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Here are twelve magnificent stories in which John Cheever celebrates -- with unequaled grace and tenderness -- the deepest feelings we have.
As Cheever writes in his preface, 'These stories seem at times to be stories of a long-lost world when the city of New York was still filled with a river light, when you heard the Benny Goodman quartets from a radio in the corner stationery store, and when almost everybody wore a hat.'
John Cheever was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1912. He is the author of seven collections of stories and five novels. His first novel, "The Wapshot Chronicle, " won the 1958 National Book Award. In 1965 he received the Howells Medal for Fiction from the National Academy of Arts and Letters, and in 1978 "The Stories of John Cheever" won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Shortly before his death, in 1982, he was awarded the National Medal for Literature from the Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.
Benjamin Cheever is the author of "The Plagiarist, The Parisian" and "Famous after Death."
"The Enormous Radio" read by Meryl Streep
"The Five-Forty-Eight" read by Edward Herrmann
"O City of Broken Dreams" read by Blythe Danner
"Christmas is a Sad Season for the Poor" read by George Plimpton
"The Season of Divorce" read by Edward Herrmann
"The Brigadier and the Golf Widow" read by Peter Gallagher
"The Sorrows of Gin" read by Meryl Streep
"O Youth and Beauty! "read by Peter Gallagher
"The Chaste Clarissa" read by Blythe Danner
"The Jewels of the Cabots" read by George Plimpton
"The Death of Justina" read by John Cheever
"The Swimmer" read by John Cheever
As Cheever writes in his preface, 'These stories seem at times to be stories of a long-lost world when the city of New York was still filled with a river light, when you heard the Benny Goodman quartets from a radio in the corner stationery store, and when almost everybody wore a hat.'
John Cheever was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1912. He is the author of seven collections of stories and five novels. His first novel, "The Wapshot Chronicle, " won the 1958 National Book Award. In 1965 he received the Howells Medal for Fiction from the National Academy of Arts and Letters, and in 1978 "The Stories of John Cheever" won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Shortly before his death, in 1982, he was awarded the National Medal for Literature from the Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.
Benjamin Cheever is the author of "The Plagiarist, The Parisian" and "Famous after Death."
"The Enormous Radio" read by Meryl Streep
"The Five-Forty-Eight" read by Edward Herrmann
"O City of Broken Dreams" read by Blythe Danner
"Christmas is a Sad Season for the Poor" read by George Plimpton
"The Season of Divorce" read by Edward Herrmann
"The Brigadier and the Golf Widow" read by Peter Gallagher
"The Sorrows of Gin" read by Meryl Streep
"O Youth and Beauty! "read by Peter Gallagher
"The Chaste Clarissa" read by Blythe Danner
"The Jewels of the Cabots" read by George Plimpton
"The Death of Justina" read by John Cheever
"The Swimmer" read by John Cheever
363 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
4 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
John Cheever
298 books1,074 followersJohn 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 13, 2018
Ergenliğinizin ilk zamanları.. Aşık olduğumuz kişi ile öyle bir an yaşamışsın ki artık duygularınızın karşılıklı olduğundan neredeyse eminsiniz. Batın bölgenizdeki aksiyonu tarif etmekte rüzgarda salınan dallar, uçuşan kuşlar ya da kelebekler kifayetsiz kalıyor. Ve tüm bunları odanızdaki pencereden önünüze açılan alabildiğine yeşil manzaraya karşı yüzünüzde ince bir sırıtış ve bitmeyen duygu ile düşünüyorsunuz.
Bu kadar karmaşık tasvirle Cheever in bana hissettirdiklerini anlatmaya çalışırken O duygularla kelimeler yaratmış. Nasıl mı? Dikiş nakıştan hiç anlamasanız bile bir manzaradan sırma iplik geçince neye benzediğini çok iyi anlıyorsunuz örneğin. Çünkü dediğim gibi kelimelerle duygular yaratıyor ve o kelimeler sizi içine alıp çok tanıdık duygular yaşatıyor.
Yazarın daha önce Yüzücü adlı öykü kitabını okumuştum. Orada daha belirli bir sınıf ele alınmış olsa da yine duyguları okuyucuya geçirmek konusunda oldukça başarılı idi. Ama tercihim; içinde barındırdığı çeşitlilik nedeniyle (Hele bir Altın Çağ diye öyküsü var ki tekrar tekrar okuyup koklamak istiyorum) bu kitap olurdu.
Bu kadar karmaşık tasvirle Cheever in bana hissettirdiklerini anlatmaya çalışırken O duygularla kelimeler yaratmış. Nasıl mı? Dikiş nakıştan hiç anlamasanız bile bir manzaradan sırma iplik geçince neye benzediğini çok iyi anlıyorsunuz örneğin. Çünkü dediğim gibi kelimelerle duygular yaratıyor ve o kelimeler sizi içine alıp çok tanıdık duygular yaşatıyor.
