A Bit on the Side

A Bit of the Side

First edition
Author	William Trevor
Language	English
Genre	Short story collection
Publisher	Viking Press
Publication date	2004
Publication place	Ireland
Media type	Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages	245 pp.
ISBN	978-0-14-190433-7

A Bit on the Side is a short story collection written by William Trevor, first published by Viking Press in 2004. It comprises twelve short stories arranged in the following order:

• "Sitting with the Dead"
• "Traditions"
• "Justina's Priest"
• "An Evening Out"
• "Graillis's Legacy"
• "Solitude"
• "Sacred Statues"
• "Rose Wept"
• "Big Bucks"
• "On the Streets"
• "The Dancing-Master's Music"
• "A Bit on the Side"

According to Kevin De Ornellas the stories collectively suggest "a distaste for modern, superficial culture". "A Bit on the Side" by Kevin De Ornellas, in The Facts on File Companion to the British Short Story, edited by Andrew Maunder, p. 34. Facts on File: 2007. ISBN 978-0816059904

Reception

Upon release, A Bit on the Side was generally well-received. On Bookmarks January/February 2005 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a (4.0 out of 5) based on critic reviews with a critical summary saying, "It only proves, as The New Yorker claims, that Trevor may be "the greatest living writer of short stories".