The Mookse and the Gripes discussion

This topic has been created for those of you who are reading any of the Mookse Madness books by William Trevor.
These are the four books that have been selected.

The Love Department
The Children of Dynmouth
Fools of Fortune
Felicia's Journey

I finished reading The Love Department yesterday (My review).

This was much more of a farce than anything else I have read by Trevor (I will accept that Mrs Eckdorf in O'Neill's Hotel and The Children of Dynmouth had farcical elements, but they were less dominant). Trevor loves his eccentric misfits, and this book contains some very memorable characters.

Fools of Fortune is not at all farcical, although one of the aunts is quite eccentric. The family at the centre of the book fit in with those around them better than one might expect.

I have two more books to read from the list, so am not going to pick a favourite.

Here is my review of Love Dept. and I also used the term “farce”. A fun read but glad to hear there is less of this element in later works!
Read my 3-star review of The Love Department by William Trevor
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I love his short stories and the only novel I’ve read is Felicia’s Journey so I’m very excited about reading theses novels.

Just finished Felicia's Journey. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me, and HERE'S why.

Perhaps this isn't one of Trevor's best, but its praise and popularity had me convinced otherwise.

Any suggestions which of the three should I read first?

Very good review, Jibran. It’s been years since I read this and can’t say I remember anything about Felicia and only remember the creepy predator. I might reread it, but I haven’t read any of these so time will tell.

You might try one of his more quirky and amusing books Jibran. I haven't read the farcical The Love Department Hugh reviewed, but The Children of Dynmouth has an eccentric central character and some humorous moments without becoming a farce.

Thanks for the suggestion, Val. The Children of Dynmouth seems interesting from the blurb. Will read it before others :)

Outside the scope of Mookse Madness, but The Story of Lucy Gault is very good too.

Hugh wrote: "Outside the scope of Mookse Madness, but The Story of Lucy Gault is very good too."
It is probably my favourite of his novels, along with Reading Turgenev, but neither of those are on the list.

I have now read The Love Department and generally agree with Peg and Hugh. It was fun to read and there are plenty of quirky characters, but there is little depth to it.

I am about three quarters of the way through Fools of Fortune, which may yet be my favourite book so far of the ones I have read for this. It is a very sad story, and very similar in atmosphere to The Story of Lucy Gault, in fact so similar that the later Lucy Gault may seem a lesser book having read it - both rely on a single outrageous plot contrivance and both explore the consequences with the same air of melancholy resignation.

Finished Fools of Fortune, and it is probably the best Trevor novel I have read: My Review

Hugh wrote: "Finished Fools of Fortune, and it is probably the best Trevor novel I have read: My Review"

If that's his best, then you have fortified my decision to avoid the other 3.

Ctb wrote: "If that's his best, then you have fortified my decision to avoid the other 3."

I suppose it depends on whether you prefer the melancholy/elegiac or the quirky/comic. I have only read 5 novels and 2 novellas...

You are making quick work of The List, Hugh.
I will save your review until I read this.

I just finished Felicia's Journey. It is the first book I've read by William Trevor. I really enjoyed it. Here is my review -- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Linda, I am reading Felicia's Journey (my last book of this list) at the moment, and will probably finish it over the weekend, so I'll read your review then.

I have finished Felicia's Journey, and it left me feeling rather uneasy about what Trevor was doing, for reasons that can't really be explained without spoiling. Hilditch is another brilliant caricature, but I share some of Jibran's reservations about it. Will try and encapsulate this in a review later, but I suspect I'll have to put most of it in spoiler tags.

I have now posted that review, but please do not read the spoiler section if you care about spoilers and want to read the book!

Like Hugh I was impressed with (most of Fools of Fortune) and found it a quietly impressive book - I found it interesting to see how Trevor's short story proficiency was bought to bear.

My review

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Also like him I felt the review worked better with spoilers - but these are marked as such so don't need to be opened.

I had picked The Love Department as my second book - mainly as it was available from the library - but have a feeling it will be a disappointment.