Yazarın daha önce Yüzücü adlı öykü kitabını okumuştum. Orada daha belirli bir sınıf ele alınmış olsa da yine duyguları okuyucuya geçirmek konusunda oldukça başarılı idi. Ama tercihim; içinde barındırdığı çeşitlilik nedeniyle (Hele bir Altın Çağ diye öyküsü var ki tekrar tekrar okuyup koklamak istiyorum) bu kitap olurdu.
March 18, 2019
""Bazi insanlar tutkularini bir maceradan cok bir performans olarak yasarlar. Bunlar sanki asik olmak ve arkadas edinmekden ziyade ,daha dogduklari anda yapimciligini ustlendikleri heyecanli bir tiyatro oyununu erkek ,kadin,cocuk ve köpeklerle sahnelerler. Oyuncu secimi kisitli bir duygusal butceyle sinirli olanlarda bu iyice göze batar.Beceriksiz oyunculuk, dikkatimizi oyunun kendisine yöneltir.""
demis.
Oldukca iyi bir oyku yazari ama bazi öykulerinde o kadar cok isim geciyorki cok fazla insan ismi yer ismi var sadece cok kisa bir hikayede bile kim kimin nesi neyin nesi neden burda falan gibi takintilarimla boguldum biraz. öglen yedigim yemegi hatirlamam icin zaten kendimi zorluyorum ,bana biraz gereksiz geldi bu kadar adlandirilmis kalabalikdaki insanlar, hic bir önemi olmadigi halde neden onu illahi adini bilmek zorundayim,butun öykuleri bu sekilde degil tabii.Ayni stili Cehov dada gördum. Yinede iyi hikayeci begendim acikcasi.
demis.
Oldukca iyi bir oyku yazari ama bazi öykulerinde o kadar cok isim geciyorki cok fazla insan ismi yer ismi var sadece cok kisa bir hikayede bile kim kimin nesi neyin nesi neden burda falan gibi takintilarimla boguldum biraz. öglen yedigim yemegi hatirlamam icin zaten kendimi zorluyorum ,bana biraz gereksiz geldi bu kadar adlandirilmis kalabalikdaki insanlar, hic bir önemi olmadigi halde neden onu illahi adini bilmek zorundayim,butun öykuleri bu sekilde degil tabii.Ayni stili Cehov dada gördum. Yinede iyi hikayeci begendim acikcasi.
December 26, 2025
O City Of Broken Dreams by John Cheever
„Ignorance is like a delicate fruit; touch it, and the bloom is gone”- Oscar Wilde
John Cheever has been compared with Chekhov. He was called “A Modern Day Chekhov”.
In a strange manner, he made an appearance in one of the Seinfeld episodes.
Not in person, but connected with a gay relationship that supposedly Cheever had with the would be father-in-law of George Constanza.
In O City Of Broken Dreams we have a writer- Evarts Malloy- at center stage with his wife Alice, and their daughter Mildred-Rose. They come from a small town in America and are going to New York, because Evarts had written the first act of a play which they plan to sell in The City of Broken Dreams.
The problem here is that we could anticipate from the title what happens to their dreams. But, for the moment we are struck by their naiveté. They see the Hudson River and Alice asks:
- “Why do they call it the rind of America
- The Rhine, Evarts said. Not the rind”
They do not know anything about a big city and they are funny when they try to hide it, not to be taken for “greens”. Evarts is once in an elevator, where he is shamed by the fact that he had not known about when to tell the elevator boy what floor he wants to get off at and has to go all the way to the top and then back. There is a magnificent scene which sums up the plot somehow, by showing how distant the Malloys were from the sophisticated people they meet in New York. They are invited at a party by the Murchinsons, who would set the Evarts play on stage. Alice responds to the invitation to sing, for her mother has taught her to do so and she always did what her mother said:
“Alice took a quick breath and attacked the last verse. Evarts had begun to sweat so freely that the brine got into his eyes. “I’ll lay me doun and dee,” he heard her sing; he heard the loud crash as she hit the floor; he heard the screams of helpless laughter, the tobacco coughs, and the oaths of a woman who laughed so hard she broke her pearl bib. The Murchisons’ guests seemed bewitched. They wept, they shook, they stooped, they slapped one another on the back, and walked, like the demented, in circles. When Evarts faced the scene, Alice was sitting on the floor. He helped her to her feet. “Come, darling,” he said. “Come.” With his arm he led her into the hall.
“Didn’t they like my song?” she asked. She began to cry.
“It doesn’t matter, my darling,” Evarts said, “it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter.”
After this, the Malloys would have nothing to do with the Murchinsons, in spite of the promise that had been given regarding the play.
