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The Stories of William Trevor
The Selected Stories of William.
800 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
23 people are currently reading
1436 people want to read
About the author
William Trevor
181 books770 followersWilliam Trevor, KBE grew up in various provincial towns and attended a number of schools, graduating from Trinity College, in Dublin, with a degree in history. He first exercised his artistry as a sculptor, working as a teacher in Northern Ireland and then emigrated to England in search of work when the school went bankrupt. He could have returned to Ireland once he became a successful writer, he said, "but by then I had become a wanderer, and one way and another, I just stayed in England ... I hated leaving Ireland. I was very bitter at the time. But, had it not happened, I think I might never have written at all."
In 1958 Trevor published his first novel, A Standard of Behaviour, to little critical success. Two years later, he abandoned sculpting completely, feeling his work had become too abstract, and found a job writing copy for a London advertising agency. 'This was absurd,' he said. 'They would give me four lines or so to write and four or five days to write it in. It was so boring. But they had given me this typewriter to work on, so I just started writing stories. I sometimes think all the people who were missing in my sculpture gushed out into the stories.' He published several short stories, then his second and third novels, which both won the Hawthornden Prize (established in 1919 by Alice Warrender and named after William Drummond of Hawthornden, the Hawthornden Prize is one of the UK's oldest literary awards). A number of other prizes followed, and Trevor began working full-time as a writer in 1965.
Since then, Trevor has published nearly 40 novels, short story collections, plays, and collections of nonfiction. He has won three Whitbread Awards, a PEN/Macmillan Silver Pen Award, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. In 1977 Trevor was appointed an honorary (he holds Irish, not British, citizenship) Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to literature and in 2002 he was elevated to honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE). Since he began writing, William Trevor regularly spends half the year in Italy or Switzerland, often visiting Ireland in the other half. He lived in Devon, in South West England, on an old mill surrounded by 40 acres of land.
In 1958 Trevor published his first novel, A Standard of Behaviour, to little critical success. Two years later, he abandoned sculpting completely, feeling his work had become too abstract, and found a job writing copy for a London advertising agency. 'This was absurd,' he said. 'They would give me four lines or so to write and four or five days to write it in. It was so boring. But they had given me this typewriter to work on, so I just started writing stories. I sometimes think all the people who were missing in my sculpture gushed out into the stories.' He published several short stories, then his second and third novels, which both won the Hawthornden Prize (established in 1919 by Alice Warrender and named after William Drummond of Hawthornden, the Hawthornden Prize is one of the UK's oldest literary awards). A number of other prizes followed, and Trevor began working full-time as a writer in 1965.
Since then, Trevor has published nearly 40 novels, short story collections, plays, and collections of nonfiction. He has won three Whitbread Awards, a PEN/Macmillan Silver Pen Award, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. In 1977 Trevor was appointed an honorary (he holds Irish, not British, citizenship) Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to literature and in 2002 he was elevated to honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE). Since he began writing, William Trevor regularly spends half the year in Italy or Switzerland, often visiting Ireland in the other half. He lived in Devon, in South West England, on an old mill surrounded by 40 acres of land.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 30, 2011
I read this a year ago, so I won't be as incisive as I am in most reviews but, then again, I'm usually not that incisive, so fuck it.
This book doesn't have a single standout story, but overall an atmosphere of lonely cloudy grassy Ireland pervades and makes you feel something akin to sadness and empathy for these characters. Similar themes bleed from one story to the next and when the book's over you know you'll take that gloomy Atlantic feeling with you for a while...
This book doesn't have a single standout story, but overall an atmosphere of lonely cloudy grassy Ireland pervades and makes you feel something akin to sadness and empathy for these characters. Similar themes bleed from one story to the next and when the book's over you know you'll take that gloomy Atlantic feeling with you for a while...
September 29, 2017
Got a big fat tattered paperback copy of William Trevor's stories that I've been carrying around with me for months. Love this guy's versatility, his voices, his styles, his storytelling. About half way through and so far loving every story. There's some incredible stuff in here. One of the "real" writers.
March 25, 2023
Discovered this entirely by accident rummaging through shelves at a thrift store. What a find! I am now converted to the cause of William Trevor, hallelujah!
These are marvellous short stories up there with the best of Chekhov, Maugham and Maupassant. They deal with the small, often defeated and despairing, lives of English people. Many of them are rather gloomy and could almost be the raw material for a song by The Smiths. Some are slightly macabre and reminded me a little of Poe or Clive Barker.
They were all well written and thoroughly absorbing.
Highly recommended.
