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The News from Ireland and Other Stories
With stories set in Ireland, England, and Italy, this rich collection perfectly exemplifies Trevor's three great subtlety, honesty, and humanity. A fond depiction of the sad, anticlimactic moments in ordinary lives by a master of the short story.
284 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
3 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
William Trevor
177 books761 followersWilliam Trevor, KBE grew up in various provincial towns and attended a number of schools, graduating from Trinity College, in Dublin, with a degree in history. He first exercised his artistry as a sculptor, working as a teacher in Northern Ireland and then emigrated to England in search of work when the school went bankrupt. He could have returned to Ireland once he became a successful writer, he said, "but by then I had become a wanderer, and one way and another, I just stayed in England ... I hated leaving Ireland. I was very bitter at the time. But, had it not happened, I think I might never have written at all."
In 1958 Trevor published his first novel, A Standard of Behaviour, to little critical success. Two years later, he abandoned sculpting completely, feeling his work had become too abstract, and found a job writing copy for a London advertising agency. 'This was absurd,' he said. 'They would give me four lines or so to write and four or five days to write it in. It was so boring. But they had given me this typewriter to work on, so I just started writing stories. I sometimes think all the people who were missing in my sculpture gushed out into the stories.' He published several short stories, then his second and third novels, which both won the Hawthornden Prize (established in 1919 by Alice Warrender and named after William Drummond of Hawthornden, the Hawthornden Prize is one of the UK's oldest literary awards). A number of other prizes followed, and Trevor began working full-time as a writer in 1965.
Since then, Trevor has published nearly 40 novels, short story collections, plays, and collections of nonfiction. He has won three Whitbread Awards, a PEN/Macmillan Silver Pen Award, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. In 1977 Trevor was appointed an honorary (he holds Irish, not British, citizenship) Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to literature and in 2002 he was elevated to honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE). Since he began writing, William Trevor regularly spends half the year in Italy or Switzerland, often visiting Ireland in the other half. He lived in Devon, in South West England, on an old mill surrounded by 40 acres of land.
In 1958 Trevor published his first novel, A Standard of Behaviour, to little critical success. Two years later, he abandoned sculpting completely, feeling his work had become too abstract, and found a job writing copy for a London advertising agency. 'This was absurd,' he said. 'They would give me four lines or so to write and four or five days to write it in. It was so boring. But they had given me this typewriter to work on, so I just started writing stories. I sometimes think all the people who were missing in my sculpture gushed out into the stories.' He published several short stories, then his second and third novels, which both won the Hawthornden Prize (established in 1919 by Alice Warrender and named after William Drummond of Hawthornden, the Hawthornden Prize is one of the UK's oldest literary awards). A number of other prizes followed, and Trevor began working full-time as a writer in 1965.
Since then, Trevor has published nearly 40 novels, short story collections, plays, and collections of nonfiction. He has won three Whitbread Awards, a PEN/Macmillan Silver Pen Award, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. In 1977 Trevor was appointed an honorary (he holds Irish, not British, citizenship) Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to literature and in 2002 he was elevated to honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE). Since he began writing, William Trevor regularly spends half the year in Italy or Switzerland, often visiting Ireland in the other half. He lived in Devon, in South West England, on an old mill surrounded by 40 acres of land.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
abbandonato
November 2, 2019Era in lettura qualche settimane fa, non ho mai più avuto voglia di riprenderlo in mano, non mi è rimasto alcun ricordo nemmeno uno pallido pallido, né sul dove (dal titolo immagino in Irlanda) né sul come, né su chi, i cassetti della memoria restano sigillati, abbandono questi racconti di Trevor riproverò con altre sue opere, forse.
November 16, 2019
I started to read William Trevor’s books in the late 1990s and consider him as one of my favorite authors. His fiction and short stories are equally good. I joined GoodReads about 2 months ago and wanted to start to build up my library/books read here, since I do enjoy reading.
I found the short stories in this volume to be stellar, and gave it my highest rating, an A+, which would be 5 stars for the GoodReads rating system!
I found the short stories in this volume to be stellar, and gave it my highest rating, an A+, which would be 5 stars for the GoodReads rating system!
April 1, 2021
A strong collection from a masterful, self-assured writer. My favourite was Virgins. I only just discovered this writer at around the time of his death, and have a lifetime of work to catch up on and enjoy.
Trevor is considered one of the masters of short fiction in English, and this collection demonstrates exactly why.
Trevor is considered one of the masters of short fiction in English, and this collection demonstrates exactly why.
September 25, 2017
Racconti che sono, senza dubbio, tra i più belli che io abbia mai letto.
Impossibile ignorarli: procurateveli, subito.
Impossibile ignorarli: procurateveli, subito.
