Felicia’s Journey

By: William Trevor

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

A stunning, rich novel of suspense from one of Ireland’s most distinguished writers.

In Felicia’s Journey, Trevor gently explores the intricate relationship between a predator and his intended victim.

Felicia is young and pregnant, having stolen away from a small Irish town to search for her boyfriend in the industrial sprawl of the English Midlands. Fat, 50ish, and unfailingly reasonable, Mr. Hilditch is looking for a new friend to join the five other girls he has “befriended”. Under Trevor’s master hand, both characters become startlingly sympathetic in their tragic dance from which only one of them will emerge victorious—and alive.

©1994 William Trevor (P)1995 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Felicia's Journey is a simple tale told with a subtle complexity. Felicia is an Irish country girl who has come to England to look for her jilted lover. Hilditch is a mild-mannered, gentle psychopath who lures the helpless Felicia into his trap. Interestingly, we see the story from each character's eyes when they are separate, but from Hilditch's view when they are together. It is an unusual and effective device that distorts the perspective and adds texture to a classic story. Trevor won a Whitbread Prize in 1994 for Felicia's Journey." (Amazon.com review)

Incredible story, the telling of it, the characters.

 I'm hesitant to review this remarkable piece of literature. I recently discovered this author through his short stories.  William Trevor demonstrates extraordinary skill with language. He keeps readers in suspense as he slowly develops characters throughout the story. The ending is always unexpected. It doesn't surprise in a fairy-tale way but feels authentic, resembling real-life” occurrences. Happy endings come with the sad understanding that our choices in life always have consequences.

A creepy listen

Last Halloween season I read John Fowles' The Collector and this year I was looking for something equally creepy and I got it. A man who thinks he is totally reasonable preys upon young women. In both books, the creepiness factor is intensified because we hear so much of the inner monologue of the man who is making plans for how to ensnare an unsuspecting woman and justifying his actions to himself. There's no overt violence in either book, just a wonderfully wrought overwhelming sense of dread.

I had more sympathy for this predator than I did for John Fowles' Frederick and I think this could just as easily be called Mr. Hilditch's Journey as the focus is equally if not more so on him than Felicia. The male narrator intensifies this as even when the focus is on Felicia, you have a male voice telling you all about her. I'm curious how my feelings about the book woukd change if they'd had a male and female narrator or just a female narrator.

If you are looking for a very suspenseful but very literary read, and don't mind hints of violence against women, this is highly recommended.