Framley Parsonage by Anthony Trollope

I'm grateful I've been reading Trollope's Barsetshire series in order because – although the central protagonists of this fourth book “Framley Parsonage” are new – there are a host of familiar characters in the background who are also integrally involved in some of the novel's side plots. Though I'm sure readers unfamiliar with the previous books would still enjoy this novel the experience is greatly enhanced by a knowledge of these established characters. It's a wonderful pleasure to again meet the domineering Mrs Proudie with her weak-willed bishop husband who were first introduced in “Barchester Towers” and confident, clever Miss Dunstable who we first met in “Doctor Thorne”. In this new novel we even get a new generation as Griselda, the eldest daughter of Dr Grantly and Susan Grantly (who we first met in “The Warden”), is now looking to marry and there are a couple of suitors in contention. In fact, there a number of marriage plots in this new novel which all spin in the wings amidst the book's central story of Mark Robarts, a young vicar who gets drawn into the glamorous lives of the county's aristocracy and unfairly burdened by a debt attached to the cunning Nathaniel Sowerby. Mark's patroness Lady Lufton is deeply saddened by how he's seduced into this faction of the upper class and she serves as a fantastically intimidating foil to the set of characters that revolve around the Duke of Omnium. 

Like a soap opera, the book is perhaps a little overburdened with plot lines as there are also the stories of Harold Smith's short-lived time as a cabinet minister and Mr Crawley, an impoverished clergyman who needs assistance as his wife is stricken with typhus. It makes sense that Trollope had so much going on since this novel was written in serial form for a magazine edited by William Thackeray. However, for the most part, the abundance of story lines balance well and come together to present a fantastically entertaining and compelling portrait of a community. It's a tale rich in themes surrounding ambition, money and marriage. As always, Trollope's characters are so dynamic that even more “villainous” figures such as Mr Sowerby are presented in a semi-compassionate way. But that doesn't stop the author poking fun at the foibles of several characters and playing them against each other. Nor is the author an invisible puppet master working in the background as what really makes Trollope's novels rise above typical stories of scandal and romance is the way the narrator frequently intervenes to converse with the reader on the issues at stake, the choices the characters make and the nature of society.

One of my favourite scenes is when the characters indulge in a social fad which they label a “conversazione”. Though it's really just a party with a pretentious name it's hilarious how it leads to discussions about what should and shouldn't be allowed to occur at a “conversazione”. There are several interactions which occur at this party concerning certain characters' marriage prospects. It also culminates in a confrontation between the novel's two most politically opposed characters Lady Lufton and the Duke of Omnium. As I know from reading “Barchester Towers”, Trollope writes truly captivating and uproarious party scenes. But he also beautifully describes moments of great tenderness such a discussion concerning the nature of grief between Mark's sister Lucy and Lady Lufton's son Ludovic. I also adored the dynamic between Mark and his loving wife Fanny who must not only serve as an intermediary between Mark and Lady Lufton but loyally stands by Mark when the debt collectors come knocking at their door.

Though Trollope doesn't often create much dramatic tension concerning the conclusions of his plots, I was surprised by the fate of Miss Dunstable in this novel. I despaired for her having to fend off yet another scheming suitor intent on marrying her for her money and I love how she relishes “ridiculing the world's humbugs.” So it was satisfying to see her finding comfort and happiness in this story. Certainly, there are some uncomfortably telling moments about the attitudes and values of mid-19th century society from the way certain characters refer to Jewish people or some characters describe their colonialist plans to “civilize an island in the South Pacific”. Yet, there are also many wonderful scenes and keen observations Trollope makes that his books continues to be an absolute delight to read and I'm looking forward to the next two books in the Chronicles of Barsetshire. 

Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope

It's been such a pleasure continuing my first reading of Trollope's Barsetshire series. While “Barchester Towers” greatly expanded on the characters and dilemmas first met in “The Warden”, the two books seemed to neatly follow on from each other. So it was interesting to find “Doctor Thorne” takes a broader view of the geographical region and introduces entirely original dramas and a host of vibrant new personalities while only occasionally still featuring small appearances from previously met characters such as the Bishop and Mrs Proudie. 