These are marvellous short stories up there with the best of Chekhov, Maugham and Maupassant. They deal with the small, often defeated and despairing, lives of English people. Many of them are rather gloomy and could almost be the raw material for a song by The Smiths. Some are slightly macabre and reminded me a little of Poe or Clive Barker.
They were all well written and thoroughly absorbing.
Highly recommended.
April 15, 2020
Mix the plain people and silent melancholy of Raymond Carver, the exclusively middle class hovering discontentment of John Cheever, and the strong whiffs of creeping, at-times-frightening eeriness of Flannery O'Connor and you get Trevor. Trevor has a great eye for interior description and awesome depth of feeling, usually of longing. After a while the utter sadness that punctuates and ends every story itself becomes something a of running joke -- another protagonist ends up unhappy and without what s/he wants what a shock! -- but you don't get tired of it because of the originality and thoughtful texture. These stories have a sticky quality like some of the best of O'Connor. The stories all date back decades but they are more or less timeless because of their focus on character over circumstance. Fwiw I'd rate Trevor above Cheever because he is far more consistent. Taken together, this is an outstanding short story collection, no single standout or handful of standouts, but no abject lemons either.
December 26, 2020
Certainly one of the masters of 20th century short fiction in English. His stories often have you sympathizing with or recoiling from different characters at different moments--the messiness of life and choices, morality and desire, emerges. One of those full-figured paperback collections you revisit from time to time. For some reason I link his fiction to that of V.S. Pritchett
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January 1, 2017 Eye-Patch
“My life has been as many other lives. Empty of some things, full of others. I am in possession of all my sight, though. My eyes are real. Neither is pretense. I see no call for an eye-patch.”
--William Trevor, A Meeting in Middle Age
The quote written above was taken from William Trevor’s short story entitled A Meeting in Middle Age. Where a middle age man and women whose lives are like many other[s],” but “are empty of some things” meet in a boxcar and have different “eyes”. The woman, Mrs. Da Tanka, like many lives is twice divorced and from high society. The man, Mr. Mileson, like many lives is not rich and never been married. Mileson life is empty; because he’s not interested in marriage, women, and sex. Da Tanka life is full because her life is/was filled with marriage, men, and sex.
Sex and self-deception are themes of the short story. More specifically, the lack of sex and negative effect self-deception has upon others. It’s obvious Mrs. Da Tanka wants to have sex with Mr. Mileson when she becomes upset with Mr. Mileson after he confesses his lack of interest in women and marriage. Da Tanka defensively jumps to the conclusion he’s a “homosexual” and he’s interested in the waiter—who ironically, Mrs. Da Tanka doesn’t like.
Disliking the waiter is the catalyst in unraveling Mrs. Da Tanka self-deception. Her dialog with the waiter is rude and pretentious. Da Tanka, after meeting the waiter for a brief moment, states to Mileson she doesn’t like the waiter. Mileson ask if she “knows the waiter?” Da Tanka answers, “I don’t have to know someone intimately to dislike them.” Mileson furthers by saying it seems “premature.” Da Tanka goes as far as requesting a new waiter, or the “reception girl” to pour the wine. The waiter is the only one on duty and it’s not the reception girl responsibility to pour the wine. Da Tanka, after the waiter leaves, acts as though the waiter is rude. Mileson tries to bring Da Tanka to reality by states it was your fault.
Placing the fault/blame upon others is Da Tanka’s method of deflecting reality. When Mileson becomes so frustrated that he wants to straggle her in bed, Da Tanka plays it off as Mileson attempt to embrace her by laughing, and “shrugging him away.” The metaphor of the “eye-patch” is evident here. She sees situations with one eye closed. In other words, her perspective is flawed; and, her flawed perspective is a coping method.
Da Tanka coping method is to distort reality. By having one-eye she can perceive reality any way she wants. She says she is in “possession” of her sight, but her only possession is her “eye-patch.”
“My life has been as many other lives. Empty of some things, full of others. I am in possession of all my sight, though. My eyes are real. Neither is pretense. I see no call for an eye-patch.”
--William Trevor, A Meeting in Middle Age
The quote written above was taken from William Trevor’s short story entitled A Meeting in Middle Age. Where a middle age man and women whose lives are like many other[s],” but “are empty of some things” meet in a boxcar and have different “eyes”. The woman, Mrs. Da Tanka, like many lives is twice divorced and from high society. The man, Mr. Mileson, like many lives is not rich and never been married. Mileson life is empty; because he’s not interested in marriage, women, and sex. Da Tanka life is full because her life is/was filled with marriage, men, and sex.
