Fools of Fortune

novel by Trevor

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July 17, 2026

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"Fools of Fortune" is a novel by William Trevor, an Irish writer known for his wry and often macabre short stories and novels. Published in 1983, it won the Whitbread Literary Award for novels. Trevor's work often focuses on the psychology of eccentrics and outcasts, featuring moments of reckoning where characters can no longer rely on illusions. While the term "fool" historically refers to a comic entertainer whose perceived madness or imbecility allowed them to mock others, and also appears in literature as a satirical figure, Trevor's novel uses the concept within a narrative context.123

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William Trevor
…Children of Dynmouth (1976), and Fools of Fortune (1983). The latter two both won the Whitbread Literary Award for novels. In addition, Felicia’s Journey (1994) was named the Whitbread Book of the Year. Reading Turgenev (1991) and The Story of Lucy Gault (2002) were both short-listed for the Booker Prize.…
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…Children of Dynmouth (1976), and Fools of Fortune (1983). The latter two both won the Whitbread Literary Award for novels. In addition, Felicia’s Journey (1994) was named the Whitbread Book of the Year. Reading Turgenev (1991) and The Story of Lucy Gault (2002) were both short-listed for the Booker Prize.…
Read More