The primary story of this third book involves the dilemma of Frank Gresham, the son of a gentry family that is in dire financial difficulty. It's repeatedly impressed upon him that he must marry for money but Frank falls for Mary Thorne, a young woman with no money who was born out of wedlock. Mary has been raised by her morally upstanding uncle Doctor Thorne who is the only one that knows the scandalous history of her true parentage. The other main plot points of this novel concern a lineage of alcoholism in the Scatcherd family who've achieved substantial wealth from patriarch Sir Roger Scatcherd's success building railways across the country. The story also follows his troubled campaign to be elected to Parliament.

These aspects result in a compelling portrait of mid-19th century England whose society was rapidly changing with the advent of industrial growth and the prospect of marriage between different classes. Many families of high social ranking found they needed the help of new money to maintain their privileged lifestyle and Trollope teases out the uncomfortable tension and hypocrisy that results from this. I think I've got a good feel of Trollope's sensibility and style of writing now which mixes lively social commentary with touches of delicious satire. This creates some truly funny, touching and memorable scenes as his vibrant characters get into squabbles, engage in romantic trysts and form supportive bonds with each other. 

It's pointed that Trollope named the novel Doctor Thorne when it could be argued the real hero of the story is Frank. There are long chapters which follow this young man's uneasy introduction into society where he meets a suitably-wealthy potential wife, attends a hilariously impersonal Duke's dinner at a castle and takes violent revenge upon his sister's ex-fiance. Yet, Doctor Thorne hovers behind the story as the only one with special knowledge regarding his niece's true origins, the beneficiary of the Scatcherd's will and the medical condition of several characters. The plot really hinges upon what he chooses to reveal and how he chooses to act. I often felt frustrated with his character until later on in the novel when it's remarked that because of his values he believes we must take serious responsibility for our actions despite what we may think or feel. It struck me then how Trollope is meaningfully considering the position we're all put in when choosing how to conduct ourselves and what it means to be a good person. So for this reason and because of his involvement in the central plot, Doctor Thorne is really the person with the most agency and binds the novel together.

Trollope himself playfully speculates within the narrative about the title of the novel and when Doctor Thorne is absent for a number of chapters he humorously reintroduces him. A distinct aspect of Trollope's writing is the way he speaks directly to the reader and self-consciously discusses the plot or how he'll tell the story. A later section of the book is wonderfully told through an exchange of letters between women discussing a marriage prospect. Trollope discusses reverting to this epistolary form of narrative and we discover later on why it was so important to have these women writing in their own voices because there were biased motives behind the advice which was given. This is a delightfully clever and effective form of storytelling.

It also frequently and unashamedly presents the author's own affection towards some characters and prejudice against others. Trollope is scathing in his descriptions and the storylines he creates for characters such as Mr Moffat, a suitor for one of the Gresham girls with high political and social aspirations. Trollope is also entertainingly critical of privileged families and their properties describing them in disparaging terms. Characters the author feels great fondness for such as Mary Thorne and Lady Scatcherd are described in much warmer terms. He also presents such a compelling and dynamic portrait of Martha Dunstable, a wealthy heiress who multiple gentlemen in the novel scheme to capture as a wife. Yet she is extremely aware of their motives for courting her and hilariously dismisses or confronts them. This makes her my favourite character that I've encountered in Trollope's novels so far. However, Trollope seldom wholly portrays his characters as heroes or villains and depicts most of them as dynamic and complex. For instance, Frank's naivety is evident but he's also a young, idealistic man so his fumbling and misadventures are understandable and this made him quite an endearing character.