An agent is found through the bell hop of the hotel, who proves to be shrewd and cunning. The agent says that he will deal with everything, Evarts needs to stop worrying and all will be well. The lawyer will terminate the previous contract and take the Murchinsons to court if necessary. Other shabby characters show up, including a butler who had not been paid and complains about his cut to the bone. Evarts falls in love, or seems to think so, with an actress who would play the lead role in his play. He is sure of that.
It reminds me of Barton Fink by the Coen Brothers, where a novice writer comes to the West Coast and finds himself meeting all kinds of weird people.
Murchinson calls Evarts at the hotel and threatens and calls him names.
Indeed, he even brings to town Mama Finelli, who was the inspiration behind one of the characters in the play and has been convinced to sue Evarts Malloy and spilt the future damages with Murchinson- 40/60.
“The Malloys may have left the train in Chicago and gone back to Wentworth. It is not hard to imagine their homecoming, for they would be welcomed by their friends and relations, although their stories may not be believed. Or they may have changed, at Chicago, for a train to the West, and this, to tell the truth, is easier to imagine. One can see them playing hearts in the lounge car and eating cheese sandwiches in the railroad stations as they traveled through Kansas and Nebraska — over the mountains and on to the Coast.”
This is a wonderful tale and John Cheever is one of my favorite writers.
„Ignorance is like a delicate fruit; touch it, and the bloom is gone”- Oscar Wilde
John Cheever has been compared with Chekhov. He was called “A Modern Day Chekhov”.
In a strange manner, he made an appearance in one of the Seinfeld episodes.
Not in person, but connected with a gay relationship that supposedly Cheever had with the would be father-in-law of George Constanza.
In O City Of Broken Dreams we have a writer- Evarts Malloy- at center stage with his wife Alice, and their daughter Mildred-Rose. They come from a small town in America and are going to New York, because Evarts had written the first act of a play which they plan to sell in The City of Broken Dreams.
The problem here is that we could anticipate from the title what happens to their dreams. But, for the moment we are struck by their naiveté. They see the Hudson River and Alice asks:
- “Why do they call it the rind of America
- The Rhine, Evarts said. Not the rind”
They do not know anything about a big city and they are funny when they try to hide it, not to be taken for “greens”. Evarts is once in an elevator, where he is shamed by the fact that he had not known about when to tell the elevator boy what floor he wants to get off at and has to go all the way to the top and then back. There is a magnificent scene which sums up the plot somehow, by showing how distant the Malloys were from the sophisticated people they meet in New York. They are invited at a party by the Murchinsons, who would set the Evarts play on stage. Alice responds to the invitation to sing, for her mother has taught her to do so and she always did what her mother said:
“Alice took a quick breath and attacked the last verse. Evarts had begun to sweat so freely that the brine got into his eyes. “I’ll lay me doun and dee,” he heard her sing; he heard the loud crash as she hit the floor; he heard the screams of helpless laughter, the tobacco coughs, and the oaths of a woman who laughed so hard she broke her pearl bib. The Murchisons’ guests seemed bewitched. They wept, they shook, they stooped, they slapped one another on the back, and walked, like the demented, in circles. When Evarts faced the scene, Alice was sitting on the floor. He helped her to her feet. “Come, darling,” he said. “Come.” With his arm he led her into the hall.
“Didn’t they like my song?” she asked. She began to cry.
“It doesn’t matter, my darling,” Evarts said, “it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter.”
After this, the Malloys would have nothing to do with the Murchinsons, in spite of the promise that had been given regarding the play.
An agent is found through the bell hop of the hotel, who proves to be shrewd and cunning. The agent says that he will deal with everything, Evarts needs to stop worrying and all will be well. The lawyer will terminate the previous contract and take the Murchinsons to court if necessary. Other shabby characters show up, including a butler who had not been paid and complains about his cut to the bone. Evarts falls in love, or seems to think so, with an actress who would play the lead role in his play. He is sure of that.
It reminds me of Barton Fink by the Coen Brothers, where a novice writer comes to the West Coast and finds himself meeting all kinds of weird people.
Murchinson calls Evarts at the hotel and threatens and calls him names.
Indeed, he even brings to town Mama Finelli, who was the inspiration behind one of the characters in the play and has been convinced to sue Evarts Malloy and spilt the future damages with Murchinson- 40/60.
“The Malloys may have left the train in Chicago and gone back to Wentworth. It is not hard to imagine their homecoming, for they would be welcomed by their friends and relations, although their stories may not be believed. Or they may have changed, at Chicago, for a train to the West, and this, to tell the truth, is easier to imagine. One can see them playing hearts in the lounge car and eating cheese sandwiches in the railroad stations as they traveled through Kansas and Nebraska — over the mountains and on to the Coast.”