December 31, 2025
I didn’t plan it, but my last book of the year ended up being by a dearly loved author of mine. My eleventh William Trevor, with twenty-nine more to go, I believe. Among the many things I love about Trevor’s writing is how he always slows down my brain when I am restless or anxious or all awry, compelling me to take in every minute detail. The immense restraint in his writing makes his stories even more potently emotional, because he allows his characters and their worlds to breathe, to really live, without any judgment. Every word so precise, every sentence so brimming with meaning.
His stories can be bleak and hopeless, but somehow the humanity in them makes one cling to hope. There is this contradiction in how his stories can make me feel, all cut up and emotionally annihilated, while at the same time healed. Grieving for yourself, but also at peace. Psychologically rich with the interiority of characters, while rooted in politics and societal structures, as he evokes the inner lives of the marginalized, the working class, the utterly lonely.
May I never run out of a Trevor to look forward to.
His stories can be bleak and hopeless, but somehow the humanity in them makes one cling to hope. There is this contradiction in how his stories can make me feel, all cut up and emotionally annihilated, while at the same time healed. Grieving for yourself, but also at peace. Psychologically rich with the interiority of characters, while rooted in politics and societal structures, as he evokes the inner lives of the marginalized, the working class, the utterly lonely.
May I never run out of a Trevor to look forward to.
January 7, 2013
The first Trevor I read. It hooked me forever!
July 20, 2019
Although William Trevor is called one of the greatest ever short story writer, I find the format is like a snack rather than a meal, instantly forgettable. I just cannot keep them in my memory for any length of time. Many of the twelve here are quite harrowing, another reason why I only read one a week.
Sometimes you want to hear a lot more than the twenty pages. "Her Mother's Daughter" being one such story. However, Trevor's prose is as superb as ever: "As a vacuum-cleaner sucks in whatever it touches, he had drawn her into a world that was not her own; she had existed on territory where it was natural to be blind - where it was natural, too, she must dutifully console a husband as he was not a success professionally". And instead of the usual "to make ends meet", he writes "And he knew that ends had to be made to meet".
After loving Trevor's novel "Felicia's Journey", I am sticking to more of those and have "The Children of Dynmouth" on order and "Fools of Fortune" on my reading list.
Sometimes you want to hear a lot more than the twenty pages. "Her Mother's Daughter" being one such story. However, Trevor's prose is as superb as ever: "As a vacuum-cleaner sucks in whatever it touches, he had drawn her into a world that was not her own; she had existed on territory where it was natural to be blind - where it was natural, too, she must dutifully console a husband as he was not a success professionally". And instead of the usual "to make ends meet", he writes "And he knew that ends had to be made to meet".
After loving Trevor's novel "Felicia's Journey", I am sticking to more of those and have "The Children of Dynmouth" on order and "Fools of Fortune" on my reading list.
October 20, 2017
Reading the obituaries for this fine writer, who died earlier this year (2017), it's understandable that he should be claimed by both Ireland and 'across the water'. Many of the short stories in this and other collections display an intimacy with Irish life and with the Protestant and Catholic communities and the nuances of this peculiar relationship. All of which I'm familiar with, coming from the small Protestant segmant. Sectarianism never raises its ugly head in Trevor's work because its hardly there in the south, unlike across the border.
His short stories have been likened to Joyce's Dubliners by none other than Graham Greene - a complement indeed.
Good as these stories are, for me nothing surpassed 'The Old Boys', one of his earliest works.
His short stories have been likened to Joyce's Dubliners by none other than Graham Greene - a complement indeed.
Good as these stories are, for me nothing surpassed 'The Old Boys', one of his earliest works.
May 30, 2019
William Trevor has an excellent reputation as a novelist and storyteller, so this reviewer had great expectations, particularly considering the title of this piece, the expectation was a celebration of the richness of the Irish, the brogue, the wit and the story telling. The news from Ireland had none of this. Twelve stories some and the best were the Irish story’s others were stories from elsewhere that disappointed.
Trevor kept his best work for the end. The final four or five stories attested to his reputed skills. Trevor, the Irish writer has a gift for setting the scene, describing the details and mannerisms of his Irish characters. Trevor develops the characters well and he creates an interplay between characters that heighten his stories. His stories end with the reader hoping for and or guessing at the final outcomes.
There are some common refrains that ran through these twelve stories. They describe the demons and soulful hurt experienced primarily by his female characters. His stories have a sad appeal that end with the breakup of friendships, regret, divorce, death and the endurance of pain. For this reason alone, this reviewer will not continue to read Trevor, just too disheartening. This reviewer reads fiction to escape and Trevor does not allow for escape, he depicts life with all its darkness and vagaries.
Trevor kept his best work for the end. The final four or five stories attested to his reputed skills. Trevor, the Irish writer has a gift for setting the scene, describing the details and mannerisms of his Irish characters. Trevor develops the characters well and he creates an interplay between characters that heighten his stories. His stories end with the reader hoping for and or guessing at the final outcomes.
