Most helpful customer reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A beautiful tragedy, May 19 2004
Trevor's writing style is simple, beautiful and powerful as he portrays his characters thoughts and actions in a way that makes you care for each of them, however horrible their actions may be.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Slender and Vivid, Jun 21 2002
An attractive and polite young actor helps with the gardening in the charming home of his wife to be. The setting is very English and very tranquil, at least for a while. Through the elderly eyes of the bride's mother, (the bride is a middle-aged still attractive widow,named Julia,) certain perceptions lead to apprehensions. Francis, having become slightly famous for his tobacco commercials, is wearing makeup, something Mrs. Anstey had not noticed before. This deception is the tip of the iceberg. In a short period of time, with no one to share her concerns, the groom begins to take on sinister qualities, and the older woman feels instinctive hatred and terrific alarm. She is correct in her assessment, indeed he is far worse than even she could imagine. In London, there are another mother daughter complication. The mother, Doris, is an impossible alcoholic, her daughter, Joy, Francis' child, is a troubled adolescent who doesn't read and is always in trouble at her school. Trevor's early novel, and the first of his that I've read, is steeped in tension, and remains a slender, but vivid thriller. Everywhere Francis has attached himself, he has lied, cheated, stolen with no conscience. He is a classic child-abused predator with disturbed sexuality and a twisted mind. He heeps grief onto others but in psychological ways, not physical.
The good and healthy people that he contaminates suffer greatly, and each, in their own way, are forced to come to terms with their own inner demons. These involve religious and characterological myths and failures of faith. There are primarily the overly compassionate and easily conned, led by Julia and Doris, and the more cynical but equally pained people who love them. Those who fail at protection and those who fail at life, or so they ponder, by their lack of such trust. Either way, there is the ordeal of facing one's own own flaws and failures. This so effectively contrasts the perpetrator, Francis, whose complete incapacity to feel remorse transcends everything. I would definitely recommend this sparse yet well-written novel. I certainly intend to read more from this highly respected author.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A welcome new edition, Nov 22 1999
Other People's Worlds is William Trevor at his best. How wonderful that the new and highly regarded movie, Felicia's Journey, will expand this great writer's audience. This early Trevor novel has all the skill and sharp characterizations that have made his towering intellect so admired worldwide.
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