This is a wonderful tale and John Cheever is one of my favorite writers.
June 16, 2014
acest volumaș de 13 povestiri ale lui john cheever, apărut în 1983 la editura univers în traducerea lui florin constantin pavlovici cuprinde primele povestiri ale scriitorului american, dar și câteva dintre cele ulterioare.
este, de asemenea, al doilea volum de povestiri pe care îl citesc, după fidela clarissa - despre care am scris aici. sunt și mai plăcut surprins, descoperind o proză scurtă de cel mai înalt nivel, scrisă impecabil.
în a doua povestire, o zi obișnuită, în care e descris un fragment al vieții rurale din america, două servitoare stau de vorbă la bucătărie. într-un singur paragraf, este surpins întreg universul trecut, prezent și viitor al celor două femei. îl pun aici, întru luarea aminte și satisfacția literaturii reușite. (povestirea este reeditată la polirom, într-o altă traducere.)
La bucătărie, Greta și Agnes își sorbeau cafeaua. Vasele de la masa de prânz fuseseră spălate, iat zarva care însoțea cina nu începuse. În bucătărie era răcoare și curat, împrejmuirile casei erau și ele liniștite. Se întâlneau acolo în fiecare după-amiază, acesta fiind, pentru ele, momentul cel mai plăcut al zilei.
- Dumneaei unde-i? întrebă Greta.
- Dumneaei? Înăuntru, cu Carlotta, răspunse Agnes.
- Azi dimineață vorbea singură în grădină, zise Greta. A auzit-o Nils. Acu' îi cere să mute niște crini, dar Nils n-o să facă nimic. Nici măcar iarba n-o s-o tundă.
- Emma a făcut curat în salon, o informă Agnes. Pe urmă, hop și dumneaei acolo, cu toate florile alea.
- Vara viitoare mă întorc în Suedia, declară Greta.
- Tot patru sute de dolari costă? se interesă Agnes.
- Da, răspunse Greta, șuierând cuvântul, pentru a evita să spună ja. Poate că la anul n-o să coste așa mult. Dar, dacă nu merg la anul, Ingrid împlinește doisprezece ani și atunci o să-i plătesc bilet întreg. Vreau s-o văd pe mama. E bătrână.
- Trebuie să mergi, fu de acord Agnes.
- Am mai fost în 1927, în 1935 și în 1937, înșiră Greta.
- Eu am fost acasă în 1937, spuse Agnes. Ultima dată. Tata era bătrân. Am stat acolo taotă vara. Am crezut c-o să merg și în anul următor, dar dumneaei a zis că dacă merg mă concediază, așa că n-am mai mers. Și în iarna aceea tata a murit. Voiam să-l văd.
- Eu vreau s-o văd pe mama, spuse Greta.
- Ei vorbesc despre priveliștea de aici, zise Agnes. Munții ăștia mărunți! Irlanda e ca o grădină!
- Mă întreb dacă o să mai merg vreodată, mărturisi Greta. Acum sunt prea bătrână. Uită-te la picioarele mele. Varice.
Își socase un picior de sub masă, ca să vadă Agnes.
- Eu nu mai am pentru ce să mă întorc. Frații îmi sunt morți, amândoi frații. N-am pe nimeni în Europa. Voiam să-l văd pe tata.
- Ah, prima oară când am venit aici!... exclamă Greta. Mă simțeam pe vaporul ăla ca la petrecere. Credeam c-o să mă îmbogățesc. Mă întorc acasă. Mă îmbogățesc, mă întorc acasă...
- La mine a fost la fel, spuse Agnes.
Auziră tunetul. Doamna Garrison sună iarăși, nerăbdătoare. (pp. 53-55)
avem deci două personaje, greta și agnes, într-un cadru domestic. subiectul principal al discuției pornește de la preocuparea imediată, raportarea la stăpân, dumneaei, doamna garrison. totul e un ritual anost, în care singurele „întâmplări extraordinare“ sunt împotrivirea grădinarului nils și verificarea curățeniei din salon.
trecem repede la preocupările intime ale celor două, vizitele la origini, la locurile de baștină ale fiecăreia. descoperim că singurele dorințe se raportează la acest trecut personal, la familia pe care au abandonat-o. sunt totuși niște dorințe nerealiste, pentru că, de exemplu, greta e bătrână, și merge greu. - printr-un singur gest (scoaterea piciorului pe sub masă) și printr-o singură propoziție dintr-un singur cuvânt „varice“ cheever caracterizează, de fapt „drama“ (măruntă, dar totuși dramă) femeii -, dramă pe care o opune speranțelor din tinerețe - îmbogățirea și întoarcerea la „paradisul pierdut“. mai departe, prin încă o propoziție simplă - „auziră tunetul“ - drama personală e accentuată (sau minimalizată, depinde cum privim lucrurile) în oglindă de drama naturii.
nu știu cum li se va părea altora, dar fragmente ca acestea mă fac să-mi placă literatura, să mă las emoționat de forța ei de a pune, prin cuvânt, sub semnul întrebării, viața omului.
este, de asemenea, al doilea volum de povestiri pe care îl citesc, după fidela clarissa - despre care am scris aici. sunt și mai plăcut surprins, descoperind o proză scurtă de cel mai înalt nivel, scrisă impecabil.
