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Product Description
Product Description
William Trevor is one of the renowned figures in contemporary literature, described as ‘the greatest living writer of short stories in the English language’ by the New Yorker and acclaimed for his haunting and profound insights into the human heart. Here is the ultimate collection of his short fiction, with dozens of tales spanning his career and ranging from the moving to the macabre, the humorous to the haunting. From the penetrating ‘Memories of Youghal’ to the bittersweet ‘Bodily Secrets’ and the elegiac ‘Two More Gallants’, here are masterpieces of insight, depth, drama and humanity, acutely rendered by a modern master.
About the Author
William Trevor was born in 1928 at Mitchelstown, County Cork, spent his childhood in provincial Ireland, and now lives in Devon.
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First Sentence
'I am Mrs da Tanka,' said Mrs da Tanka. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
'I am Mrs da Tanka,' said Mrs da Tanka. Read the first page
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Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I'm not going to review Trevor's ability as a short story writer - plenty have done that already. All I can add is that, for me, he's up there with Alice Munro, Lorrie Moore, Nabokov and John Cheever, part of that small group of short story writers who happily and ably carry Chekhov's mantle. I bought this collection to fill a few gaps and because it promised to be a high quality product. However, it's beautifully designed, but horribly printed. Nasty, cheap paper and printing completely undermine the ambition of creating such - on the surface - a lovely looking object. Each time I have started reading from the book, immersing myself in a new story, I found it hard not to be galled and distracted by Penguin's meanness. There are plenty of paperbacks whose production standard and tactile pleasures are far, far greater.
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a truly wonderful book: dozens of short stories of consistently high quality by one of the really great figures in literature. Trevor uses words with great precision and economy to depict a whole world and portray a complex and ambivalent character within paragraphs. His two special tricks are the use of incredibly flat, deadpan prose to tell us about something really horrible or astonishingy bizarre; and the use of incredibly funny, almost surreal dialogue.
The earlier stories are sometimes blackly humorous and macabre. The latter ones have an autumnal and elegaic feel. It is hard to know which type to prefer, or to pick a favourite. A personal top six would be "Memories of Youghal", "An Evening with John Joe Dempsey", "Mrs Silly", "Bodily Secrets", "Two More Gallants" and "Coffee with Oliver". But another half dozen would do just as well. One feels there is a trick, to have produced so much with such excellence. But there is no trick: just constant excellence.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a truly wonderful book: dozens of short stories of consistently high quality by one of the really great figures in literature. Trevor uses words with great precision and economy to depict a whole world and portray a complex and ambivalent character within paragraphs. His two special tricks are the use of incredibly flat, deadpan prose to tell us about something really horrible or astonishingy bizarre; and the use of incredibly funny, almost surreal dialogue.
The earlier stories are sometimes blackly humorous and macabre. The latter ones have an autumnal and elegaic feel. It is hard to know which type to prefer, or to pick a favourite. A personal top six would be "Memories of Youghal", "An Evening with John Joe Dempsey", "Mrs Silly", "Bodily Secrets", "Two More Gallants" and "Coffee with Oliver". But another half dozen would do just as well. One feels there is a trick, to have produced so much with such excellence. But there is no trick: just constant excellence.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Over 1000 pages of quality short stories
This is a big collection and it took me some time to read but it was time well spent. Every story is fascinating and well crafted. The everyday made extraordinary. Read more
Published 5 days ago by SACB
Master of the trade
This book contains only perfect short stories. No other writer, not even Roald Dahl or John Cheever are remotely as good as William Trevor. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Reinout
Great stories, poor publishing
This is a terrific set of the collected William Trevor short stories. Other reviewers have commented on the excellence of Trevor's work and I agree : the stories deserve a 5 star... Read more
Published on 5 April 2010 by A reader
Every story a miniature masterpiece
Even with the generous Amazon discount on this two volume set it an expensive buy, but worth every penny. Read more
Published on 24 Jan 2010 by Mr. S. F. Carr
COLLECTED STORIES by William Trevor
This is a cause for celebration. Trevor is a master of the short story, and having all of his work published extant makes this boxed set a desert island necessity. Read more
Published on 5 Dec 2009 by Matthew Lage
I look at all the lonely people
Wow! This guy is a master of the short story.
If this book were a song it would be Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles.
Tales of people with sad, passive lives. Read more
If this book were a song it would be Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles.
Tales of people with sad, passive lives. Read more
Published on 3 Sep 2009 by dangermash
Master of the Short Story
I first discovered William Trevor when I read his novel The Story of Lucy Gault. I found his descriptive ability excellent and felt that I was quickly drawn into the story because... Read more
Published on 11 Feb 2009 by D. Hendrickson
My desert island book
This is my favourite book ever, a collection from the pen of a complete master. Trevor is unmatched, in Europe at least, for his skill at drafting short stories of insight, depth,... Read more
Published on 30 April 1999
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