A review by anneliehyatt
Falconer by John Cheever

4.0

I’m not sure that this novel is best understood when compared to other great prison novels, as many reviewers are inclined to do. Cheever’s prose is masterful and stirring in this compact novel, which has an interesting structure as it mainly strings together anecdotes about the other prisoners’ pasts as well as his own struggle to recover from opium withdrawal. This novel is unjustly criticized for not adhering to a gripping plot, or not addressing the issues of the penal system that many other prison works speak toward. This further convinced me that Falcolner is often grievously misread. I will admit that it is a bit confusing at times, and there are moments that are a slog to get through in what is already a short novel. However, I really enjoyed it. Cheever is immensely talented, and his vocabulary so advanced that it’s hard to believe that he never graduated college. Thank you to one of my supervisors for making me aware of his existence and his work.