Lovers of Their Time by William Trevor

The title is very apropos since "Lovers of Their Time" attempts to capture the zeitgeist of the 1960's, chronicling the misfortunues of conservative monogomy that was starting to feel outdated. Social attitudes toward love and marriage were shifting, though for modern readers, this transformation might not seem all that groundbreaking. Ironically, the story feels quite outdated, which could be intentional by the author. 

As a man in his 40's, the protagonist finds himself in the throes of a mid-life crisis. Bored with his wife and job as a travel agent, he longs for excitement and ends up falling passionately in love with a much younger woman. Their affair unfolds in the usual fashion, him being the csonservative and cowardly husband unable to divorce his wife whereas she is portrayed as the sexually liberal woman. Worried about being caught, he discovers a fancy hotel conveniently located near a train station. This is a total game changer because sneaking around gets a whole lot easier. Over several years, the couple resorts to meeting in the hotel's abandoned washroom to consecrate their carnal lust. Perhaps security was more lax in the '60s, but it's baffling that no one ever caught them for years.

Whether intentional or not, the story leans heavily into cliché, filled with platudinous dialogue and the well-worn beats of an ill-fated romance. The contrived nature of their relationship robs the story of any poignancy and despite the supposed passion, everything just feels incessantly dull. Don't even get me started on the terrible ending that reaffirms the patriarchy. Given William Trevor’s reputation as a master of the short story, I can only hope this one is an exception rather than the rule.