National Book Award Winner
The Wapshot Chronicle
by John Cheever
Summary
In the decaying Massachusetts seaport of St. Botolphs, the eccentric Wapshot family - sea-captain father Leander, formidable matriarch Honora, and the sons sent out into a wider postwar America - try to reconcile inherited New England gentility with modern restlessness. Cheever blends lyrical nostalgia, comic set pieces, and gentle melancholy into a loosely episodic structure. The book confirmed his gift for the longer form after years of acclaim as a short story writer.
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Historical Context & Significance
Cheever's first novel; though he was already famous for his short stories in The New Yorker, this win proved he could handle the longer novel form.