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A review by foggy_rosamund
Fools of Fortune by William Trevor
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.