, but also with a touch of absurd and strange humor. In this sense, it is no coincidence that the final climax occurs at the altar of the church, where Nailles and Hammer meet again. It is then that the evil that had suddenly appeared, without warning and with nothing that could have predicted its entrance onto the scene, is defeated, but still the ending is strangely bittersweet; things will return to how they were before, only that in reality they will never truly be the same again.

In addition to being neighbors, Nailles and Hammer share a similar picture of anxiety and depression. For Nailles, everything begins on the day when his adolescent son, Tony, for no apparent reason, doesn't get out of bed. From then on, a series of doctors, specialists, and even a healer will parade through Tony's room in an attempt to "cure" him. Nailles, ashamed, will tell anyone who asks that what his son has is mononucleosis. But besides being ashamed, Nailles will feel especially guilty and impotent for not being able to do anything to help his son. His anxiety will increase, and even alcohol will no longer be enough to calm him, so he will go to a doctor who will prescribe him some pills that will make him float in a cloud of unconsciousness. Hammer, for his part, has spent half his life traveling the world to escape from despair, but it has always ended up catching up with him. One day, he will see through a window a room with the walls painted yellow and will become convinced that to find peace, he must find a room like that. He will find it, but that will not be enough, so then he will become convinced that to find peace, he has to opt for a much more radical solution. And it is there that he will decide to go to meet Nailles, because he is the perfect specimen of a suburban man.

It is a very good short novel. It is the first work of Cheever that I have read and I really liked it. There is no drop in quality, although there is a clearly taken stance. The author does not like or at least distrusts the living standards of his country. The bourgeois securities in his prose are thin ice that seek to hide the massacred spiritual densities in the pursuit of comfort. There are very interesting biblical glimpses that gain strength precisely because they are not developed to their full potential. It reminded me of Carver and Chekhov. What is not said, the abrupt ending, the desiccated nature of the characters, and the supposed lightness of the prose make Bullet Park an unsettling novel of a strange beauty.

John Cheever’s Bullet Park (1967) won the Pulitzer Prize.

Regarding this fact, who am I to comment? It was written to introduce the topic, serving as a fact that might also validate the reading of the novel and provide some credible context.

Anyway, here’s what occurs: a mysterious individual named Hammer relocates to Bullet Park (a suburb of NYC), encounters a quiet man named Nailles (who has a son going through a depression), and then interacts with Nailles’ son. Revealing the nature of this interaction would be to disclose the climax of the novel. So, it seems like a really brief and uneventful plot, doesn’t it? Well, it is. The book’s narrative action is not abundant. However, the novel still manages to be a page-turner.

Rather than captivating the reader with its plot, the novel smoothly introduces and then delves into practically every character within the course of its reporting of the proper narrative. This means that we meet someone and then are informed—again, let me emphasize that this informing is constantly seamless—a history about that person, which clarifies who the character is and usually why they are undertaking the action at hand.

I think Cheever truly succeeds in presenting the real truth that everyone has a story, rich and unique. But the issue is that none of the characters is good.

In Bullet Park, as in every other place the novel’s characters visit, people are essentially shallow, materialistic, and narcissistic. And this is only the case when the characters actually choose to act. Most of the time, they simply go along with whatever decision is the easiest, as determined by their environment—like a woman who would cuckold her husband but various strange coincidences prevent her from doing so. Usually, the easiest decision is indecision and acquiescence to an understood way that things should be—like they were before, like we were taught.

Cheever, with two (it could be argued three) characters, explores depression and a lack of fulfillment within the kind of world he constructs, but these characters are either greatly hindered or miraculously (read: inconclusively) cured.

Now, once again, the novel, at the micro-/page-to-page-level, is quite excellent. Cheever is a wonderful writer, with a genuine talent for description and rapid characterization. And he employs some great techniques—that could be classified as postmodern; for instance, here’s the first line of the novel: “Paint me a small railroad station then, ten minutes before dark.” This introduction clearly draws one’s attention to the artifice of fiction writing. Again, in the middle of the novel, Cheever begins to comment on the way we discuss traveling, seemingly criticizing writers, or at least highlighting techniques of storytelling: “We speak of travel—world travel—as if it were the most natural condition. ‘Mr. X,’ we read, ‘then traveled from Boston to Kitzbühel.’ How far this is from the truth!”

