This is a remarkably subtle, exquisitely rendered tale of love and devotion and the ability to find beauty in the most distressing of circumstances. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. I doubt that i have read a book as moving in at least a decade. Threatened with a move from ireland to england, 9yearold lucy runs away, setting off a series of misunderstandings that will eventually touch each inhabitant of her village. I cant tell you how it cleansed the palate after the first three books of updikes rabbit series. Trevor is a member of the irish academy of letters and resides in devon, england, with his wife, jane ryan cox. The story of lucy gault english literature essay uk essays. Wall street journal the stunning novel from highly acclaimed author william trevor is a brilliant, subtle, and moving story of love, guilt, and forgiveness. The story of lucy gault audiobook listen instantly. William trevors latest short story collections are. Buy a cheap copy of the story of lucy gault book by william trevor. One of the elder statesmen of the irish literary world, he was widely regarded as one of the greatest contemporary writers of short stories in the english language. The parabolic structure of william trevors the story of lucy gault. William trevor booklist william trevor message board.
Captain everard gault wounded the boy in the right shoulder on the night of june the twentyfirst, nineteen twentyone. The story of lucy gault study guide contains a biography of william trevor, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and. Although lucywho is whitedidnt steal her farm from a black family, its quite likely that the land used to belong to black south africans, making lucy a potential target for retribution. These notes were contributed by members of the gradesaver community. Lucy cannot bear the thought of leaving lahardane, their country house with its beautiful land and nearby beach, and a dog she has befriended. The story of lucy gault is a novel written by william trevor in 2002.
The story of lucy gault, his thirteenth novel, he brings these themes to a. In the story of lucy gault, he has surpassed himself. The story of lucy gault william trevor booker prize 2002. If you have not yet experienced the great pleasure of a story by william trevor, i urge you to read this new novel, and to set it in pride of place in your stores.
Before becoming a fulltime author in 1965, he worked as a sculptor, a teacher, and a copywriter at an advertising agency. It means not only what happens to lucy gault, but that what happened to her has become a story, first a local tale, told and retold, and then a. The story of lucy gault it was, the one on the bookshelf at my eye level. The gault family leads a life of privilege in early 1920s ireland, but the threat of arson leads nineyearold lucys parents to leave ireland for england, her mothers home. Everard gault, a retired angloirish army captain married to an englishwoman, shoots and wounds one of the boys who has come in the night to set their house afire.
Originally from the west indies, lucy has just gotten to the u. The story of lucy gault by william trevor, paperback. The everard gault family, protestant estate owners in the south of ireland, does not want to join the exodus of other protestant families leaving ireland for england in 1921. A difficult novel for any parent to read, william trevors the story of lucy gault recounts the tale of a young girl whose protestant family is driven from its. Lucy cannot bear the thought of leaving lahardane, their country house with its beautiful land and nearby beach, and. It opens in 1921, during the civil war, a time when the. Disgrace study guide from litcharts the creators of. The story of lucy gault book summary and study guide.
Author of more than a dozen novels, including felicias journey, irish author william trevor is hailed as one of the most extraordinary writers of today. Buy the story of lucy gault by trevor, william isbn. No one now writing understands better than william trevor the quiet working of. Myths that linger in the mind william trevor the guardian. The story of lucy gault by william trevor reading guide. The story of lucy gault, trevors striking and resonant new novel, treats conditions in the country as the conduit of a domestic tragedy. The story of lucy gault by william trevor goodreads. Reading guide for the story of lucy gault by william trevor. The award winning author describes himself as a shortstory writer who happens to write novels. The gault family leads a life of privilege in early 1920s ireland, but the threat of violence leads the parents of nineyearold lucy to decide to. The story of lucy gault tells of lucy s life before, during, and after her parents leave without her to england and her growth and maturing from that point forward.
This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the story of lucy gault by william trevor. The story of lucy gault audiobook, by william trevor. Lucy is only a child in 1921 when the irish war of independence begins. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The the story of lucy gault community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography. The stunning new novel from highly acclaimed author william trevor is a brilliant, subtle, and moving story of love, guilt, and forgiveness. The main theme of the novel is explored by the idea of a little girl raised without parents, because the parents had to flee and. These things build up the themes in the book of maturity. The story of lucy gault 2002, was shortlisted for the man booker prize for fiction.
The story of lucy gault is a 2002 novel by irish novelist and. Guilt is the central theme of this story and more than that, the destructive nature of guilt. Because the haunting story of lucy gault will not f. Given the title of william trevors novel the story of lucy gault, its hardly a spoiler to reveal that she has miraculously survived. Indeed, as trevor makes clear, the story of lucy becomes a legend in her local community, an emblematic. Unfortunately, the gaults concluded that she was dead rather than.
On that night, there is an intrusion in lahardane, the home of the welltodo gault family, when three boys attempt to burn the family home down. It follows the protagonist lucy and her immediate contacts. Review of william trevors the story of lucy gault youtube. In its outlines, the story of lucy gault seems rather unprepossessing, the stuff of a domestic melodrama. He received a degree in history from trinity college in 1950. It is perhaps the saddest story he has ever told, although even. William trevor kbe 24 may 1928 20 november 2016 was an irish novelist, playwright and short story writer. This study guide consists of approximately 26 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the story of lucy gault. The story of lucy gault traces the repercussions of a childs attempt to remain in her beloved home. The stunning new novel from highly acclaimed author willia. Captain everard gault wounded the boy in the right shoulder on. I sometimes wonder why i subject myself to the pain of reading william trevor. The story of lucy gault was shortlisted for the 2002 booker prize. It restored my faith in the novel as a vehicle for the expression of human sensitivity.
Shortlisted for the 2002 man booker prizea masterwork. The story of lucy gault was shortlisted for both the booker and whitbread prizes in 2002 and is an example of the literary talent possessed by william trevor. Eightyearold lucy gault clings to the glens and woods abov. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. The gault family leads a life of privilege in early 1920s ireland, but the threat of violence leads the parents of nineyearold lucy to decide to leave for england, her mothers home. His short novel, my house in umbria was recently made into an hbo movie. What a beautiful novel is trevors paean to loss, regret and life itself. A homage to the redemptive power of love independentsummer, 1921. Storiness, as such, is an important theme of the novel. Their nineyearold daughter lucy, however, refused to go, running away the night before they were scheduled to depart. Ireland is in the midst of civil unrest and antienglish violence. Lucy gault, the 2002 novel of the famous english writer, trevor howard, whose.
Aiming above the trespassers heads in the darkness, he fired the single shot from an upstairs window and then watched the three figures scuttling off, the wounded one assisted by. The story takes place in ireland during the transition to the 21st century. The story of lucy gault, by william trevor the independent. This is why david is so uncomfortable with the idea of his daughter lucy living alone in a farmhouse surrounded by petruss family and friends. The story of lucy gault traces the repercussions of a. Lucy gaults story was engagingly written and the plight of the characters very real, but if a book frustrates my need for things to be definitively resolved at the end in other words, if the characters journeys have amounted to even the smallest revelation, a change of circumstance or moral ethical consequence then i cannot put the book. He has a special talent for examining the innermost regions of his characters hearts. The story of lucy gault by william trevor overdrive.
The story of lucy gault by william trevor librarything. Many more events happen after her parents leave and lucy continues with life in ireland. Hes not a happyendings man, and his beginnings and. Start your 48hour free trial to unlock this the story of lucy gault study guide and get instant access to the following summary. Our presentation on the book, the story of lucy gault. Click to read more about the story of lucy gault by william trevor. The story of lucy gault is set in provincial ireland in the early 1920s at the height of civil turmoil and antienglish violence.