în a doua povestire, o zi obișnuită, în care e descris un fragment al vieții rurale din america, două servitoare stau de vorbă la bucătărie. într-un singur paragraf, este surpins întreg universul trecut, prezent și viitor al celor două femei. îl pun aici, întru luarea aminte și satisfacția literaturii reușite. (povestirea este reeditată la polirom, într-o altă traducere.)
La bucătărie, Greta și Agnes își sorbeau cafeaua. Vasele de la masa de prânz fuseseră spălate, iat zarva care însoțea cina nu începuse. În bucătărie era răcoare și curat, împrejmuirile casei erau și ele liniștite. Se întâlneau acolo în fiecare după-amiază, acesta fiind, pentru ele, momentul cel mai plăcut al zilei.
- Dumneaei unde-i? întrebă Greta.
- Dumneaei? Înăuntru, cu Carlotta, răspunse Agnes.
- Azi dimineață vorbea singură în grădină, zise Greta. A auzit-o Nils. Acu' îi cere să mute niște crini, dar Nils n-o să facă nimic. Nici măcar iarba n-o s-o tundă.
- Emma a făcut curat în salon, o informă Agnes. Pe urmă, hop și dumneaei acolo, cu toate florile alea.
- Vara viitoare mă întorc în Suedia, declară Greta.
- Tot patru sute de dolari costă? se interesă Agnes.
- Da, răspunse Greta, șuierând cuvântul, pentru a evita să spună ja. Poate că la anul n-o să coste așa mult. Dar, dacă nu merg la anul, Ingrid împlinește doisprezece ani și atunci o să-i plătesc bilet întreg. Vreau s-o văd pe mama. E bătrână.
- Trebuie să mergi, fu de acord Agnes.
- Am mai fost în 1927, în 1935 și în 1937, înșiră Greta.
- Eu am fost acasă în 1937, spuse Agnes. Ultima dată. Tata era bătrân. Am stat acolo taotă vara. Am crezut c-o să merg și în anul următor, dar dumneaei a zis că dacă merg mă concediază, așa că n-am mai mers. Și în iarna aceea tata a murit. Voiam să-l văd.
- Eu vreau s-o văd pe mama, spuse Greta.
- Ei vorbesc despre priveliștea de aici, zise Agnes. Munții ăștia mărunți! Irlanda e ca o grădină!
- Mă întreb dacă o să mai merg vreodată, mărturisi Greta. Acum sunt prea bătrână. Uită-te la picioarele mele. Varice.
Își socase un picior de sub masă, ca să vadă Agnes.
- Eu nu mai am pentru ce să mă întorc. Frații îmi sunt morți, amândoi frații. N-am pe nimeni în Europa. Voiam să-l văd pe tata.
- Ah, prima oară când am venit aici!... exclamă Greta. Mă simțeam pe vaporul ăla ca la petrecere. Credeam c-o să mă îmbogățesc. Mă întorc acasă. Mă îmbogățesc, mă întorc acasă...
- La mine a fost la fel, spuse Agnes.
Auziră tunetul. Doamna Garrison sună iarăși, nerăbdătoare. (pp. 53-55)
avem deci două personaje, greta și agnes, într-un cadru domestic. subiectul principal al discuției pornește de la preocuparea imediată, raportarea la stăpân, dumneaei, doamna garrison. totul e un ritual anost, în care singurele „întâmplări extraordinare“ sunt împotrivirea grădinarului nils și verificarea curățeniei din salon.
trecem repede la preocupările intime ale celor două, vizitele la origini, la locurile de baștină ale fiecăreia. descoperim că singurele dorințe se raportează la acest trecut personal, la familia pe care au abandonat-o. sunt totuși niște dorințe nerealiste, pentru că, de exemplu, greta e bătrână, și merge greu. - printr-un singur gest (scoaterea piciorului pe sub masă) și printr-o singură propoziție dintr-un singur cuvânt „varice“ cheever caracterizează, de fapt „drama“ (măruntă, dar totuși dramă) femeii -, dramă pe care o opune speranțelor din tinerețe - îmbogățirea și întoarcerea la „paradisul pierdut“. mai departe, prin încă o propoziție simplă - „auziră tunetul“ - drama personală e accentuată (sau minimalizată, depinde cum privim lucrurile) în oglindă de drama naturii.
nu știu cum li se va părea altora, dar fragmente ca acestea mă fac să-mi placă literatura, să mă las emoționat de forța ei de a pune, prin cuvânt, sub semnul întrebării, viața omului.
