The story, originally conceived as a novel and pared down from over 150 pages of notes, is Cheever's most famous and frequently anthologized.[14] As published, the story is highly praised for its blend of realism and surrealism; the thematic exploration of suburban America, especially the relationship between wealth and happiness; and his use of myth and symbolism.[14]
According to critic Scott Donaldson, the composition of "The Swimmer" was a protracted struggle which occupied Cheever for two months.[15] He described the "terribly difficult" ordeal in an interview with Alexandra Grant:[16]
I couldn't ever show my hand. Night was falling, the year was dying. It wasn't a question of technical problems, but one of imponderables. When he finds it dark and cold, it has to have happened. And by God, it did happen. I felt dark and cold for some time after I finished that story.[17]
Donaldson reports that "it was the last story he wrote for a long time."[18]