There are some common refrains that ran through these twelve stories. They describe the demons and soulful hurt experienced primarily by his female characters. His stories have a sad appeal that end with the breakup of friendships, regret, divorce, death and the endurance of pain. For this reason alone, this reviewer will not continue to read Trevor, just too disheartening. This reviewer reads fiction to escape and Trevor does not allow for escape, he depicts life with all its darkness and vagaries.
June 28, 2021
Racconti in cui lo stato d'animo dei personaggi emerge forte come il paesaggio del mare e della brughiera, o come l'esplosione di violenza indipendentista dell'IRA, presente anche se sullo sfondo. Personaggi umili, nati e cresciuti nella dura realtà rurale dell'Irlanda del secondo dopoguerra, fanno da contraltare a chi invece nella vita ha avuto successo, e si sente nella condizione di abusare dei subalterni. Ne esce un ritratto spietato della società irlandese – in particolare del bigotto conformismo comune a borghesia e classi popolari – i cui grandi e piccoli drammi, pubblici e privati, si stemperano in una prosa lucida ed elegante, molto ben resa nella versione italiana.
June 28, 2017
William Trevor explores in these compelling short stories the many faces of the human condition. He brings everything to life with a marvellous insight and eloquence. A uniquely gifted (r.i.p.) writer.
October 27, 2019
At least 3 of the short stories of the 12 in this volume were fantastic. William Trevor was a master craftsman of the 20th century and his work deserves to remain widely read.
August 18, 2021
A wonderful collection with a natural variation of opinion on each story as is expected from an anthology but it was a solid introduction to the work of William Trevor.
November 12, 2014
Great collection of short stories. Trevor does a great job, particularly in the first few stories, of taking a small snatch of life and drawing a story around it. Only one or two have twists. For the most part his stories follow a point A to point B scenario with some decent description and good turn of phrase. These are based in Ireland, Italy and England and are great snap shots of life. Mostly mundane life. But life nonetheless. In most cases these lack redemption or success. Actually, to some degree this paints an ugly picture of people in general. I don't think any of these have a complete cast of redeemable individuals. Hell, even the nice stories don't seem to end well. Maybe we are as ugly and awful as we are portrayed. But the man can spin a tale. Similar scenario with Rabbit, Run...only the tales here are engaging. To some degree, these remind me of Rutherfurd, without the specific location linking the stories. I would definitely read Trevor again.
Some individual reviews (with spoilers follow) most of which I can say don't come across as positive as I'm looking at them. It might be that the sum of the parts is better than the individuals.
I picked this up in Book-Off for Christmas. Probably my most successful Book-Off pick up to date. I didn't expect short stories. I like Ireland and stories of Ireland and thought I was getting a novel. This was actually a pleasant surprise...
News from Ireland
Tale semi in diary form of a British governess in Ireland. The news, per se, is what's going on locally during about a year period told from different perspectives (primarily the Governess). The collective, in general, is the news. Not the best in this collection, but an interesting snippet of life and gossip.
On the Zattere
A sad, sad look into a sad, sad man. In this case, a guy is traveling to Venice, a destination he went regularly with his wife who recently passed away. Instead he travels with his daughter. He has strained conversations with other travelers and comes across to all, including his daughter, as a little crass given his circumstances.
Lunch in Winter
Hated this one. A woman has lunch with her ex who is essentially interested in rekindling. She's too distracted by daydreams about the waiter. Cautionary tale of not living in the now. She's a bad person in general. I get the impression she'd make a great "Real Housewife of the..." Thoroughly self-absorbed, ridiculous and beyond pity.
The Property of Colette Nervi
Liked this quick yarn of life in rural Ireland. Two people going nowhere, but finding a way to do it together with a little scandal on the side.
Running away
Marriage...who needs it? Life, in this one, is so much better after the removal of the harness. The only negative is her return...her falling back into patterns with the ex.
Cocktail's at Doney's
The main character reminded me of the main character in Andorra. This isn't a good thing. Good story though. Again, fairly unredeemable characters.
Bodily secrets
Didn't see the twist in this one coming. Body image leads us down strange paths, but didn't think she was going there. Good one...
Virgins
Why do I like stories of pre-teens. I'm not a pedophile...no, really. But in my thirties I still like high school movies and enjoy stories if middle/high schoolers. This one was enjoyable.
Her mother's daughter
The irony at the end of this was great. The title says it all in the last paragraph. So different, yet clearly they both lack something. More bad people...but compelling.
Music
Music really spoke to me. Here's a guy living his whole life told he has a special talent only to find its a complete farce. I've recently rediscovered some of my old writing from my early twenties when I thought I might be a writer. I was a hack. Still am. But people told me it was good. Bastards. Maybe I wasn't that good at baseball and my parents were feeding my ego. Who can you trust?