May 26, 2019
Los Malloy van en tren camino de Nueva York en busca de promesas de éxito que las han hecho. Son ingenuos y provincianos y en Nueva York se las ven con agentes artisticos que no conocen los escrúpulos y pronto se dan cuenta que las promesas no eran mas que eso, promesas. Cheever consigue que nos preocupemos por los Malloy, deseamos que dejen de hacer el ridiculo y vuelvan a su Indiana.
August 10, 2020
O City of Broken Dreams was first published in The New Yorker in 1948, and alter as a part of The Collected Stories of John Cheever which won the Pulitzer Prize. I listened to the audio version of this story alone. The only other story by Cheever that I have read is The Enormous Radio, and while I loved both, I was surprised by how different they were.
In this story we meet a young couple who are traveling by train from Chicago to New York. He has written part of a play featuring a local woman and a New York producer has asked them to come to the city. This couple is naive, simple and guileless. They believe that they are destined for fame and fortune. The title of the story is indicative of how things will go. But the best part is that despite that fact, the story is interesting until the last word. The last paragraph is fantastic. The couple is hurrying back home, but the narrator (who has been with them at every point) stays behind, and so can only speculate as to where they actually disembark from the train!
In this story we meet a young couple who are traveling by train from Chicago to New York. He has written part of a play featuring a local woman and a New York producer has asked them to come to the city. This couple is naive, simple and guileless. They believe that they are destined for fame and fortune. The title of the story is indicative of how things will go. But the best part is that despite that fact, the story is interesting until the last word. The last paragraph is fantastic. The couple is hurrying back home, but the narrator (who has been with them at every point) stays behind, and so can only speculate as to where they actually disembark from the train!
May 30, 2018
Yüzücü'deki öyküler Dev Radyo, Güle Güle Kardeşim, Yüzücü şahaneydi. Ey Yıkılmış Hayaller Şehri de çok iyi, artık kendi evrenini yarattığının farkına varan John Cheever, ''banliyölerden arketip yarattığı karakter'' öykücülüğünde iyice derine dalmış. Geriye kalan 3 öykü kitabı daha var ve tekrara düşmesinden korkuyorum.
May 30, 2025
Basically how the American dreams a lie nd unattainable for lower class citizens
January 23, 2025
This is hands-down one of the finest short stories ever written. This wonderful survey of determination, disenchantment, and the unwarrantable nature of the ‘American Dream’, continues to echo for its eternal refrains and above-the-board storytelling. The narrative follows the Malloys, a diffident Midwestern family who move to New York City in search of success. Evarts Malloy, the patriarch, is a playwright with a dream of Broadway glory, while his wife, Alice, and their teenage daughter escort him with anticipations of a brighter future. Yet, their arrival in the extensive, apathetic and uninterested metropolis soon discloses that their dreams might be built on extremely fragile and brittle grounds. The storyteller wins our heart with his outstanding use of language. The prose succeeds in capturing the unambiguous dissimilarities between the Malloys’ aspirations and the harsh realities they face. The city itself becomes a character—gaudily depicted as both enthralling and unforgiving. Its magnificence and sumptuousness enlarges the Malloys’ hope but also underscores their susceptibility in a world indifferent to individual struggles. What makes this story predominantly touching is its representation of Evarts Malloy. His earnestness and naivety reflect a universal human yearning for recognition and achievement. His heartbreaking trajectory is both pitiful and profoundly relevant, as Cheever reminds us of the fine line between fortitude and distraction. Alice, too, is a standout character, embodying quiet resilience and a pragmatic awareness of their situation. Her moments of disbelief and self-awareness serve as an equalizer to Evarts' unrelenting optimism, making her the emotional anchor of the story. Cheever’s ability to infuse the narrative with humor and irony adds depth to the tragedy. The Malloys’ encounters with the city’s denizens — producers, businessmen, and other dreamers — succeeds in drawing a bright representation of mid-20th century New York, a place swarming with opportunity yet beleaguered with crumpled hopes. The story’s final deduction leaves a bittersweet taste, summarizing the perilous balance between ambition and failure. While the Malloys’ dreams remain frustrated, Cheever suggests a silent self-respect in their efforts, making their journey feel both useless and heroic. This is a must-read for anyone who appreciates stories of human longing and the touching realities of life. Brilliant!! Kudos, Cheever.
