?-a biography of great immediacy???-there are many sections of great poignancy， many funny things， many of electric intimacy and candor???-there is spellbinding power， never more so than in describing Cheever s death， pages that are both terrible and deeply moving; one is losing an old， beloved friend. -- James Salter， Los Angeles Times Book Review John Cheever: A Biography is clearly an indispensable book Donaldson moves gracefully from the personal to the literary ?-solidly researched and entirely readable， admiring of the writer and knowing about the man. Stuffed with fascinating anecdotes. ?-It s a gut-wrenching story. Donaldson tells it straight， without embellishment， and our attention never strays. -- Dan Cryer， Newsday A coup of investigative reporting Publishers Weekly ?-both erudite and earthly What emerges is a rich tapestry that gives the reader extraordinary insight into the workings of a master stor Jean Graham， New York Daily News John Cheever: A Biography by Scott Donaldson is as readable and "unputdownable" as any thriller& T. Coraghessan Boyle A revelation&What a triumph. Frederick Exley Donaldson has set a high standard that other biographers will find difficult to equal. -- John Blades， Chicago Tribune