Two more gallants
This would have made a ton more sense if I'd read Joyce. Or maybe I did...i have read some Joyce and got nothing out of it. Regardless, bitterness over small things...not worth it.
The wedding in the garden
Ah the help. I always like the help...not necessarily when they get the shaft like here, but still like the help.
Some individual reviews (with spoilers follow) most of which I can say don't come across as positive as I'm looking at them. It might be that the sum of the parts is better than the individuals.
I picked this up in Book-Off for Christmas. Probably my most successful Book-Off pick up to date. I didn't expect short stories. I like Ireland and stories of Ireland and thought I was getting a novel. This was actually a pleasant surprise...
News from Ireland
Tale semi in diary form of a British governess in Ireland. The news, per se, is what's going on locally during about a year period told from different perspectives (primarily the Governess). The collective, in general, is the news. Not the best in this collection, but an interesting snippet of life and gossip.
On the Zattere
A sad, sad look into a sad, sad man. In this case, a guy is traveling to Venice, a destination he went regularly with his wife who recently passed away. Instead he travels with his daughter. He has strained conversations with other travelers and comes across to all, including his daughter, as a little crass given his circumstances.
Lunch in Winter
Hated this one. A woman has lunch with her ex who is essentially interested in rekindling. She's too distracted by daydreams about the waiter. Cautionary tale of not living in the now. She's a bad person in general. I get the impression she'd make a great "Real Housewife of the..." Thoroughly self-absorbed, ridiculous and beyond pity.
The Property of Colette Nervi
Liked this quick yarn of life in rural Ireland. Two people going nowhere, but finding a way to do it together with a little scandal on the side.
Running away
Marriage...who needs it? Life, in this one, is so much better after the removal of the harness. The only negative is her return...her falling back into patterns with the ex.
Cocktail's at Doney's
The main character reminded me of the main character in Andorra. This isn't a good thing. Good story though. Again, fairly unredeemable characters.
Bodily secrets
Didn't see the twist in this one coming. Body image leads us down strange paths, but didn't think she was going there. Good one...
Virgins
Why do I like stories of pre-teens. I'm not a pedophile...no, really. But in my thirties I still like high school movies and enjoy stories if middle/high schoolers. This one was enjoyable.
Her mother's daughter
The irony at the end of this was great. The title says it all in the last paragraph. So different, yet clearly they both lack something. More bad people...but compelling.
Music
Music really spoke to me. Here's a guy living his whole life told he has a special talent only to find its a complete farce. I've recently rediscovered some of my old writing from my early twenties when I thought I might be a writer. I was a hack. Still am. But people told me it was good. Bastards. Maybe I wasn't that good at baseball and my parents were feeding my ego. Who can you trust?
Two more gallants
This would have made a ton more sense if I'd read Joyce. Or maybe I did...i have read some Joyce and got nothing out of it. Regardless, bitterness over small things...not worth it.
The wedding in the garden
Ah the help. I always like the help...not necessarily when they get the shaft like here, but still like the help.
December 20, 2022
This book is like a warm cup of tea.
March 15, 2015
13 racconti ambientati in Irlanda, ovviamente. I protagonisti sono persone assai diverse tra loro: contadini, commercianti, professori, impiegati, piccolo borghesi ... gente di ogni tipo, insomma. Ciò che li accomuna è l'amarezza dei finali, nei quali, chi in un modo e chi in un altro, scopre, prende atto o rivela di quanta iprocrisia, falsità e compromessi siano in realtà fatti i rapporti tra gli uomini.
Non sono scritti male, tuttavia si tende a dimenticarli. Sono un po' "anonimi", diciamo.
Non sono scritti male, tuttavia si tende a dimenticarli. Sono un po' "anonimi", diciamo.
September 21, 2016
I fell in love with William Trevor's stories (My first read of Trevor ) and his style ( simple, elegant, realistic, rich in humanity and highly enjoyable and full of insights). I found all the stories in this collection to be excellent.
I am looking forward to reading more stories from William Trevor. I'm upgrading the rating of this book to five stars.
I am looking forward to reading more stories from William Trevor. I'm upgrading the rating of this book to five stars.
June 23, 2009
Trevor the traveller gives a peripatetic tour of Irish literature and place, with incidental commentary on the effect of the latter upon the former. Loved it.
Want to read
October 18, 20101 of 25 books bought today for $10 (the lot).
March 2, 2017
Escluso il racconto “Oltre ogni limite” che è invece una piccola perla.
July 27, 2015
Brilliant writing. The characters leap off the page and include you in their tragedies and triumphs.
March 30, 2015
There is nothing Trevor finds quite so fraught with sadness as a middle-aged woman.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews