- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: Viking; 1st American Ed edition (26 Sep 1991)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0670839337
- ISBN-13: 978-0670839339
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 16 x 4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 910,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Two Lives: Reading Turgenev & My House in Umbria
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
The two lives of the title are brilliantly illuminated in a pair of short novels, Reading Turgenev and My House in Umbria, that exemplify the biting, tragicomic work of this Anglo-Irish master. The first novel is a sorrowful love story, the second a sort of thriller. Each of Trevor's two heroines is trapped in her life, one in Ireland and the other in Italy, and each has some experience of the transformational power of literature, a subject the author knows at first hand. Nobody can break your heart with such laconic precision. To be read with handkerchief in hand.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
This book comprises two novels, "Reading Turgenev" and "My House in Umbria", which evoke the landscapes of Ireland and Italy, respectively. The stories are linked by a common theme - the importance of fiction in two women's lives. "Reading Turgenev" was shortlisted for the 1991 Booker Prize.
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First Sentence
Mary Louise Dallon retained in her features the look of a child. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Mary Louise Dallon retained in her features the look of a child. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
These two novellas by masterful writer William Trevor are both perfect gems. There is a subtlety to Trevor's work that sloppy readers often miss, as is witnessed by the other reviewers on this page. Don't listen to them. Every work by Trevor is better than most books printed today. He's a genius.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm a huge William Trevor fan and wasn't disappointed with these two novellas. My House in Umbria tells the story of the aftermath of a bomb on a train, which is the vehicle that Trevor uses to give us a glimpse into the life of Mrs Delahunty. There are few quick flashbacks to explain how she became as she is. She is a lonely woman and her desperation for something more is so touching. The characterisation, as usual with Trevor novels and stories, is quite brilliant.
My House in Umbria may be better known because of the film but my favourite of the two novellas is Reading Turgenev. Mary Louise is trapped in a marriage, made worse by the missed opportunity and loss of her real love. Her steps to escape from her situation are both humorous and sad. This is the novella I go back to time and again.
My House in Umbria may be better known because of the film but my favourite of the two novellas is Reading Turgenev. Mary Louise is trapped in a marriage, made worse by the missed opportunity and loss of her real love. Her steps to escape from her situation are both humorous and sad. This is the novella I go back to time and again.
Format:Paperback
I am a big admirer of the work of William Trevor...I borrowed this book because of this and the fact I like the writing of Ivan Turgenev. I read the first story Reading Turgenev and I was disappointed it had none of the excellent prose I am used to in Trevor's writing nor the warmth and humanity typical of his writing. The story is dull, the characters are dull, the characters are bored of their own lives- so why should we be interested. The story did not hold my attention at all, a first in my reading of Trevor. I should note I did not read the second story but the first was the bulk of the book.
If you want to read Trevor read anything by him except this
If you want to read Trevor read anything by him except this
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Lacks credibility
This is the first time I have read William Trevor, so I cannot give him the benefit of the doubt with regards to his skill as a short story writer as has the previous critic. Read more
Published on 8 Nov 2009 by Mme C. Monks
Short Story Master ill at ease with full length novel?
This is the third novel I've read By W T, and though I find his short stories breath-takingly good, I have to say that so far I don't think he can hack it over the longer... Read more
Published on 22 April 2001 by malavery@talk21.com
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