Fools of Fortune (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

William Trevor (Author), Francine Prose (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Penguin Classics | Publication Date: April 25, 2006

“To my mind Trevor’s best novel and a very fine one.” —Graham Greene

Penguin Classics is proud to welcome William Trevor—“Ireland’s answer to Chekhov” (The Boston Globe) and “one of the best writers of our era” (The Washington Post)—to our distinguished list of literary masters. In this award-winning novel, an informer’s body is found on the estate of a wealthy Irish family shortly after the First World War, and an appalling cycle of revenge is set in motion. Led by a zealous sergeant, the Black and Tans set fire to the family home, and only young Willie and his mother escape alive. Fatherless, Willie grows into manhood while his alcoholic mother’s bitter resentment festers. And though he finds love, Willie is unable to leave the terrible injuries of the past behind.

Editorial Reviews

Review

William Trevor at his best. (The New York Times) Arresting, powerful, and indelible. A story of courage and love... as tender and wistful as an Irish lament. (The Washington Post)

About the Author

William Trevor was born in Mitchelstown, County Cork, in 1928, and spent his childhood in provincial Ireland. He is the author of more than thirty books and is a member of the Irish Academy of Letters and a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Francine Prose is the author of thirteen books of fiction, including the novel Blue Angel, a finalist for the National Book Award.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (April 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143039628
• ISBN-13: 978-0143039624
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William Trevor was born in Mitchelstown, County Cork. He has written many novels, and has won many prizes including the Hawthornden Prize, the Yorkshire Post Book of the Year Award, and the Whitbread Book of the Year Award. His most recent novel Love and Summer was longlisted for the Booker Prize. He is also a renowned short-story writer, and his two-volume Collected Stories was published by Viking Penguin in 2009. In 1999 William Trevor received the prestigious David Cohen Literature Prize in recognition of a lifetime's literary achievement, and in 2002 he was knighted for his services to literature. He now lives in Devon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trevor - the world's greatest modern tragedian, December 28, 2005

By 

Jumpsturdy (Belgium) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fools of Fortune (Paperback)

Allright, I admit that as a Yank writer who has taught writing myself, I did at first find William Trevor's constant use of the passive voice somewhat disturbing! That was upon reading "Felicia's Journey," my first, unforgettable exposure to this genius. Since then, I have come to believe that one grand reason to remain alive is to read the rest of his novels: they are that brilliant and awe-inspiring. I do not believe that his 'Big House' novels, this one and "The Story of Lucy Gault," can be excelled for the strength of their immortal tragedy. His use of irony in human endeavor and fate creates masterpieces that illuminate man's virtue and folly as inseparable. Since the loss of Hubert Selby, Jr. last year, Trevor may very well stand alone now as the foremost tragedian in the Western world. Do read these two novels for the sense of finality, futility and hopelessness that Trevor is so masterful at extracting from the both the the barest and the most complicated lives, while spinning stories that carry more momentum than a beach-trash thriller.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A moving tale of love, hatred and political turmoil., July 20, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Fools of Fortune (Paperback)

This an intensely moving story of young love set in 1918 Ireland. We see how three generations of the same family are shattered by the Anglo-Irish fighting. Trevor weaves a tale of political intrique, love and self exile. Anyone interested in Ireland's political past and future will find this worth reading. ( The movie version of this book stays very true to Trevor's tale.

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a sorrowful and poignant story, yet maintains to thrill me, February 27, 2002

By 

Rhythmgirl (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fools of Fortune (Paperback)

A few years have passed since I last read Trevor's novels and hardly could I remember how great he is and his fictions are. I have just finished reading this novel and have come to conclude that all of Trevor's novels should not be missed. Setting against the historical Anglo-Irish complex relationships, the novel tells a sorrowful and poignant love story that spans three generations. Trevor's use of language is subtle, delicate, and controlled and is a first-rate writing. The fact that I'm unfamiliar with the Anglo-Irish history might have undermined my appreciation and comprehension (in a certain way) of this novel, nonetheless, this is a great book and should be recommended to those who love reading.