Something I've noticed about Trollope's novels is that he can get a bit repetitious in some chapters. Later on in the story we get some conversations insisting on Frank's need to marry for money even though this was made abundantly clear already. I think the author unintentionally tests the reader's patience when repeatedly discussing the conflicts his plots revolve around as a similar thing happened in the previous novels when debating about who would be the warden of Hiram's Hospital. Perhaps this is just a side effect of the deliberate narrative style that Trollope chose and it's his way of keeping his plots ticking along to their heavily foreshadowed conclusions to allow space for his wonderful characterisations, dramatic scenes and social commentary. It's a small quibble to make about his books which overall I find such a comfort and entertaining joy to read. So I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the Barsetshire series as well as more of Trollope's books. It's also been great participating in the Trollope Society's fortnightly bookclub meetings focusing on this novel as getting the engaged perspectives of other readers and Trollope fans has really enhanced my experience and understanding of the book.

Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope

Although “Barchester Towers” is often considered to be the most widely-read and best-loved of Trollope's novels (it was voted the public's favourite in a recent poll held by The Trollope Society), it is the second book in the author's Barsetshire series. Therefore, I'm glad I read “The Warden” first because this new tale follows directly on from the first by developing (or quickly dispensing with) many of the characters and continuing the dilemma of who will be the warden of Hiram's Hospital. But it also introduces several absolutely fascinating new characters into this English cathedral town and positions them in sharp opposition to each other. It's as if Trollope sets out a number of beautifully-crafted chess pieces and lets them battle with each other. But, rather than bloodshed and earth-trembling theatrics, the drama of this novel is relatively low-key concerning prospects of marriage and who will be employed in different professional positions. That doesn't mean the emotions in this book are less intensely felt. Rather, it's a wholly absorbing narrative which is both entertaining in its plot and fascinating in the way it evokes a particular society from a certain era. 

The esteemed bishop of Barchester recently died and, rather than being replaced by his son Archdeacon Grantly as expected, a new Prime Minister instead decrees that relative newcomer Mr Proudie take the appointment of bishop. It soon becomes clear that Bishop Proudie is rather weak-willed and heavily influenced by the figures of his domineering wife Mrs Proudie and the calculating chaplain Obadiah Slope. Their new power immediately introduces a schism in the community and church between Bishop Proudie's camp on one side and Dr Grantly, Mrs Grantly and Mr Harding's camp on the other. This leads to a lot of scheming and gossip especially when it comes to the programmes the church will conduct and who will be appointed to that controversial position of the warden of Barchester. Will it be Mr Harding, Mr Slope or Mr Quiverful, a poor clergyman with fourteen children? In a way the dilemma regarding this role of warden is so drawn out having been debated about over two novels that it does become a bit tiresome. Yet, it also allows for moments of great humour as the heated discussions bring out the petty, conniving attitudes or befuddled natures of many different characters.

Caught between these two camps is Mr Harding's daughter Mrs Eleanor Bold, a widow who possesses a comfortable fortune. Unbeknownst to her, she's become the most eligible bachelorette in town and multiple men including Mr Slope, Bertie Stanhope (an idle, roguish, bearded artist) and Mr Arabin (the vicar of St Ewold) all vie for her favour. Other parties become involved in trying to arrange her suitor as well. The romantic question of who Eleanor might ultimately end up with is the more interesting dilemma of the novel especially because she's such a strong-willed individual whose best interests are subsumed by the gossip and political battles of those that surround her. I felt Eleanor's plight is sympathetically handled as she tries to introduce an even-handed attitude towards the warring factions of this community but finds that speculation about her intentions sadly supersedes honest engagement about what she wants.

As if these dilemmas and array of personalities weren't enough, Trollope introduces a number of other sub-plots and characters to the story. The most striking of which is the imposing presence of La Signora Madeline Vesey Neroni who is the imperious sister of Bertie Stanhope. She likes to pretend she's a member of high nobility through her estranged Italian husband though he “had not the faintest title to call himself a scion of even Italian nobility.” She has a wickedly flirtatious manner and commands the attention of any room she enters, especially because the leg injuries she sustained because of her husband's abuse means she must be carried around on a sofa. This is such a fascinating character I felt she really deserved a novel of her own. And her presence, in addition to many other characters, does make the flow of this story a bit too unwieldy and overly complex. However, I think a reread of the novel would make the presence and motives of these individuals a lot more clear. There's also so much pleasure to be had in the story that I know it's one I'd like to return to.

