Last Stories

Always a pleasure to read William Trevor. As the title of this collection suggests, these were the final stories of Trevor, published posthumously. Even with age, there appears to be no diminution of Trevor's writing style. There is an effortless grace, a subtle lyricism. He is able to inject passion into even the most mundane of lives and situations. For sure, human nature is infinitely unknowable, and this remains the major pre-occupation of Trevor (and indeed many others). There is maybe — and unsurprisingly — a greater focus on death and end of life in this collection than elsewhere. However, for those hoping that some major revelations may occur at this final point, they may be disappointed. Nonetheless, beautiful and elegiac prose. All the stories were good, but I particularly liked “At the Caffè Daria”, “The Unknown Girl” and “Making Conversation”. 8/10.

By William Trevor