August 24, 2025
This short story by John Cheever shows the early stages af a midwestern couple's journey to the ever growing land of broken dreamers. I adored how Cheever's prose feels rushed when the characters transit the vivid streets of NYC, and slow while we share more intimate moments back at their hotel room. Once again, Cheever demonstrates a mastery of the words that conveys message not only through content, but also through style.
I guess this is ultimately a character study rather than a societal study. The ambiguous ending is Cheever at the top of his powers showing us just how nuanced but ultimately defined are the characters that populate his short stories.
This is the first short story I read from Cheever in my project of reading his collection of Short Stories. This was definitely a good start that foreshadows the great times I will have with the remaining 60 stories.
I guess this is ultimately a character study rather than a societal study. The ambiguous ending is Cheever at the top of his powers showing us just how nuanced but ultimately defined are the characters that populate his short stories.
This is the first short story I read from Cheever in my project of reading his collection of Short Stories. This was definitely a good start that foreshadows the great times I will have with the remaining 60 stories.
March 21, 2024
Cheever gerçekten de çok iyi bir öykücü. Üstelik, gerçekten de her defasında bambaşka bir yolculuğa çıkarmayı başaracak kadar da yaratıcı. Yalnızca gerçekten de çok detaylı yazıyor, karakterler, mekânlar, olaylar... O yüzden gerçekten de dikkatli okumak gerekiyor. Ne zaman biraz dikkatiniz dağılsa kitabı elinizden bırakmanız gerekiyor bence, çünkü o esnada kaçacak bir sürü şey var.
Diğer Cheever kitapları da listemde olacak. Özellikle yazın, açık havada keyifle okurum gibi hissediyorum. :)
Son olarak Roza Hakmen çevirisi her zamanki gibi iyi ve akıcı. Ancak biraz daha derinlemesine bir editörlük çalışmasıyla, öykülerin çok daha fazla parlayabileceği hissine kapıldım.
Diğer Cheever kitapları da listemde olacak. Özellikle yazın, açık havada keyifle okurum gibi hissediyorum. :)
Son olarak Roza Hakmen çevirisi her zamanki gibi iyi ve akıcı. Ancak biraz daha derinlemesine bir editörlük çalışmasıyla, öykülerin çok daha fazla parlayabileceği hissine kapıldım.
October 28, 2023
ok, that was great. just like real life. never do anything. i don't know anything about the world. i haven't lived. but i know enough now to be sure that you should just stay home. most people are average & it's better if average people just drive the bus or make sandwiches in a subway or something. don't try that hard. it will only break your heart.
i am now on the cheever train. i was a little wan on the first two stories in this collection, but these last two are solid winners.
i am now on the cheever train. i was a little wan on the first two stories in this collection, but these last two are solid winners.
October 29, 2021
John Cheever's "O City of Broken Dreams" is a short story about a Midwestern couple who come to NYC and see the reality of the city after a business with a producers.
I read from a collection of his works.
💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢 spoiler alert💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢
The Molloys, Alice and Evarts and their little girl are invited to NYC because of a producer likes the first act of a play Mr. Molloy had written about a local Indiana woman, Mrs. Molloy had seen the producer at a seminar and showed him the play. The couple are poor and seem to be fairly happy with each other. Mrs. Molloy is no beauty but her husband loves her. They have an idea how NYC is spectacular, even the poverty ridden areas are better in NYC. Mrs. Molloy is sure that the sparkling sidewalks are made of crushed diamonds. They stay at a cheap hotel, eat at the automaton and being pray to all that can make money out of this poor couple. Mr. Molloy does not like the way the producer is towards the couple, especially after his wife's singing was greeted with laughter at the end. He signed a contract and regrets this, following a bellhop's advice he sees a manager who will settle all, though he looks to being doing poorly himself. Mr. Molloy falls in love with a beautiful actress but returns back to his wife. Unable to remember his hometown, he has writer's block and goes for a walk, finding the woman who he based the play on, she was approached by the first producer to sue Mr. Molloy and make lots of money from a poor couple with only one act of a play. Not worrying about being sued or what was in the contract he signed, the couple are headed for Chicago but do they go home or travel to Hollywood to give the play a try there, Cheever has the reader decide. I think they try their luck in Hollywood. Mrs. Molloy still thinks the sidewalk is made of crushed diamonds. I think Mr. Molloy changed more so than his wife, who is nonsense kind of person. The couple is upfront and trusting compared to the possible deceitful in some of these characters.
“Alice Malloy had dark, stringy hair, and even her husband, who loved her more than he knew, was sometimes reminded by her lean face of a tenement doorway on a rainy day, for her countenance was long, vacant, and weakly lighted, a passage for the gentle transports and miseries of the poor. Evarts Malloy was very thin. He had worked as a bus driver and he stooped a little.”
“Evarts asked the doorman how to get back to the Mentone, but he misunderstood the directions and got lost again. He walked around the East Side until he found a policeman, who directed him back to the hotel.”
