Oh What a Paradise It Seems

Oh What A Paradise It Seems
AuthorJohn Cheever
LanguageEnglish
PublisherAlfred A. Knopf
Publication date
1982
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint
Pages100
ISBN0394513347
Preceded byThe Stories of John Cheever 

Oh What a Paradise It Seems is a 1982 novella by John Cheever. It is Cheever's last work of fiction, published shortly before his death from cancer.[1]

The main character is Lemuel Sears, an elderly computer-industry executive, twice-widowed, who pursues an ardent but unsuccessful love affair with Renee, a beautiful but elusive woman who works in real-estate.[2] There are numerous subplots. Sears becomes involved in another love affair, and is also funding an investigation of the pollution of Beasley's Pond in Connecticut, where he enjoys ice skating.[2] The novella reprises many of Cheever's familiar themes, including love, lust, life in suburbia, and a sense of displacement.[3]

  1. ^ New, W.H.; Rosengarten, H.J., eds. (1986). Modern Stories. Addison-Wesley Longman. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-7730-4564-4.
  2. ^ a b "Oh What a Paradise It Seems". Kirkus Reviews (1 March 1982). Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  3. ^ Leonard, John. "Cheever Country". New York Times. Retrieved 27 February 2015.