RexLegendi reviewed Vision of the World by Julian Barnes
Review of 'Vision of the World' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
John Cheever (1912-1982) has been on my list for a long time. It wasn’t until the publication of A vision of the world in 2021 that I finally picked a collection of his short stories. This choice was partly due to the candid and witty introduction by Julian Barnes ([b:The Sense of an Ending|30238338|The Sense of an Ending|Julian Barnes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529269171l/30238338.SY75.jpg|15657664]).
Cheever envisions American suburban life ‘behind the curtains’. Most of his stories start with a perfect picture of marriage or family life, which he then quickly sets on fire: aging, alcohol, emotional loneliness and social pressure are among the threats that Cheever plagues his characters with. He is often subtle, focussing on underlying tensions, but his work can be disruptive or even absurd too. It is now clear to me how a writer like A.M. Homes was inspired by Cheever for her short stories in [b:The Safety …
John Cheever (1912-1982) has been on my list for a long time. It wasn’t until the publication of A vision of the world in 2021 that I finally picked a collection of his short stories. This choice was partly due to the candid and witty introduction by Julian Barnes ([b:The Sense of an Ending|30238338|The Sense of an Ending|Julian Barnes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529269171l/30238338.SY75.jpg|15657664]).
Cheever envisions American suburban life ‘behind the curtains’. Most of his stories start with a perfect picture of marriage or family life, which he then quickly sets on fire: aging, alcohol, emotional loneliness and social pressure are among the threats that Cheever plagues his characters with. He is often subtle, focussing on underlying tensions, but his work can be disruptive or even absurd too. It is now clear to me how a writer like A.M. Homes was inspired by Cheever for her short stories in [b:The Safety of Objects|15808458|The Safety of Objects Stories|A.M. Homes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1355096663l/15808458.SY75.jpg|331997].
‘We don’t have any rum,’ Mother said. It was the first note of asperity.
On the downside, the stories often lack a punchline. They are also too short to really get into.