Sex and self-deception are themes of the short story. More specifically, the lack of sex and negative effect self-deception has upon others. It’s obvious Mrs. Da Tanka wants to have sex with Mr. Mileson when she becomes upset with Mr. Mileson after he confesses his lack of interest in women and marriage. Da Tanka defensively jumps to the conclusion he’s a “homosexual” and he’s interested in the waiter—who ironically, Mrs. Da Tanka doesn’t like.
Disliking the waiter is the catalyst in unraveling Mrs. Da Tanka self-deception. Her dialog with the waiter is rude and pretentious. Da Tanka, after meeting the waiter for a brief moment, states to Mileson she doesn’t like the waiter. Mileson ask if she “knows the waiter?” Da Tanka answers, “I don’t have to know someone intimately to dislike them.” Mileson furthers by saying it seems “premature.” Da Tanka goes as far as requesting a new waiter, or the “reception girl” to pour the wine. The waiter is the only one on duty and it’s not the reception girl responsibility to pour the wine. Da Tanka, after the waiter leaves, acts as though the waiter is rude. Mileson tries to bring Da Tanka to reality by states it was your fault.
Placing the fault/blame upon others is Da Tanka’s method of deflecting reality. When Mileson becomes so frustrated that he wants to straggle her in bed, Da Tanka plays it off as Mileson attempt to embrace her by laughing, and “shrugging him away.” The metaphor of the “eye-patch” is evident here. She sees situations with one eye closed. In other words, her perspective is flawed; and, her flawed perspective is a coping method.
Da Tanka coping method is to distort reality. By having one-eye she can perceive reality any way she wants. She says she is in “possession” of her sight, but her only possession is her “eye-patch.”
November 19, 2017
Amazing writer; you go with him, into settings, into minds, into the hearts of his subjects. Often sad or tragic, but clear-eyed, transforming the darkness with the comforting candlelight of human compassion and understanding. Just read him, for a trip, not just to Ireland, but in it.
August 2, 2018
Didn't read every one of the stories in book (they comprise over 800 pages) but Trevor was an amazing short story writer. Many of the stories are simple, short and layered with characterization that you simply don't find in writing anymore. Nothing much happens, yet so much does.
November 24, 2016
While I love Gallant and Munro, I still think that Mr Trevor is perhaps the finest and most unrecognized short story author.
September 16, 2018
This is the one book where five stars is just not enough. In fact, I'm gonna go and flip through it again right now.
January 15, 2023
Citaat : Er hing vorst in de lucht die avond in februari op het steenslagpad over de heuvel, en aan de hemel fonkelden sterren in een heerlijkheid die in Brigids ogen de voortzetting vormde van de muziek die ze had gehoord, van de schoonheid en van een gevoel in haar binnenste. De melodieën die ze probeerde terug te horen, bleken ongrijpbaar, maar het was goed zo, goed dat je ze niet zomaar kon pakken.
Review : Trevor (1928) is een van de bekendste auteurs uit de moderne Ierse literatuur. Hij debuteerde in 1958 en kreeg bekendheid met romans als 'Fools of fortune,' 'Felicia’s journey' en 'The story of Lucy Gault.' Maar ook om zijn verhalenbundels is hij veelgeprezen.
Nadat de drie genoemde romans de laatste jaren in vertaling werden (her)uitgebracht, verscheen in 2006 een vertaling van zijn meest recente verhalenbundel. Deze bevat twaalf verhalen waarin Trevor zich opnieuw sterk toont in de weergave van klein geluk en gedempt weergegeven leed. Hij schrijft zonder opsmuk, met enige ironie en vooral veel mededogen met zijn personages die teleurstellingen beleven in de liefde, schuldgevoelens koesteren of spijt hebben over verkeerde keuzes in het leven. Een aantal verhalen is duidelijk gesitueerd in katholieke milieus in Ierland en lijken zich af te spelen in de jaren vijftig of zestig van de 20e eeuw, hoewel dat nergens nadrukkelijk wordt vermeld. Buitengewoon sfeervolle verhalen van een groot auteur over soms grote drama’s in het leven van ‘kleine’ mensen en het noodlot dat het leven bepaalt.
Trevor heeft oog voor details en hij houdt van mensen, maar zijn verhalen worden vooral getekend door weemoed en melancholie. Melancholie is ook wat naar boven komt drijven in het verhaal 'De muziek van de dansleraar,' waarin het optreden van een rondreizende Italiaanse dansleraar grote indruk maakt op een eenvoudig boerenmeisje, dat als hulpje in de huishouding van een welgestelde familie werkt Meer dan de stijl echter valt de thematiek op waarmee de kleine figuren in deze verhalenbundel worstelen.
Er is veel eenzaamheid in deze verhalen, zelfs daar waar mensen ogenschijnlijk niet eenzaam hoeven te zijn. Het kondigt zich al aan in het openingsverhaal, waarin een vrouw bezoek krijgt van twee kwezeltjes die net te laat zijn. Ze kwamen ongevraagd om de vrouw bij te staan bij het sterfbed van haar man. Maar zijn stoffelijk overschot ligt al te wachten op de komst van de begrafenisondernemer. Gezeten tegenover de wildvreemde vrouwen, gaat de knop om bij de vrouw. Een jarenlang opgekropte frustratie explodeert. Dit huwelijk was een samenzijn van twee lieden die volledig naast elkaar heen leefden. Hij was een tiran, zij een stemloze Assepoester. Het ene verwijt na het andere spuugt ze uit en het wordt zo bar dat zelfs de nieuwsgierige kwezels van plaatsvervangende schaamte niet meer weten waar ze kijken moeten.
Het titelverhaal, 'Heilige beelden,' is al net zo hartverscheurend. Een bijzonder vaardige houtbewerker, wiens schuur volstaat met prachtige zelf gemaakte heiligenbeelden leeft in grote armoede. Er is nauwelijks voldoende eten op de plank. De man heeft geen vaste baan en op zijn vaardige beeldhouwhanden zit niemand te wachten. Als de vrouw opnieuw zwanger blijkt – weer een mond extra te voeden - rijpt er bij haar een gevaarlijk plan. Een bevriend, kinderloos echtpaar dat het voor de wind gaat, maakt daar onderdeel van uit. Prachtig hoe Trevor de heldere gedachtegang van de vrouw weergeeft. Anderen zouden haar voor gek verklaren om een kind ‘te verkopen,’ maar de vrouw lijkt gedreven door een onvoorstelbaar rationalisme. De zaak is voor haar niet meer dan een eenvoudige transactie: het andere koppel hoeft enkel wat spaargeld van een bankrekening af te halen. Als de onvruchtbare vrouw het aanbod afwijst, zijn het de onverkoopbare heiligenbeelden die de zwangere vrouw tot troost zijn. Geraakt door de vrede van de onverstoorde rust die de beelden uitstralen, voelt ze de berusting naderen. De raadselachtige kronkels van het hart staan in deze verhalen centraal.
Trevor is niet de schrijver van de bruuske wending of de verrassende twist aan het eind. De verworven inzichten zijn subtiel, bijna ongrijpbaar.
Review : Trevor (1928) is een van de bekendste auteurs uit de moderne Ierse literatuur. Hij debuteerde in 1958 en kreeg bekendheid met romans als 'Fools of fortune,' 'Felicia’s journey' en 'The story of Lucy Gault.' Maar ook om zijn verhalenbundels is hij veelgeprezen.
Nadat de drie genoemde romans de laatste jaren in vertaling werden (her)uitgebracht, verscheen in 2006 een vertaling van zijn meest recente verhalenbundel. Deze bevat twaalf verhalen waarin Trevor zich opnieuw sterk toont in de weergave van klein geluk en gedempt weergegeven leed. Hij schrijft zonder opsmuk, met enige ironie en vooral veel mededogen met zijn personages die teleurstellingen beleven in de liefde, schuldgevoelens koesteren of spijt hebben over verkeerde keuzes in het leven. Een aantal verhalen is duidelijk gesitueerd in katholieke milieus in Ierland en lijken zich af te spelen in de jaren vijftig of zestig van de 20e eeuw, hoewel dat nergens nadrukkelijk wordt vermeld. Buitengewoon sfeervolle verhalen van een groot auteur over soms grote drama’s in het leven van ‘kleine’ mensen en het noodlot dat het leven bepaalt.
Trevor heeft oog voor details en hij houdt van mensen, maar zijn verhalen worden vooral getekend door weemoed en melancholie. Melancholie is ook wat naar boven komt drijven in het verhaal 'De muziek van de dansleraar,' waarin het optreden van een rondreizende Italiaanse dansleraar grote indruk maakt op een eenvoudig boerenmeisje, dat als hulpje in de huishouding van een welgestelde familie werkt Meer dan de stijl echter valt de thematiek op waarmee de kleine figuren in deze verhalenbundel worstelen.
Er is veel eenzaamheid in deze verhalen, zelfs daar waar mensen ogenschijnlijk niet eenzaam hoeven te zijn. Het kondigt zich al aan in het openingsverhaal, waarin een vrouw bezoek krijgt van twee kwezeltjes die net te laat zijn. Ze kwamen ongevraagd om de vrouw bij te staan bij het sterfbed van haar man. Maar zijn stoffelijk overschot ligt al te wachten op de komst van de begrafenisondernemer. Gezeten tegenover de wildvreemde vrouwen, gaat de knop om bij de vrouw. Een jarenlang opgekropte frustratie explodeert. Dit huwelijk was een samenzijn van twee lieden die volledig naast elkaar heen leefden. Hij was een tiran, zij een stemloze Assepoester. Het ene verwijt na het andere spuugt ze uit en het wordt zo bar dat zelfs de nieuwsgierige kwezels van plaatsvervangende schaamte niet meer weten waar ze kijken moeten.
Het titelverhaal, 'Heilige beelden,' is al net zo hartverscheurend. Een bijzonder vaardige houtbewerker, wiens schuur volstaat met prachtige zelf gemaakte heiligenbeelden leeft in grote armoede. Er is nauwelijks voldoende eten op de plank. De man heeft geen vaste baan en op zijn vaardige beeldhouwhanden zit niemand te wachten. Als de vrouw opnieuw zwanger blijkt – weer een mond extra te voeden - rijpt er bij haar een gevaarlijk plan. Een bevriend, kinderloos echtpaar dat het voor de wind gaat, maakt daar onderdeel van uit. Prachtig hoe Trevor de heldere gedachtegang van de vrouw weergeeft. Anderen zouden haar voor gek verklaren om een kind ‘te verkopen,’ maar de vrouw lijkt gedreven door een onvoorstelbaar rationalisme. De zaak is voor haar niet meer dan een eenvoudige transactie: het andere koppel hoeft enkel wat spaargeld van een bankrekening af te halen. Als de onvruchtbare vrouw het aanbod afwijst, zijn het de onverkoopbare heiligenbeelden die de zwangere vrouw tot troost zijn. Geraakt door de vrede van de onverstoorde rust die de beelden uitstralen, voelt ze de berusting naderen. De raadselachtige kronkels van het hart staan in deze verhalen centraal.
Trevor is niet de schrijver van de bruuske wending of de verrassende twist aan het eind. De verworven inzichten zijn subtiel, bijna ongrijpbaar.
October 14, 2023
The Table by William Trevor - Review
The epigraph to this story “The Table” by William Trevor might be: business first. The main character is a furniture dealer. He finds an antique table for sale in a newspaper he makes money for himself.
The story is written in the genre of irony of people who know how to make money out of nothing.
Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/willi...
The epigraph to this story “The Table” by William Trevor might be: business first. The main character is a furniture dealer. He finds an antique table for sale in a newspaper he makes money for himself.
The story is written in the genre of irony of people who know how to make money out of nothing.
Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/willi...
March 21, 2018
I can't recommend this highly enough. I read an interview in which an author said that this was her favourite book so decided to give it a go. I'm not a fan of short stories but these are so beautifully written, so lyrical, so memorable that I would definitely recommend dipping in to them. There will be at the very least one that strikes a chord and stays in your head. See what you think!
July 7, 2019
Love these stories
Want to read
July 1, 2025Think I've read. Don't remember for sure.
January 25, 2021
The stoicism of existence then and there, in that time and place, can only be expressed thus by a Trevor story, amid hopes and despairs, and the slippery optimum of them all.
The massive serial story-detailed review under my name elsewhere, a review of all his stories, is far too long to be posted here, but above is one of its conclusions.
The massive serial story-detailed review under my name elsewhere, a review of all his stories, is far too long to be posted here, but above is one of its conclusions.
August 28, 2014
Of some 49 short stories, only a couple stood out as memorable. Some others were OK, but in general, this collection of stories already seems dated, even though set in the last 2 decades in Ireland and Britain
May 13, 2009
Holds pride of place as the best of the genre. Period.
Read
January 3, 2011A HUGE book - in pages, that is. You can dip in anywhere and find a good story. Disturbing, usually - Trevor's people are all a little out of kilter, and rarely merry, but always interesting.
December 9, 2012
Good, just kind of the same feeling -- mordant - which gets old after about 20 short stories.
July 19, 2011
My new absolute favorite writer
Read
July 31, 2011Wonderful Irish author, whose lengthy book of short stories gives a panorama or rural Ireland that is lyrical and complicated. I am not a fan of the genre, but this book is spectacular.
May 27, 2016
The maestro. Each story is a wonder.
February 13, 2015
Wonderful stories.
July 13, 2016
One of my favorite short story writers. Mr. Trevor turns the trivial and commonplace into art. He goes directly to heart and soul.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews