Book Review: Felicia's Journey

Author: William Trevor

Title: Felicia’s Journey

Description: When the naïve Irish teenager finds herself pregnant, she sets out to find her lover in England. She finds instead Mr. Hilditch, who seems more interested in her than might be ordinary. As she becomes more and more desperate, he makes himself more necessary to her. His motives, however, are unclear, as is her future.

Review source: the Penguin bonanza

Plot: The book was interesting, but I found myself being frustrated at the passivity of the main character.

Characters: Neither of the two main characters is what you would call “normal.” Felicia is more trusting and naïve than would be expected, and Mr. Hilditch is potentially psychopathic. They’re interesting, but not especially sympathetic.

Writing style: The book is short, close to a novella. The writing style is unremarkable. (William Trevor is a greatly respected and award-winning author. Just not my style.)

Audience: Literary fiction; mystery or psychological thriller fans might also enjoy.

Wrap-up: I’m generally not a fan of books with unlikeable protagonists. That holds true for this book. 2/5*