The Wapshot Chronicle by John Cheever. Summary of the book.

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The Wapshot Chronicle by John Cheever

The Wapshot Chronicle is a novel by American author John Cheever, first published in 1957. It won the 1958 National Book Award for Fiction and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. The novel, set in the fictitious town of St. Botolphs, Massachusetts, tells the story of the two sons of an old New England family, Moses and Coverly Wapshot, and their struggles in the rapidly changing post-war America.

Plot Summary

The Wapshot Chronicle follows the lives of the two sons of the Wapshot family, Moses and Coverly. In the novel, Moses is a sailor and Coverly is a college student. The brothers live in the fictional town of St. Botolphs, a small coastal community in Massachusetts, which is undergoing rapid change due to the increasing mechanization of industry and the emergence of new forms of technology. At the same time, the town is struggling to come to terms with its past, as it is the home of several generations of the Wapshot family.

The novel follows the lives of Moses and Coverly as they try to navigate their way through a rapidly changing America. The novel is narrated by a third-person omniscient point of view, and it follows the brothers as they struggle to understand their place in the world and reconcile their past with their present. As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that the brothers’ struggles are reflective of the struggles of the town and the nation as a whole.

The novel is full of humor and irony, as Cheever uses his characters to explore the themes of family, identity, and the changing nature of society. The novel is a commentary on the changes that were happening in America during the 1950s and how these changes shaped the lives of everyday people.

Curiosities and Interesting Facts

The novel was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and it won the 1958 National Book Award for Fiction. It was also adapted into a successful Broadway play in 1961.

The novel is considered to be part of the “Dirty Realism” movement, a literary movement of the 1950s and 1960s which focused on the lives of everyday people and their struggles in a rapidly changing world.

The novel was praised by critics for its realistic portrayal of small-town life and its exploration of the themes of family, identity, and the changing nature of society. It is also considered to be a key work of the Dirty Realism movement.

The novel is often compared to William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, as both novels explore similar themes and are set in small-town America.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is The Wapshot Chronicle?
    The Wapshot Chronicle is a novel by American author John Cheever, first published in 1957. It won the 1958 National Book Award for Fiction and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. The novel, set in the fictitious town of St. Botolphs, Massachusetts, tells the story of the two sons of an old New England family, Moses and Coverly Wapshot, and their struggles in the rapidly changing post-war America.
  • What is the theme of The Wapshot Chronicle?
    The novel explores themes of family, identity, and the changing nature of society. It is a commentary on the changes that were happening in America during the 1950s and how these changes shaped the lives of everyday people.
  • Is The Wapshot Chronicle a Pulitzer Prize Winner?
    The Wapshot Chronicle was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, though it did not win. It did, however, win the 1958 National Book Award for Fiction.
  • What literary movement is The Wapshot Chronicle a part of?
    The Wapshot Chronicle is considered to be part of the “Dirty Realism” movement, a literary movement of the 1950s and 1960s which focused on the lives of everyday people and their struggles in a rapidly changing world.
  • What is the setting of The Wapshot Chronicle?
    The novel is set in the fictitious town of St. Botolphs, a small coastal community in Massachusetts. The novel follows the lives of Moses and Coverly Wapshot, two brothers who live in the town, as they try to navigate their way through a rapidly changing America.

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