Why the 1978 Cheever Stories Volume Is the Trophy

Every major author has one title that defines the collection — the single volume that, if you could own only one signed first edition, would represent the fullest expression of that writer’s achievement. For John Cheever, that title is unambiguously The Stories of John Cheever.

The Case for the Stories

It is Cheever’s greatest achievement. While the Wapshot novels and Falconer are significant works, Cheever’s immortality rests on his short stories. The sixty-one stories collected in this volume span thirty years of sustained excellence in the most demanding literary form. “The Swimmer,” “The Enormous Radio,” “The Five-Forty-Eight,” “Goodbye, My Brother,” “The Country Husband” — these are not merely good stories. They are essential texts of twentieth-century American literature, studied, anthologized, and discussed at every level of literary education.

It carries the major awards. The Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award make this the most decorated volume in Cheever’s bibliography. For collectors who weight their acquisitions toward prize-winning books, this is the obvious choice.

It was a genuine cultural event. A short story collection becoming a bestseller is almost unprecedented in American publishing. The twenty weeks on the New York Times bestseller list testify to a moment when Cheever’s literary reputation and popular success perfectly aligned — a moment that would not last (Cheever died four years later) and that this volume permanently captures.

It has optimal collecting characteristics. Unlike The Wapshot Chronicle, which was published in 1957 and presents significant condition challenges, The Stories was published in 1978 — recent enough that fine copies are available, old enough to carry historical weight. The large first printing means that signed copies, while not common, are findable with patience. And the price point, while meaningful ($1,000–$3,000 for signed firsts), is accessible to serious collectors.

The Competition

The Wapshot Chronicle (1957) is the alternative candidate, supported by its National Book Award and its status as Cheever’s debut novel. Its earlier date and greater scarcity give it a different collecting character — more of a trophy hunter’s grail than a cornerstone acquisition. For collectors who prioritize rarity and chronological primacy, The Wapshot Chronicle may be the preferred choice.

Falconer (1977) has the biographical drama — the comeback novel written in sobriety — but is a single novel rather than the culmination of a career.

Neither alternative, however, represents Cheever as completely as The Stories. This is the volume that future literary historians will cite when summarizing Cheever’s contribution to American letters, and it is the volume that collectors should prioritize accordingly.

Practical Advice

For collectors building a Cheever collection, The Stories of John Cheever should be the first acquisition — the foundation around which other titles are assembled. Seek a signed first printing in fine/fine condition. Be prepared to pay a premium for inscribed copies, particularly those inscribed to identifiable literary figures. And be patient: the book appears regularly at auction and from dealers, so there is no need to overpay for the first copy you encounter.