Cheating at Canasta

Cheating at Canasta is William Trevor's twelfth collection of short stories, published in 2007. The collection contains twelve stories that take place across Ireland, England, and other European locations. Trevor's characters navigate complex relationships and personal losses in settings that range from coastal villages to urban apartments. The stories examine marriages, friendships, and family bonds through moments of decision and change. Each narrative focuses on ordinary people facing moral choices or grappling with memories that shape their present circumstances. The characters include widows, teachers, artists, and others who must confront truths about themselves and their connections to others. These stories explore themes of loneliness, regret, and the subtle ways people deceive both themselves and others. Through precise observation of human behavior, Trevor reveals how people cope with disappointment and find meaning in their daily lives.

Readers describe this short story collection as melancholic and understated, focused on loneliness and regret. Many note Trevor's precise observations of human behavior and his ability to capture complex emotions in simple scenes. Liked: - Clean, economical prose style - Depth of character development - Subtle handling of difficult themes - Stories that reveal more meaning on re-reading Disliked: - Slow pacing frustrates some readers - Too much focus on elderly characters - Several stories feel similar in tone - Some find the endings unsatisfying or ambiguous Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (1,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (40+ ratings) Notable reader comments: "Each story is like looking through a window at a pivotal moment in someone's life" - Goodreads reviewer "Trevor doesn't waste a single word" - Amazon review "Beautiful writing but almost too quiet and restrained" - LibraryThing user

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🌟 William Trevor was born in Ireland in 1928 as William Trevor Cox and worked as a sculptor before becoming a writer 🌟 "Cheating at Canasta" was published in 2007 when Trevor was 79 years old, proving his enduring literary prowess late in life 🌟 The title story was inspired by a real Venice restaurant, Harry's Bar, where Trevor himself frequently dined during his travels 🌟 Trevor won the Whitbread Prize three times and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize five times, making him one of Ireland's most decorated authors 🌟 Despite living in England for most of his adult life, Trevor consistently wrote about Ireland and maintained that his perspective as an outsider enhanced his ability to capture its essence