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wamz's review
3.0
Only reason I gave it a 3 was because of the story 'A Day', which I found rather moving. The rest had rather abrupt endings that made the stories feel quite meaningless.
chiyeungreads's review against another edition
5.0
William Trevor is a master of the short story and I can see how heavily he has influenced Yi Yun Li’s work. It is no surprise both write with great empathy for their characters; it is this empathy that makes each character so real and relatable. No matter their flaws and crimes, you can’t help but want to hold their hand and tell them that everything will be okay.
Trevor’s characters are still fresh in my mind long after reading, and their stories will stay with me for a long time.
P.S - if you’re a short story writer, this is a must read
Trevor’s characters are still fresh in my mind long after reading, and their stories will stay with me for a long time.
P.S - if you’re a short story writer, this is a must read
rafternorth's review against another edition
2.0
“Violet married the piano tuner when he was a young man. Belle married him when he was old.”
Man. I really struggled to finish this book. It’s not that William Trevor is a bad writer, I just found most of the stories really boring. The only ones I genuinely enjoyed were ‘The Piano Tuner’s Wives’ and ‘Lost Ground’. I was aching to finish by the end. Really disappointed.
Rating : 2 Stars
Man. I really struggled to finish this book. It’s not that William Trevor is a bad writer, I just found most of the stories really boring. The only ones I genuinely enjoyed were ‘The Piano Tuner’s Wives’ and ‘Lost Ground’. I was aching to finish by the end. Really disappointed.
Rating : 2 Stars
mrssoule's review against another edition
2.0
The theme of this collection seems to be: people need to hurt those close to them in order to feel any kind of self-respect or control over their lives. And the injured parties just roll over and take it as their due. If the imagery was more striking I could handle the irritatingly mopey attitudes, but it's not quite there.
servemethesky's review
4.0
Ooooooof. William Trevor. This. Was. Bleak. Bleak and Irish AF.
This was the kind of writing that made me go, "Wait a minute, am I smart enough to be reading this right now?" Some of the moments in the stories were so subtle, I had to pause and text my friend who recommended it to me to make sure I was really getting it.
The writing is dark, languid, melancholy. Things happen slowly and sadly. We can be cruel to each other daily, in small ways, and those traumas endure.
I need something happy to read now.
This was the kind of writing that made me go, "Wait a minute, am I smart enough to be reading this right now?" Some of the moments in the stories were so subtle, I had to pause and text my friend who recommended it to me to make sure I was really getting it.
The writing is dark, languid, melancholy. Things happen slowly and sadly. We can be cruel to each other daily, in small ways, and those traumas endure.
I need something happy to read now.
thebristolreader's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
milesjmoran's review
4.0
Tomorrow, when the sun is again in charge at its time of year, a few midday minutes will wipe away what lingers of this softness. New dust will settle, marble will be warm to touch. Weeks it may be, months perhaps,before rain coaxes our these fragrances that are tender now.
Astute, sincere, and, in parts, delicately beautiful, this collection examines people at their most vulnerable, be they grieving for a lost one, committing a crime, or confronting deeply buried fears. Trevor is hailed as a true craftsman of the short story, and After Rain was a perfect introduction to that. Only two stories in, he had me in tears (A Friendship) and he continually surprised and moved me with the quiet fragments he was showing me. Each story felt like a snapshot or a single piece to a whole picture, but, rather than losing this moment in the larger plot, he chose instead to zoom in until you could identify every minute grain and fissure, so you could really breathe with those characters and see everything you needed to in those few moments.
My favourites in this collection were The Piano Tuner's Wives, A Friendship, Child's Play, Widows, and A Day, though saying that I really enjoyed every single one.
Astute, sincere, and, in parts, delicately beautiful, this collection examines people at their most vulnerable, be they grieving for a lost one, committing a crime, or confronting deeply buried fears. Trevor is hailed as a true craftsman of the short story, and After Rain was a perfect introduction to that. Only two stories in, he had me in tears (A Friendship) and he continually surprised and moved me with the quiet fragments he was showing me. Each story felt like a snapshot or a single piece to a whole picture, but, rather than losing this moment in the larger plot, he chose instead to zoom in until you could identify every minute grain and fissure, so you could really breathe with those characters and see everything you needed to in those few moments.
My favourites in this collection were The Piano Tuner's Wives, A Friendship, Child's Play, Widows, and A Day, though saying that I really enjoyed every single one.
aria_izikdzurko's review against another edition
4.0
I love this writing, I just am not a huge fan of the short story format. I will have to give Trevor’s full length novels a try, because he truly has an amazing way of capturing moments very simply and poetically.
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
3.0
However well written they may be (and these were excellent), a short story is still a short story. And short stories often feel either depressing, unsatisfying, or both. These fell into the depressing camp, but were as satisfying as a depressing story can be. The characters were fascinating, and I loved his use of place, and a few of them had that haunting quality of the fine short story. But every single one was depressing. I don't need them to be all happy-go-lucky with a blissful ending, but I enjoy the occasional note of hope or happy ending. Sure, there were moments of happiness, little glimpses of beauty, some lovely characters - but then the ending would thump down on you. So, if you're looking for some high quality but downer short stories, this is the book for you!