Introduction & Overview of The Country Husband by John Cheever

The Country Husband Introduction

"The Country Husband," first published in 1954, appeared in John Cheever's 1958 collection of short stories, The Housebreaker of Shady Hill. This collection offered various points of view reflecting life in the New England suburb of Shady Hill. "The Country Husband" is considered one of the best stories in the book, and besides winning a 1956 O. Henry Award, it was included in the 1979 Pulitzer Prize-winning collection, The Stories of John Cheever.

"The Country Husband" has many of Cheever's trademarks. It is set in the suburbs, features a character at a crossroads, and reveals the spiritual bankruptcy of many aspects of suburban life. It is a complex yet accessible story that portrays a lifestyle that was common fifty years ago yet continues to be meaningful for readers today.