“Mr. Murchison asked several people to perform, but they all refused. “Perhaps Mrs. Malloy will sing for us,” he said bitterly. “All right,” Alice said. She walked to the center of the room. She took a position and, folding her hands and holding them breast high, began to sing. Alice’s mother had taught her to sing whenever her host asked, and Alice had never violated any of her mother’s teachings.”
“Alice was sitting on the floor. He helped her to her feet. “Come, darling,” he said. “Come.” With his arm around her, he led her into the hall. “Didn’t they like my song?” she asked. She began to cry. “It doesn’t matter, my darling,” Evarts said, “it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter.” They got their wraps and walked back through the cold to the Mentone.”
“He had several rings, a gold identification bracelet, and a gold bracelet watch, and he carried a heavy gold cigarette case, set with jewels. The case was empty, and Evarts furnished him with cigarettes as they talked.”
“After breakfast, Alice and Mildred-Rose left Evarts alone in the room and he tried to work. He couldn’t work, but it wasn’t the telephone that troubled him that day. The difficulty that blocked his play was deep, and as he smoked and stared at the brick wall, he recognized it. He was in love with Susan Hewitt.”
“He shut his eyes and tried to recall the strong, dissolute voice of Mama Finelli, but before he could realize a word, it would be lost in the noise from the street.“
I read from a collection of his works.
💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢 spoiler alert💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢
The Molloys, Alice and Evarts and their little girl are invited to NYC because of a producer likes the first act of a play Mr. Molloy had written about a local Indiana woman, Mrs. Molloy had seen the producer at a seminar and showed him the play. The couple are poor and seem to be fairly happy with each other. Mrs. Molloy is no beauty but her husband loves her. They have an idea how NYC is spectacular, even the poverty ridden areas are better in NYC. Mrs. Molloy is sure that the sparkling sidewalks are made of crushed diamonds. They stay at a cheap hotel, eat at the automaton and being pray to all that can make money out of this poor couple. Mr. Molloy does not like the way the producer is towards the couple, especially after his wife's singing was greeted with laughter at the end. He signed a contract and regrets this, following a bellhop's advice he sees a manager who will settle all, though he looks to being doing poorly himself. Mr. Molloy falls in love with a beautiful actress but returns back to his wife. Unable to remember his hometown, he has writer's block and goes for a walk, finding the woman who he based the play on, she was approached by the first producer to sue Mr. Molloy and make lots of money from a poor couple with only one act of a play. Not worrying about being sued or what was in the contract he signed, the couple are headed for Chicago but do they go home or travel to Hollywood to give the play a try there, Cheever has the reader decide. I think they try their luck in Hollywood. Mrs. Molloy still thinks the sidewalk is made of crushed diamonds. I think Mr. Molloy changed more so than his wife, who is nonsense kind of person. The couple is upfront and trusting compared to the possible deceitful in some of these characters.
“Alice Malloy had dark, stringy hair, and even her husband, who loved her more than he knew, was sometimes reminded by her lean face of a tenement doorway on a rainy day, for her countenance was long, vacant, and weakly lighted, a passage for the gentle transports and miseries of the poor. Evarts Malloy was very thin. He had worked as a bus driver and he stooped a little.”
“Evarts asked the doorman how to get back to the Mentone, but he misunderstood the directions and got lost again. He walked around the East Side until he found a policeman, who directed him back to the hotel.”
“Mr. Murchison asked several people to perform, but they all refused. “Perhaps Mrs. Malloy will sing for us,” he said bitterly. “All right,” Alice said. She walked to the center of the room. She took a position and, folding her hands and holding them breast high, began to sing. Alice’s mother had taught her to sing whenever her host asked, and Alice had never violated any of her mother’s teachings.”
“Alice was sitting on the floor. He helped her to her feet. “Come, darling,” he said. “Come.” With his arm around her, he led her into the hall. “Didn’t they like my song?” she asked. She began to cry. “It doesn’t matter, my darling,” Evarts said, “it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter.” They got their wraps and walked back through the cold to the Mentone.”
“He had several rings, a gold identification bracelet, and a gold bracelet watch, and he carried a heavy gold cigarette case, set with jewels. The case was empty, and Evarts furnished him with cigarettes as they talked.”
“After breakfast, Alice and Mildred-Rose left Evarts alone in the room and he tried to work. He couldn’t work, but it wasn’t the telephone that troubled him that day. The difficulty that blocked his play was deep, and as he smoked and stared at the brick wall, he recognized it. He was in love with Susan Hewitt.”
“He shut his eyes and tried to recall the strong, dissolute voice of Mama Finelli, but before he could realize a word, it would be lost in the noise from the street.“
September 5, 2024
If one American dream fails... try another I guess.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews