The Swimmer by John Cheever | Resources

The Swimmer Further Reading

Cheever, John. The Journals of John Cheever, Alfred A. Knopf, 1991.

Contains journal excerpts covering a period from the late 1940s until 1982 in which Cheever comments on his homosexuality, his alcoholism, and his processes of composition.

Riley, Kathryn. "John Cheever and the Limitations of Fantasy," in CEA Critic, Vol. 45, nos 3-4, March-May, 1983, pp. 21-26.

Riley provides a brief thematic overview of "The Swimmer" and other stones by Cheever.

Slabey, Robert M. "John Cheever: The 'Swimming' of America," in Critical Essays on John Cheever, edited by R. G. Collins, G. K. Hall, 1982.

A close reading of the story, concentrating on mythological parallels and sources for Cheever's character names.