The Old Boys Book Reviews

The Old Boys by William Trevor Book Summary

The “wryly entertaining” debut novel of old grudges and petty power struggles from the Whitbread Award–winning author of Love and Summer (The New York Times).

Graduates of an elite English public school, the septuagenarian members of the Old Boys Association have convened in London to decide who shall be their next president. Mr. Jaraby has been proposed, and unless there is an objection from his circle of peers, he will assume the position automatically. It seems like little more than an excuse to get together and reminisce about old pranks played on the headmaster. But while none of their boyhood bonds have been forgotten, neither have their old cruelties been forgiven.
 
Mr. Nox certainly remembers Jaraby’s behavior from their time as schoolmates. And when he decides to oppose Jaraby for the presidency, the conflict unleashes decades of buried rivalries, regrets, failures, and the savage nature hidden just beneath good English manners.
 
“The elemental value of Mr. Trevor’s wryly entertaining story lies less in its grubby specifics than in its illuminating generalities. It reminds us that at every level of every society there are groups of Old Boys cocooned in smug insularity.” —The New York Times
 

👋 Do you love The Old Boys books? Please share your friends!

The Old Boys (William Trevor) Book Reviews 2024

William Trevor - The Old Boys Discussions & Comments

Have you read this book yet? What do you think about The Old Boys by William Trevor book? Ask the bookpedia.co community a question about The Old Boys!