The Wapshot chronicle

In the novel that established his reputation as an unparalleled observer of the dialectic between passion and decorum, John Cheever followed the destinies of the impecunious and wildly eccentric Wapshots of St. Botolphs, Massachusetts. Here are the stories of Captain Leander Wapshot, venerable sea-dog and would-be suicide; of his licentious older son, Moses; and of Moses's adoring and errant younger brother, Coverly. Tragic and funny, ribald and splendidly picaresque, The Wapshot Chronicle is a family narrative om the traditions of Trollope, Dickens, and Henry James. --