From the Poetry Center Archive: John Cheever reads "The Swimmer" | December 19, 1977

[@matureyoungman]

It was generous of Cheever to read this. What a treat!

[@georgeanderson7499]

This short story was what inspired me to write short stories.

[@mondoenterprises6710]

Good to hear his voice anyway reading his great story, but the smoking has caught up to him re. giving a reading.

[@noochinator2]

Feels like it doesn't get much better than this

[@Pimp-Master]

Sir you are a friggin genius! Finally after so many years, I saw "The Swimmer," and was flattened by it. It's the perfect cup of typical, cheerful despair that Americans display. The other short story for this would be Hemingways, "A Clean, Well Lighted Place."

[@robot336]

I ONLY CAME HERE BECAUSE OF SEINFELD - : )

[@gregbrown1654]

Cheerful despair. Nice.

[@billthestinker]

excellent

[@andrewjones8222]

Masterpiece

[@michaeldoyle6702]

Love the American east coast aristocratic accent, memories of Hepburn, Plimpton, and Mr. Thurston Howell. Does anyone living still speak this way?

[@jimmypage2138]

+Michael Doyle Thurston Howell, now that is funny. i love it when people who do not speak that way become rich and famous writers......

[@batswbennett]

Yes.

[@briannumme9337]

Michael Doyle and Arlene Francis!

[@zharapatterson]

Most likely in the waspy areas of New England.

[@Theanchoritegarlic]

Brings new meaning to the legendary film's line, spoken by the story's arthur: "Right, right." or, shall we consider it: "Wright, wright."

[@joep8787]

When you read aloud, you must remember to breathe sufficiently so that your voice doesn't drop towards the end of the sentence. Your voice should be like a clear window which allows you to see the view outside without calling attention to itself.

[@rickartdefoix1298]

Basically a good Story Teller well known because of the terrific The Swimmer, a very good movie. Think Cheever deserves to remain in Literature and he shall. But in The Swimmer case, I found the Frank Perry movie much better than the story. As happened with The Servant. Something that's not the usual. Some of his Short Stories are really good ones and could place him close to Scott Fitzgerald, for instance. Though Cheever is not a great romantic writer. All on the contrary. What Cheever does is kind of a scan of the American average and upper classes during the sixty and seventy decades. His social classes analysis show in a raw manner a certain American snobism and classism even. In a society which is supposed not to have much of that. Cheever is acid in criticising a society whose main values turn around money. Or about to have and not to have, as Hemingway would have said. The disenchantment is quite obvious and becomes even bitter, in his Short Stories universe. If after all, behind everything is just greed and the will to become wealthy, a country wouldn't be a very valuable thing. He became an alcoholic. Someone who couldn't tolerate otherwise to have to live in such a society. But he wrote some brilliant stories, among which there's one of the nicest I've ever read. The title of that one is A Charming Couple, and there he writes about how things should or could also be. Not so much about how they usually are, in the States and everywhere. Look for this one among the many he has, and you'll quickly realise how good writer he is and could be. Inspite of having been a bit disregarded nowadays, can't tell why. He also has a good trilogy about an average family life in the States. So, a good American author. Good Literature for everybody. 🤗🆗👍🙏

[@antonov879]

This is my favorite short story. Swimming from good neighbors to another 💕. Read it! Enjoy it !

[@ColeBrecheen]

I agree that Anne Enright's reading of this story was better than Cheever's own, and loved hearing her discussion of it with Deborah Triesman, but still enjoyed hearing the story in Cheever's voice.

[@Theanchoritegarlic]

A much better audio version, also by the author, is featured in the excellent Grindhouse DVD/blue ray edition!!

[@violante1421]

0:26

[@flannerymonaghan-morrs4740]

He sounds like Terry Gilliam when he speaks....though Gilliam’s is more American sounding than that.

[@zharapatterson]

He's from New England, Sylvia Plath the poet had a similar accent.

[@Sleepy12ftPanda]

Soundtrack: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5-Xg6KDjtuIbbs

[@josberberqis915]

Tose y bebe cada 5 segundos, por que lo obligaron a leer?. Pero su cuento es brillante

[@batswbennett]

Cheever is a terrible reader.

[@GenXersJustWalkItOff]

I rather like his dry delivery.

[@redtag501]

A most tiresome reading, the author's pauses, throat clearing and swallowing a nagging irritation.

[@turpioSE]

Seinfeld

[@itwontcomeout5678]

I loved him deeply IN A WAY YOU COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND

[@tomriver1881]

ASMR????..............

[@levimatthew8911]

Normally i prefer to hear a work read by the author. Not in this particular case. I'm gonna go get a drink of water, ahem.