I read this in my favorite way....with absolutely zero idea what it was about. My mind had predetermined (subconsciously) from the cover and title that it was likely some spy thriller. Nope! Nothing like that at all! Here was a multi-generational story of a New England family of minimal means (for the most part) from a small, tidal river community - former bustling seaport - of St. Botolophs. 2 generations of Wapshots - parents and 2 sons each, all drawn to the sea or other adventures, but continually returning to their roots. Dominant women rule this book... a few of them control large money resources the rest only dream of, and the we follow father Leander and sons Moses & Coverly on their paths in search of success and happiness - all with mixed results. Cheever has an interesting somewhat clipped style, and we learn much about all our characters,their stories and their surroundings in a fairly easy manner.....but the jumping around was occasionally confusing, especially between the 2 generations of similar makeup. Full of unexpected little bumps in the road or worse, delivered very dead-pan, and often with a humorous bite. Charming, interesting, slightly rambling pleasant read. My first Cheever......more to follow. ( )

Enjoyable portraits of the Wapshot family. Touched on themes also discussed in his short stories, but wasn't as compact and focused. While the characters were interesting I felt it lacked a plot in which to structure any connection between them, so the events felt a bit disjointed.

Themes of boating and life along the water, homosexuality, relationship troubles, parenthood, the simplicity of the outdoors. ( )

Interesting but a bit dated. Definitely worth the read. ( )

Een boek waar ik me bijna doorheen moest worstelen. Ik stond twee keer op het punt om er mee op te houden maar uiteindelijk las ik het toch met plezier uit. Er zitten geweldige stukken in, heel verrassend, maar af en toe is het ook langdradig en saai. Kortom, niet makkelijk toegankelijk maar wel de moeite waard. ( )

It's gonna happen sometime, people, no matter how you may dread it. Yes, I am referring to my long-planned, heavily-unanticipated, as-yet-unwritten, irritatingly irrelevant monograph on John Cheever, wherein I single-handedly return him to his proper place in the first rank of American novelists. Due in equal parts to Seinfeld and postmodernism, Cheever has become little more than a punch line: a sad symbol of dated postwar suburban cocktail-party angst… well, think again, bitches! The Wapshot Chronicle is a heartbreakingly beautiful novel, full of moral clarity, the inevitability of sin, sex, booze, ambition, jazz, city life, country life, all poured out in chiselled, pristine prose. There will be more to come from me in this vein, I promise. Oh yes, I promise. ( )