But when we step back to examine the novel from a macro-level, the worldview of Mr. Cheever—a man who lived longer than I have and wrote more than I have—is hopefully, like some of our expressions, “far…from the truth.”

My reading was divided into two parts. The first part was brilliant, while the second part was chaotic. Nevertheless, it was unadulterated Cheever, the master dissector of suburbia, with a wink and always poured into the most enchanting sentences.

Cheever's writing has a unique charm. His descriptions of the suburban life are both vivid and profound. In the first part, his words seem to dance on the page, painting a beautiful and idyllic picture of the suburbs. The characters come alive, and we can feel their joys and sorrows.

However, in the second part, the story takes a more chaotic turn. The plot becomes convoluted, and the characters' actions and motives are sometimes hard to understand. But even in this chaos, Cheever's writing remains captivating. His use of language is so skillful that we can't help but be drawn in.

Overall, my reading experience of Cheever's work was a mixed bag. But one thing is for sure, his talent as a writer is undeniable. He has the ability to create a world that is both familiar and strange, and to make us care about the characters who inhabit it.

4.5 really? This was so surprisingly brilliant.

I’d had this sitting on a shelf for almost a decade. It was gifted to me at the height of ‘Mad Men’ mania, which says a lot. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t prioritize it sooner. Cheever’s writing is truly a gift. The comedy in it is wonderful, and yet there is this underlying pain that adds depth.

The ~cafard~ of the American suburbs is endlessly fascinating to me. I really do wish I’d read this around the time I was studying and writing my thesis. Because, God, I would have had a field day unpacking what he covers here. His exploration of the suburban lifestyle, with all its joys and sorrows, is so vivid and detailed. It makes me think about the hidden aspects of our lives that we often overlook.

I can’t wait to see what else Cheever has to offer in his other works. This book has truly opened my eyes and made me appreciate his talent as a writer.

Great book!

Part one presents an ordinary man, Nailles, who resides in an ordinary and dispiriting suburb of New York. His son, Tony, grows disillusioned with life and resolves not to get out of bed. Despite the efforts of doctors, they are unable to cure him. However, an Indian spiritualist manages to arouse his excitement with mantras.

Part two depicts a sickly rich man, Hammer, who endeavors to seek happiness within a yellow room. When the room is painted, he makes the decision to pursue his mother's dream of enlightening the world by sacrificing an average WASP within a church.

Part three showcases Hammer snatching Tony and nearly burning him, but fortunately, the Swami comes to the rescue.

This book is excellent for numerous reasons. It features engaging stories, fine writing, profound themes, and well-developed characters, among others. It immediately grabs the reader's attention and offers great insights and observations.

Cheever's renowned novel truly vacillates between moments of sheer brilliance and an unfocused flakiness, particularly during the Hammer section.

The ending, however, is rather explosive and one that I found myself liking quite a bit. It's possible that the flakiness in the Hammer section was deliberately crafted to demonstrate just how directionless of a bastard the character was.

Nevertheless, it still makes for rather painful reading.

Of course, the underlying message is the ultimate in suburban psychosis: those who possess more must endure suffering at the jealous hands of those who have less.

This theme runs throughout the novel, adding an element of tension and drama that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish.

Overall, Cheever's novel is a complex and thought-provoking work that explores the darker side of human nature and the pressures of suburban life.

If we divide the book into parts, a lot of beautiful stories emerge.

I don't understand why he felt the need to write a novel.

In the second part, which is the Hammer part, although I was a bit bored, I like Cheever's storytelling.

This is also a successful example.

The book seems to have a rich tapestry of tales within its pages. By splitting it into sections, we can better appreciate the individual stories and the unique way Cheever weaves them.

Even though the Hammer part didn't quite grip me as much as I hoped, I still have to give credit to Cheever's skill as a storyteller.

His ability to create engaging characters and situations is truly remarkable.

Overall, the book is a testament to his talent and I look forward to exploring more of his works in the future.

My teacher encouraged me to read this in school. I followed his advice and gave it a try. However, I was pretty disappointed.

