Falconer is a 1977 novel by American writer John Cheever. It tells the story of Ezekiel Farragut, a university professor and drug addict who is serving time in Falconer State Prison for the murder of his brother. Farragut struggles to retain his humanity in the prison environment until he begins an affair with a fellow prisoner. See also: 1976 in literature, other events of 1977, 1978 in literature, list of years in literature. ... John Cheever (May 27, 1912–June 18, 1982) was an American novelist and short story writer, sometimes called the Chekhov of the suburbs. ...