All these stories are of the highest standard. Trevor knows how to tease out the emotion and the hidden root causes of his character's disappointments, dependence and resignation to fates that life brings. Whether it is a blighted childhood, the cruelty of one's village or deception by those with power, most of these stories cut to the personal impacts that the writer is so adept at examining.
There are so many stories (80 plus) that it's hard to imagine ever tiring from re-reading them.

Yes, 1300 pages of fine short stories that get into the hearts and minds of rather normal if marginalized and discontented Irish and British middle-class characters grappling with the uncertainties and crosscurrents of society and life in the second half of the 20th century.

Several of the first few stories involved alcohol, and usually too much of it, but Trevor thereafter generally avoided that element. This, along with my puzzlement at his description of some faces as "sharp", are mere quibbles. The level of writing is consistently high, and a dry humor trumps gloom and any dark undercurrents. Some stories assume the viewpoints of women. I cannot fairly judge whether Trevor is wholly accurate, but he is equally sympathetic.

I recommend taking these two or three at a time, not because of too much likeness but rather that even steady excellence is subject to the law of diminishing marginal returns. I read this free on archiv.org and was able to recheck it several times (each for two weeks) in succession as there was no waiting list. ( )

Outstanding collection of 85 (!) short stories (one of which, "Matilda's England," is a 59 page novella). A second volume of collected stories was published as "Selected Stories." Trevor is truly a master of the genre. There are very few weak ones in the collection. Personal favorites include Ballroom of Romance, Penthouse Apartment, Matilda's England, Last Wishes, Raising of Elvira Tremlett, Being Stolen From, Property of Colette Nervi, Smoke Trees of San Pietro, A Trinity. ( )

I took several years to read this collection, and not simply because it’s 1261 pages long and comprised of eighty-four stories. Mainly because each story is so very, very good that I wanted to savor each one. I’d read a story, then set the book aside for a while. I might finish ten books (including some of Trevor’s others) before I came back to it. So it took a while and was worth every minute.

William Trevor is a master at making the ordinary compelling. He writes of the deep emotions that belong to us all. He writes about tragedy; in love, war, family life, life in general. Mourning, betrayal, cruelty are all represented. And of course love. Thwarted love, doomed love, betrayed love, impossible love.

Trevor writes about it all, with subtlety and a deep inventiveness that makes each story unique and absorbing. Always the characters are what matter. The stories take place in England, Ireland, Italy, but the real action is with the characters.

It’s a genuine marvel to have written this many outstanding stories, and Trevor is still working and creating more stories and novels, which is good for all of us. ( )