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benjamin_oc's review against another edition
4.0
William Trevor’s Fools of Fortune begins as a pastoral about Willie, the scion of Protestant Irish estate owners who harbor nationalist sympathies. And then Trevor upends readers’ expectations—over and over again. This savage novel’s low page count belies its complexity.
fionab_16's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
foggy_rosamund's review against another edition
4.0
Beginning in 1918, this novel loosely follows the course of Willie Quinton's life. From an Anglo-Irish family with Nationalist sympathies, he lives in an idyllic house in the Cork countryside. The plot is deftly handled: William Trevor is a very subtle writer who gets across traumatic incidents without sensationalising them. Willie's perspective, first as a little boy, then as a troubled adult, is captured with delicacy and nuance. The cast of characters is broad, and Trevor approaches each of them with thoughtfulness and sympathy. It's a gripping book that works on many levels: as a study of Irish life during the Troubles, as an exploration of childhood and trauma, as a tightly plotted novel as well as a character study. It's an impressive and compelling piece of writing.
nursenell's review against another edition
5.0
I have never had tears while reading a book but the ending of this story had me with tears in my eyes. The book covers a period of 60 years in an Irish Protestant family. Willie Quinton is an 8 y.o. child when the book opens, an old man at the end. The Quinton parents sympathize with the Irish Catholics and the fight for home rule. This leads to a horrible night of revenge taken against them by the Black and Tans. Willie and his mother survive the brutal attack. When his mother drinks herself to death several years later Willie seeks revenge against the soldier who led the attack on his family.
But before that happens Willie falls in love with his English cousin Marianne who visits one summer from Ireland. When Marianne and her mother return for his mother's funeral a child is conceived. Marianne doesn't learn of her pregnancy until Willie has gone into exile after murdering the Black and Tan soldier.
Marianne returns to Ireland, determined to stay and wait for Willie, no matter how long she must wait. She lives with his aunts and a defrocked priest in the part of the family estate that survived the burning by the Black and Tans. Their daughter Imelda is haunted by the stories of the attack on Willie's family and begins having flashbacks to the terrible night. In time she becomes irrevocably insane.
Willie does return, he is an old man and Marianne is an old woman, and their daughter is middle aged and insane.
But before that happens Willie falls in love with his English cousin Marianne who visits one summer from Ireland. When Marianne and her mother return for his mother's funeral a child is conceived. Marianne doesn't learn of her pregnancy until Willie has gone into exile after murdering the Black and Tan soldier.
Marianne returns to Ireland, determined to stay and wait for Willie, no matter how long she must wait. She lives with his aunts and a defrocked priest in the part of the family estate that survived the burning by the Black and Tans. Their daughter Imelda is haunted by the stories of the attack on Willie's family and begins having flashbacks to the terrible night. In time she becomes irrevocably insane.
Willie does return, he is an old man and Marianne is an old woman, and their daughter is middle aged and insane.
annataeko's review against another edition
3.0
Impossible not to fall in love with the characters in this heartfelt story. Trevor's subtle political touches make the novel create a big ideological impact on the reader.
Very recommended if you are interested in understanding the implications The Great Famine had for both Catholic Irish and the Anglo-Irish Ascendants. Trevor studied History, and it shows in the novel.
Very recommended if you are interested in understanding the implications The Great Famine had for both Catholic Irish and the Anglo-Irish Ascendants. Trevor studied History, and it shows in the novel.
gnoe's review against another edition
Het noodlot, je zou soms willen dat het anders was. Gelukkig is het dat meestal ook, maar niet bij William Trevor. Traaaaagisch! En de ramp voltrekt zich zo terloops!
Het lijkt alsof Trevor het in 1983 nog niet aandurfde om het hunkerende wachten op de onbekende terugkeer van de geliefde niet te beantwoorden. Maar 20 jaar later pakt hij dat in The story of Lucy Gault opnieuw op... Gek genoeg vind ik Ongelukszoekers eigenlijk onbevredigender. Maar het is hoe dan ook een mooi boek!
Het lijkt alsof Trevor het in 1983 nog niet aandurfde om het hunkerende wachten op de onbekende terugkeer van de geliefde niet te beantwoorden. Maar 20 jaar later pakt hij dat in The story of Lucy Gault opnieuw op... Gek genoeg vind ik Ongelukszoekers eigenlijk onbevredigender. Maar het is hoe dan ook een mooi boek!
rwcarter's review against another edition
2.0
I don't know why, I just couldn't get into this book. Even though this book takes place in the 20th century, I got strong Elizabethan vibes -- vibes I do not enjoy reading -- from the beginning of the novel. Additionally, I think this book wasn't very interesting plot-wise. Rich family loses lives in the midst of political conflict and the ramifications of the loss propagate through subsequent generations. The mother's mental illness is genetically (?) passed down to her granddaughter. Not very captivating.
However, one thing I absolutely loved about Fools of Fortune was how Trevor unveils the plot. While the plot itself wasn't stellar, Trevor drops little pieces of the puzzle at various points in the story, leaving them for the reader to assemble. The introduction of the Penguin Classics edition even points this out: "when something escalates or deteriorates, we discover it much as we imagine the characters do, just as we might if we were confronted with a similar situation...we are trusted to draw our own parallels and make our own connections." This Faulknerian style of plot development was quite well done and somewhat redeemed an otherwise uninteresting novel.
However, one thing I absolutely loved about Fools of Fortune was how Trevor unveils the plot. While the plot itself wasn't stellar, Trevor drops little pieces of the puzzle at various points in the story, leaving them for the reader to assemble. The introduction of the Penguin Classics edition even points this out: "when something escalates or deteriorates, we discover it much as we imagine the characters do, just as we might if we were confronted with a similar situation...we are trusted to draw our own parallels and make our own connections." This Faulknerian style of plot development was quite well done and somewhat redeemed an otherwise uninteresting novel.
natali_gramajo's review against another edition
3.0
This book needed a lot of context. I knew nothing about Irish history going in, so I was very lost. I think it was a mistake on my part to not research, but also a mistake on the author's part to just assume we would know and never even give you clues on what you should research.
On terms of the actual book, it was slow paced. Although that made the action more engaging, it also made some parts very tedious.
Over all, not for me, but I can see why others like it.
On terms of the actual book, it was slow paced. Although that made the action more engaging, it also made some parts very tedious.
Over all, not for me, but I can see why others like it.
kristenlopez8's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not usually a fan of books I read in school, mostly because I feel pressured to read them on time and all. This was a fantastic book and an insightful look at the state of Ireland at the time. The story seems similar to Faulkner's Sound and Fury, especially in its look at a wealthy family's fall from grace, but it's more complex than that (and a lot easier to read). The book is cut up into sections, each highlighting a character's inability to move on from a past filled with tragedy. No one truly understands any of the character's plights, only trying to show as much sympathy as they can. There's Willie and the murder of his family, and Marianne and her unplanned pregnancy. All the stories are told with such sadness yet the character's never regret their actions. This was an amazing books and a must-read, especially if you want to learn more about Ireland.
paigedevallwatts's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0