Alice Vavasor is
young, of independent means and marriageable. In turns she becomes engaged to
her cousin, George, who is ambitious and reckless; and John Grey, handsome and
gentlamenly. However, Alice is struggling with the idea of tying herself down
to either man.
Her cousin, Glencora, has been coerced into marrying the
wealthy Plantageant Palliser. Alice is
determined that she will not be pushed into marriage simply because society
dictates.
However, Alice struggles to forgive herself for
vacillitating between the two men. How will Alice find happiness if she is so
determined to go against the moral code of the day? Has she really been fair to
either of these men? Questions that she asks herself and that Anthony Trollope asks the reader.
The best thing about reading this book is the knowledge that
this is the first of five books in the Palliser series as I really loved it and
am excited to get reading the second in the series, Phineas Finn. What I particularly like about this book is the way that
Trollope speaks directly to the reader; posing questions and therefore, making
the reader stop and think along the way. This is not a passive novel but one
that the author encourages the reader to be a part of.
The characters in the book are wonderful and Trollope has
drawn this cast in a way that makes all the characters completely believable.
The wealthy widow, Mrs Greenhow, is an
amusing character with whom the author clearly had fun with as he created her
on the page. Glencora Palliser, who is excitable and in love with a man not her husband and Alice Vavosaur who is her own worst critic.
Mr Trollope also tackles some interesting themes of the period
drawing on the fact that societal norms dictated that women would be married
and mothers and roles outside of this sphere went against the moral code of the
day.
This is a long novel and even though I was itching to
get back to it at every possible opportunity it has still taken me a couple of
weeks to get through. However, I think that it’s length is what enabled me to
become so engrossed in the plot and engaged with the characters.
If you have not already read this book then I highly
recommend it. It makes lovely entertaining reading and I am looking forward to continuing
with this series in the New Year.
ISBN: 9780140430868
Publisher: Penguin Classics
About the Author:
Anthony
Trollope became one of the most successful, prolific and respected English
novelists of the Victorian era. Some of Trollope's best-loved works, known as
the Chronicles of Barsetshire, revolve around the imaginary county of
Barsetshire; he also wrote penetrating novels on political, social, and gender
issues and conflicts of his day.
Trollope has always been a popular novelist. Noted fans have included Sir Alec Guinness (who never travelled without a Trollope novel), former British Prime Ministers Harold Macmillan and Sir John Major, economist John Kenneth Galbraith, American novelists Sue Grafton and Dominick Dunne and soap opera writer Harding Lemay. Trollope's literary reputation dipped somewhat during the last years of his life, but he regained the esteem of critics by the mid-twentieth century. (author information from Goodreads.com)
Trollope has always been a popular novelist. Noted fans have included Sir Alec Guinness (who never travelled without a Trollope novel), former British Prime Ministers Harold Macmillan and Sir John Major, economist John Kenneth Galbraith, American novelists Sue Grafton and Dominick Dunne and soap opera writer Harding Lemay. Trollope's literary reputation dipped somewhat during the last years of his life, but he regained the esteem of critics by the mid-twentieth century. (author information from Goodreads.com)
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