this is the last P from a critical annotation on the Stories of John Cheever -
In all, Cheever’s deft irony—and in particular his style with its plain-but-optimistic delivery—brings to mind a comparison that on its face may not seem complimentary: the pop music of the first half of the 80s. Driven by guitar licks that were choppily upbeat and vibrant melodies that brimmed with pep-rally emotion, the chart-toppers of this era had themes that were at best uncertain and most often hopelessly morose. Whether it was Rick Springfield pining for Jesse’s Girl (“And I’m lookin’ in the mirror all the time, wondering what she don’t see in me! [Hurray!]”) or Styx and their Too Much Time on My Hands (“I’m so tired of losing – I got nothing to do and all day to do it [which is radical!]”), the ironic pairing of style and content was ubiquitous. And, whether they’ve thought constructively about it or not, people love this. It’s why, for the foreseeable future, when you walk into a casino anywhere in America you’ll have a one-in-three chance of hearing a Journey song playing on the overhead speakers. And it’s a fundamental part of what works so well with Cheever. His stories are often sad, and never do they overflow with hope, but his style and cheerful delivery carry us on. The next story will end more happily; No sweat, we'll win it back at the craps table.
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