His short stories are indeed excellent, showing great creativity and skill. But when it comes to a full novel, it doesn't seem to me that he has what it takes to sustain the narrative. In fact, the story seems to lose its momentum after the first half or so. The plot becomes rather flat and fails to engage the reader as strongly as it did in the beginning.

Moreover, the concept of suburban gothic, which this novel attempts to explore, has been much better done elsewhere. There are other works that have delved deeper into this genre, creating a more atmospheric and chilling experience. In comparison, this novel falls short and fails to leave a lasting impression. Overall, I was left feeling rather underwhelmed by this reading experience.

John Cheever (1912 - 1982) was one of the writers whose names I had heard but never read. He was more prominent for his short stories and was even known as "the Chekhov of American suburbs." (I think Raymond Carver, whose short stories I read with admiration, also deserves such a title.) I started reading Cheever with this novel published in 1969. The protagonists of Bullet Park are also people living in the suburbs. They are rather caught in the wheel of order, shuttling between their jobs and homes in the big city (New York), playing the role of happiness, usually finding solace in alcohol, sometimes experiencing sexual fantasies or adventures, but generally being in a constricted emotional state. As noted in some of the comments here, it contains some parallels with Richard Ford's "Revolutionary Road." The dominant gloomy atmosphere of the novel is also emphasized in a feigned way in the last sentence. The story, which develops in two separate branches and in the first two parts, converges in the third and last (and also the shortest) part where the tension is greatly increased. The first half of the book is stronger. The second half seems as if it has been rushed. There are also oddities like the constant travels that are mentioned and passed over without really adding much meaning to the novel. However, the parts that shed light on the dark nature of humanity are striking. The way he approaches sexuality is also remarkable. I read it with pleasure and in the future, I would like to read the short stories of Cheever, which are understood to be his main strength.

This novel provides an interesting glimpse into the lives and psyches of suburban dwellers, exploring themes of dissatisfaction, longing, and the search for meaning in a seemingly ordinary existence. Cheever's writing style is细腻 and engaging, drawing the reader into the world of his characters and making them feel both empathy and a sense of unease. While the novel may have some flaws, such as the rushed second half and the occasional oddity, it is still a worthwhile read for those interested in exploring the human condition through literature.

Overall, Bullet Park is a thought-provoking and well-written novel that showcases Cheever's talent as a writer. It is a must-read for fans of American literature and those interested in the suburbs and the people who live there.

Maybe I'm just overly critical of the seemingly idyllic yet often unfulfilling 1950's suburbs, but I truly do not have a liking for this book. I am also growing tired of so many writers who seem to be burdened with sexual hangups.

The main aspect that I didn't appreciate, however, was the writing style itself. Whenever Cheever transitioned from one character to another, I had the distinct impression that he would never return to the main narrative. He would expound at length about tertiary characters, and then we would never really hear about them again.

This is also one of those books that gives the impression of "hurrying up and ending" abruptly. One moment I'm still engaged in the build-up, and then suddenly, it's "The End".

I wouldn't go so far as to say that Cheever is a bad writer. In fact, his descriptions are often wonderful and vivid. However, the way he alternates between dragging out certain parts and then rushing through others prevents him from being truly considered a great writer. There is a lack of balance and cohesion in his storytelling that leaves the reader feeling somewhat dissatisfied.

A highly respected author whom I have long intended to read, unfortunately, I will not be following through with any of his other writings.

The characters in his work are neither interesting nor empathetic, thus there is zero emotional hook to draw the reader in. The men are one-dimensional, lacking depth and complexity, and the women are barely developed at all.

The plot, such as it is, is frankly silly and meandering, lacking a clear direction or purpose. The end is ridiculously unconvincing, leaving the reader feeling unsatisfied.

The author is trying to be both sympathetic to and critical of 50s/60s American Suburbia, but fails to pull off either effectively. And while I understand that the relationships between genders have changed over the years, I must say that Jane Eyre is both more modern and more convincing in its portrayal of gender dynamics.

On the plus side, the book is a quick and easy read, and the writing is agreeably economical. However, overall, it is only about 10% as good as it thinks it is.