John Cheever: A Biography

¡­a biography of great immediacy¡­there are many sections of great poignancy, many funny things, many of electric intimacy and candor¡­there is spellbinding power, never more so than in describing Cheever¡¯s death, pages that are both terrible and deeply moving; one is losing an old, beloved friend. ¡ª James Salter, Los Angeles Times Book Review¡°John Cheever: A Biography¡± is clearly an indispensable book¡­Donaldson moves gracefully from the personal to the literary¡­solidly researched and entirely readable, admiring of the writer and knowing about the man. Stuffed with fascinating anecdotes¡­It¡¯s a gut-wrenching story. Donaldson tells it straight, without embellishment, and our attention never strays. ¡ª Dan Cryer, Newsday¡°A coup of investigative reporting¡­¡± ¡ª Publishers Weekly¡°¡­both erudite and earthly¡­What emerges is a rich tapestry that gives the reader extraordinary insight into the workings of a master storyteller¡¯s mind. ¡ª Jean Graham, New York Daily News¡°John Cheever: A Biography¡± by Scott Donaldson is as readable and ¡°unputdownable¡± as any thriller¡­ ¡ª T. Coraghessan BoyleA revelation¡­What a triumph. ¡ª Frederick ExleyDonaldson has set a high standard that other biographers will find difficult to equal. ¡ª John Blades, Chicago Tribune