Reunion

by John Cheever, Richard Ford (Narrator)

Father & Son, New York City, Grand Central Station.

Short story in which the narrator recalls the last time he saw his father.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, American, Classics, Read For School, Literary Fiction, Literature

10 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

John Cheever was an American novelist and short story writer, sometimes called "the Chekhov of the suburbs" or "the Ovid of Ossining." His fiction is mostly set in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the suburbs of Westchester, New York, and old New England villages based on various South Shore towns around Quincy, Massachusetts, where he was born.

His main themes include the duality of human nature: sometimes dramatized as the disparity between a character's decorous social persona and inner corruption, and sometimes as a conflict between two characters (often brothers) who embody the salient aspects of both--light and dark, flesh and spirit. Many of his works also express a nostalgia for a vanishing way of life, characterized by abiding cultural traditions and a profound sense of community, as opposed to the alienating nomadism of modern suburbia.

Reviews

[Connie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

A teenage son who hadn't seen his father in three years was going to meet him for lunch during a 90 minute stopover at Grand Central Station before changing trains. They were thrown out of four restaurants because of the alcoholic father's obnoxious behavior. As they part, the son feels disappointment that he is unable to make a connection with his father. Alcohol turns the father into a bully, and there's a sad feeling that the father would have wanted the lunch hour to end differently if he was sober. It's a great story in 2 1/2 pages.

"Reunion" is story #46 in the collection "The Stories of John Cheever."

[Hákon Gunnarsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to Richard Ford read this on the New Yorker fiction podcast. It's a short read. Some might even say that nothing happens in it, and they would be right. A boy meets his dad while waiting for a train on Grand Cenral Station, they are going to have lunch together, and that is about it.

But one can also say that everything happens, and to me that would be right. In this brief short story that only has a limited encounter between father, and son has so much packed into it. There is so much more said in the subtext, than in the actual words on paper, that in those, perhaps 1000, words the reader gets a sense of their relationship, why the parents divorced, and perhaps even the boy's future.

A truly great short story. One that I have read more than once, more than twice, and I'm going to read again.

[Mike Narvaez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story is the closest thing to seeing a picture made out of words.

It seems that, when it comes to John Cheever, the shorter the story, the better it is. This is the shortest of all the author’s stories – which is saying a lot – and it seems surreal!

It’s full of little details that make up a bigger picture: a son that has barely seen his father due to his parents’ divorce, an attempt to go back to an era when his father was someone important or at least respected and the sudden realization that the man the boy should look up to is no longer the man he should be.

I am so glad this is the first story I’ve read this year (or listened; the story was narrated by Richard Ford and was originally published in The New Yorker).

For all its little details in the beginning, I wish the story had been a little longer. Somehow I wonder what happened to that boy after he left his father for good. Did he grow up to become just like his father?

[Kansas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha encantado este cuento de Cheever por como cuenta una historia sin dar muchos datos, es un cuento corto, escueto, minimalista y sin embargo, cuánta información se esconde entre lineas. Charlie se encuentra con su padre durante unas horas en Nueva York, y por lo que sabemos, hace años que no se ven y su padre apenas le ha prestado atención. Sin embargo, en este encuentro, cuando Charlie es algo más mayor, se evidencia que Charlie ha querido idealizarlo porque necesita desesperadamente "creer" en él. El hecho de que Charlie ya no es un niño, quizás le haya hecho tener la esperanza de que ahora sí que sería capaz de apreciarlo.

La historia empieza y termina en el mismo sitio, en la estación de tren, donde su padre le recoge y luego lo deja. Me ha impactado la verdad, sobre todo, al pensar en la experiencia que le debió suponer a Charlie estas horas con su padre. No se puede contar más con menos, afinando y controlando el ritmo. Una genialidad de cuento.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple, yet full, short story. Uses dialogue to "show" instead of "tell". Interior narrative access of the child is provided in 3 sentences. Pretty perfect.

[Jaqueline Franco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quería iniciarme con cheever y encontré este cuento corto, pero potente, donde cheever aborda la relación escueta y siempre a destiempo de un padre con su hijo. La verdad es que el cuento parece no decir nada, pero entre lineas nos deja toda la información para que el lector la interprete. Me encanto.

[Yasna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this way more than I thought I would, especially with the narration by Richard Ford.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

...And that's what happens when you don't focus on the reason of reuniting.

[Sina · Rating 5 out of 5]

از شاهکارهای داستان کوتاه. داستانی بسیار ساده، ملاقات پدر و پسری پس از سال‌ها، اما در این داستان ۵صفحه‌ای هر کلمه به قدری با دقت انتخاب شده که داستان کامل است. ۵صفحه با چگالی بسیار بالا. داستان را در مجموعه «به انتخاب مترجم» جناب احمد اخوت خواندم

[Vivek Bali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gem from John Cheever.

This could be perhaps one of the shorter ones from the author's collection and that is saying something.(if you know how short his stories are)

It is said that to judge the character of a man you should see how he treats people less fortunate than him. One of the ways to see that is in a restaurant.
And the way the protagonist's father treats the waiters perfectly describes the nature and character of the man.

The story on a broad spectrum throws light upon the institute of marriage and how a divorce maybe an unfortunate thing and frowned upon in the society but saving a marriage is surely trumped by the
foremost need to safeguard the upbringing of a child.

The protagonist in this story hasn't seen his father in over three years and hardly knows about him ever since his parents divorced. He is excited and looking forward to meeting him as he understands that a son is the reflection of his father and he wants to meet him in a way to know his own future to see how he would grow up.
He is eventually disappointed to meet a man that is stuck in a terrible state. All the father is trying to do is to create a sense of dominance on others around him in order to show his son that he is an important person. This is also reflected when he initially mentions that he would have loved to take him to his club but that is way too far and his son might miss his train. He again mentions the club at the end of the story. The club here is represented as a place where is father is respected and where he can boss around and do as he pleases. And he tries to show that off to his son by being an arrogant dominating prick to others in order to evoke some sort of timid agreeableness from them. And he fails miserably.

Towards the end the son understands the true nature of his father and perhaps the main reason why his mother divorced him as she didn't want to raise someone like him.

You may not be able to fight genetics but by distancing yourself; you can surely reduce the effects and influence of being in someone's company.

The character of the father in this story maybe on the negative spectrum but it evokes a sense of pity for him. He comes across as a man who is in a bad place and needs a sort of validation around him especially in front of his son so as to establish his importance in his eyes.

Brilliant writing by John Cheever creates a perfect picture of the whole event making the story feel as real as it can be. Perhaps would have enjoyed it more If it could have been a bit longer but nevertheless, it delivers perfectly like all his other stories.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrator of the story requested to meet his father again after not seeing each other for 3 years due to his parent's divorce. He starts to realize throughout this meeting that his father is now a stranger to him and not at all what he remembered.

This story makes me think about my own life. I haven't seen my dad in just about 11 years - though not due to divorce or anything like that. He passed away when I was 16. This story makes me wonder what it would be like after all these years to see him again - except in this scenario, I would be the stranger. My dad would obviously be just as I last remember him being since no time would have passed for him, but time would have for me. Would we have some of that same awkwardness with what to talk about and so on?

Anyways, this story does make you think about the parallels to your own life. If you do not have any, maybe imagine them. This was a good, short read.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story, I think it's very relatable. The father in the story makes me think of people I've come across in life. It's definitely a sad story but I was engrossed from the beginning. It's worth a read.

[Syakira · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's no surprise that his wife and son decided to leave him

i sensed that the father appears to have a deeply intricate character issue and harbors strong negative feelings towards society, different races and even other individuals and the author skillfully depicted these aspects, yet it's unfortunate that the ending seemed to endorse the avoidance of confronting such issues, as is often the case

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young man tries to have lunch with his father he hasn't seen in three years during a layover. Turns out his father is a real piece of work.

[Emilie]

personal project research 😍

[Sabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, the story just goes to show how weird some people are. The father's certainly not a likeable character but I liked the short story.

[Baran rad · Rating 3 out of 5]

باران نوشت:
این پدر با قدرت‌نمایی‌های کاذبش، با دستور دادن و رفتارای تحقیرآمیزش با دیگران مخصوصا کسایی که حکم وظیفه دارن میخواد جلوی پسرش برای خودش قدرت و جایگاه بتراشه، ولی پسرک نه تنها سرخورده میشه بلکه هیچ‌وقت دیگه پدرشو نمیبینه…

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Reunion" (1962) by American novelist and short story writer John Cheever.

SPOILER ALERT
We follow a boy whose parents are divorced and the story tells of him having lunch with his father.
The father is yelling at the waiter, being so rude that they are told to leave the restaurant.
Then they go to another restaurant. Here the waiter refuses to serve the boy alcohol, so they leave.
At the third restaurant, the father yells at the waiter again, and even though the waiter tolerates this, the father gets mad and leaves.
At the last place they can’t even get a table. Then the boy has to leave, and the father wants to buy him a paper, but once again he yells at the guy in the newspaper stand, so the boy leaves.

Deeper, the story tells of someone falling in love the idea of a person, more than their actual fundamental characteristics. The boy wish for a normal relationship with his father, but the fathers personality/alcoholism gets in the way.
Don’t put anyone on a pedestal, or make them out to be something they aren’t even close to. This will create disappointment when they turn out to be something they’re not.

[Hester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ouch . Ouch ouch ouch ...this one really hurts . Only someone who has experienced alcoholism up close could infuse this father and son encounter with the emotional heft of this short short story . Cheever is a master of deceptively simple prose . Nothing wasted here .

[Sara]

Why we cant go with our life without to dig in past.past its past.our h want to see his father and come to find bomb of his discavery.its tragdy family sad short fatherly son story even painful but its true.

[Classic reverie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can John Cheever's "Reunion" be pleasant? A son looks to see his father at the train station for lunch before going to his grandparents, it has been years since seeing him.


"THE LAST TIME I saw my father was in Grand Central Station. I was going from my grandmother’s in the Adirondacks to a cottage on the Cape that my mother had rented, and I wrote my father that I would be in New York between trains for an hour and a half, and asked if we could have lunch together. His secretary wrote to say that he would meet me at the information booth at noon, and at twelve o’clock sharp I saw him coming through the crowd. He was a stranger to me—my mother divorced him three years ago and I hadn’t been with him since—but as soon as I saw him I felt that he was my father, my flesh and blood, my future and my doom. I knew that when I was grown I would be something like him; I would have to plan my campaigns within his limitations."


❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌spoiler alert❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌

A young man is excited to his father but that is soon deflated after his father's company is unbearable and embarrassing.

"We went out of the station and up a side street to a restaurant. It was still early, and the place was empty. The bartender was quarreling with a delivery boy, and there was one very old waiter in a red coat down by the kitchen door. We sat down, and my father hailed the waiter in a loud voice. “Kellner!” he shouted. “Garçon! Cameriere! You!” His boisterousness in the empty restaurant seemed out of place. “Could we have a little service here!” he shouted. “Chop-chop.” Then he clapped his hands. This caught the waiter’s attention, and he shuffled over to our table. “Were you clapping your hands at me?” he asked. “Calm down, calm down, sommelier,” my father said. “If it isn’t too much to ask of you—if it wouldn’t be too much above and beyond the call of duty, we would like a couple of Beefeater Gibsons.” “I don’t like to be clapped at,” the waiter said."

“I should have brought my whistle,” my father said. “I have a whistle that is audible only to the ears of old waiters. Now, take out your little pad and your little pencil and see if you can get this straight: two Beefeater Gibsons. Repeat after me: two Beefeater Gibsons.” “I think you’d better go somewhere else,” the waiter said quietly. “That,” said my father, “is one of the most brilliant suggestions I have ever heard. Come on, Charlie, let’s get the hell out of here.”

“All the tables are reserved,” the captain said. “I get it,” my father said. “You don’t desire our patronage. Is that it? Well, the hell with you. Vada all’ inferno. Let’s go, Charlie.” “I have to get my train,” I said. “I’m sorry, sonny,” my father said. “I’m terribly sorry.” He put his arm around me and pressed me against him. “I’ll walk you back to the station. If there had only been time to go up to my club.” “That’s all right, Daddy,” I said."

“Now, just wait a second, sonny,” he said. “Just wait a second. I want to get a rise out of this chap.” “Goodbye, Daddy,” I said, and I went down the stairs and got my train, and that was the last time I saw my father."

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

And thus it ends:

‘Then he went up to a news stand and said, “Kind sir, will you be good enough to favour me with one of your God-damned, no-good, ten-cent afternoon papers?” The clerk turned away from him and stared at a magazine cover. “Is it asking too much, kind sir,” my father said, “is it asking too much for you to sell me one of your disgusting specimens of yellow journalism?”

“I have to go, Daddy,” I said. “It's late.”

“Now, just wait a second, sonny,” he said. “Just wait a second. I want to get a rise out of this
chap.”

“Goodbye, Daddy,” I said, and I went down the stairs and got my train, and that was the last time I saw my father.

This superbly corralled piece of short fiction condenses the intricacy of familial associations and the emotional weight of missed relations. Although brief in length, this story reverberates severely with readers as a result of its poignant narrative and Cheever's subtle exploration of themes such as estrangement, disillusionment, and the longing for connection.The story follows Charlie, a young man who narrates his reunion with his estranged father in New York City. Set against the background of mid-20th-century Manhattan, Cheever creates a gaudy setting that mirrors the tautness and irregularity of the encounter. Charlie’s father, a flamboyant character prone to ostentatious gestures and egotism, dominates the communication with his impetuous behavior. The meeting, intended to bond the breach between father and son, becomes a study in how personality and past failings can outshine intentions. What makes this tale so impactful is its frugality of language. Cheever’s prose is piercing and unadorned, allowing the emotions of the characters to surface naturally. In just a few pages, he paints a detailed portrait of a father who is at the same time magnetic and intensely defective. The father’s attempts to impress Charlie are destabilized by his insolent and flippant treatment of the waitstaff at more than a few restaurants they visit, screening his helplessness to form genuine connections or take blame for his actions. At its heart, this is a story about letdown and disappointment. Charlie’s initial hope for a meaningful reconnection with his father is gradually replaced by disappointment. The brevity of the story emphasizes the fleeting nature of their interaction, culminating in an abrupt yet powerful ending that lingers with the reader. The story’s final line—a simple acknowledgment of the encounter’s conclusion—carries a profound emotional weight, leaving readers to reflect on the relationships in their own lives. Cheever’s Reunion is a testament to his ability to distill complex human experiences into concise narratives. It captures the sentimental reality of longing for connection while contending with the flaws, the shortages, the insufficiencies of those we cherish and adore. Give this story a go. You’ll feel warm and sad at the same time.

[Wen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am currently in a Literature class in Berklee, this is 1/4 of the short stories we have to read. Anyway,

Just curious why are stories much more nicer when it has a conflict or more negative emotions, why are happy stories almost boring? Wouldn't the repetition of - Exposition - Development - Drama - tend to be too repetitive which then becomes boring and predictable too?

So how do people write a good story? A better, innovative solution to a same situation? Thinking about the worst dystopia, the worst case scenario and writing these out as your story's plot?

Lastly, why do we read? are we trying to learn something? escape something? Pass time? For all of the different reasons, do people choose the same type of stories? Of course I know that expressing negative stuff through this medium allows people to relate, feel not alone, feel empowered, etc, etc.

How many books and art do we need to properly heal? Are we just escaping?

So many questions, of course I do have answers and interpretation and I know some of these have obvious answers too but think about it more just like get existential with me for a while

[SPOILERS]
The last line is so up for interpretation
It really depends on who you are in relations to this story
A sympathetic sister that already gave up on the dad and has a brother like Charlie
A father
A son with a father that is similar to the father in the story

[Debalina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story starts with the mention of protagonist's father who replies via his secretary that yes, he will have lunch together with his child. The title is 'reunion'.

What do I expect?
.
Sadness?
The tragedy of some human relationships that leave an indelible mark?
Emotions akin to above.
.
Can a father become a stranger in three years or is our narrator really young?
..
"... whiskey and aftershave lotion ... the rankness of mature male."
..
Wanting to be photographerd! Young then. Is he?
..
So he notices the out of place manliness and its decline after rebuff.
..
Again it goes. I really hope the boy doesn't become his father as he had assumed at the beginning.
..
And I understand the boy changed his mind about his inspiration or at least grew cautious.
..
Not a bad way to capture something of a tragedy. What happens to the father and the relationship later I wonder. Was it just alcohol or more? This meeting was the boy's effort. Did his father ever try, before and after? How did this man even survive, uniformly rebuffed by all. I wish there were therapists and more awareness of mental health issues in the 60s.

A small cheat read. Not bad. Recommended? I think so. Well if you have a few minutes to spare.

Happy reading! 🙃

[Emily-Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great example of the significant impact subtext can have in fiction. Indeed, ‘Reunion’ is a very short, and arguably, 'boring’ story, of a last meeting between father and son. However, Cheever’s skilful use of subtext and time produces a strikingly evocative read; especially given the first person narration by said son. The last few lines are nothing short of heartbreaking, intensified by the fast pace of the narrative due to short syntax and well-written dialogue. As a result, we read quickly, representative of how fast the last meeting between the two passes. Readers are left feeling a sense of the pain, sadness, and regret likely experienced by the protagonist, but Cheever does so in a manner that seems to capture the overarching normalcy and simplicity that exists in every aspect of life, both the good and the bad.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of a failed reunion between a young (probably teen) son and his estranged father. They meet for a lunch layover as the boy is going between his grandmother’s home and his mother’s rented cottage. They try to order lunch at four successive restaurants, but at each his father’s rudeness or probable drunkenness gets them kicked out.

It is the "last time I saw my father" and I felt there was remorse in that statement but also a remembered disgust and a fear of becoming like this himself. We are not told how long ago the meeting took place, so I ended wondering if the boy was dealing with this memory or the man he became was dealing with it.

(#46 - Stories of John Cheever)

[Danyel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been on a roll as of late and have read some excellent short stories. I'm glad to add this one to the list. It about a young man who sees his father again for the first time in 3 years. At the heart of it, I feel that the author perfectly encapsulates that moment when you see a parent for who they truly are. For some many it is a moment of disappointment and heartbreak.

[Jessica Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story, took me by surprise if I’m honest. Very pleasant read, super evocative with believable characters and a powerful fraught relationship established within only a few pages. The father was a force to be reckoned with, yet we all know the type. Wonderfully aggressive. 10/10, will read again.

[Катерина Майковська · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am still having trouble with stories where I don't like the characters. This story tells itself in a clear way, but because I don't like anything or anyone in it, it annoys me and I can't give it enough credit for being well-written.

[AT · Rating 3 out of 5]

WOW!! Let me tell you I have never read a short story like this before. I don't know But woahhh, I was intrigued. As a person who knows people like the father in this story, I can say this was something.