Trollope's writing style is so fascinating because, as in “The Warden”, the author's presence is strongly felt over the course of “Barchester Towers”. He'll sometimes self-consciously direct the narrative (especially based on his preference for certain characters), introduce opinionated asides or debate about the form of the novel itself within the story. Rather than being disruptive, this adds more humour to the novel and makes it almost theatrical in the conceit that what we're experiencing is fiction rather than a straightforwardly realistic drama. Sometimes the characters themselves seem in on the joke such as when at one point Signora Neroni remarks: “There is no happiness in love except at the end of an English novel.” As with all great classics, the plot isn't the most interesting aspect of the novel. Rather, the process and discussion which happens in between the action is consistently fascinating. That's what makes it a book worth going back to because it offers such an interesting point of view and is full of compelling ideas. Reading this novel, especially in the context of the Trollope Society's 'Big Read', was so enjoyable and I'm greatly looking forward to reading the third book in the Barsetshire series.

The Warden by Anthony Trollope

So much current political discourse is thrashed out online and on social media that it can feel like an overwhelming cacophony. This arena which I'd idealistically like to imagine to be a forum for debate and exchange more often becomes a battleground where opposing sides become even more entrenched in feelings of righteousness. So when I took up the challenge from the Trollope Society to read my first novel by this writer and the first novel in Trollope's Barsetshire series I didn't anticipate the extreme pleasure I'd find in the more mild-mannered and reasonable moral, social and political debate as conducted in Trollope's fictional cathedral town of Barchester. The Rev. Septimus Harding is the warden of a charity, a role which comes with a generous income. John Bold is an idealistic young surgeon and reformer who calls into question whether the wardenship is really entitled to the funds which were primarily intended for the residents of the charitable hospital. However, Bold also has a romantic interest in Harding's daughter Eleanor. Tensions run high when a newspaper article comes out accusing Harding of retaining the charity's funds for himself out of greedy self interest. 

If this argument were to play out today there would likely be a public pile on Mr Harding until he was shamed into resigning from his role. Mr Harding would be a figure of ridicule turned into a meme. He would be “cancelled”. However, in Trollope's world things play out very differently. Through self-scrutiny on the part of Mr Harding and an entreaty to Mr Bold on the part of Eleanor, the accused and the accuser switch positions on the matter. This is not only a comic inversion of the central drama in this story, but it also shows the essential good nature of people who are receptive to critique and are willing to reconsider their views. What instantly endeared me to Trollope's writing was that (though his characters might possess certain prejudices) they feel well-rounded and realistic like neighbours. Their inner sense of justice is more forcefully applied to how they themselves interact with society rather than projecting their rigid idealism onto the rest of the world. Injustice is recognized and, indeed, the salary the warden receives is probably far more than the original founder of the charity ever intended, but there is also a recognition of the complexity of how communities work and the overall impact from implementing rapid change.

This makes “The Warden” a more quiet and contemplative novel than might even be found amongst Trollope's contemporaries. Although the misuse of charitable funds was a contentious issue in the mid-19th century because there were few governmental programs to deal with poverty, Trollope's central social issue is more localised and humble compared to the grand subjects being presented in much of Charles Dickens' fiction. Nor is Trollope inclined to describe his characters in language which demarcates whether they were essentially “good” or “bad” in nature as Dickens relentlessly does in his fiction. Trollope even hilariously satirizes Dickens in this novel when at one point a character amuses himself with a book by an author called Mr Popular Sentiment. Trollope describes how “Mr Sentiment is certainly a very powerful man, and perhaps not the less so that his good poor people are so very good; his hard rich people so very hard; and the genuinely honest so very honest.” This playfully pokes fun at the way there is little moral ambiguity among Dickens' characters and how to describe them in such strident terms diminishes the truly complex nature of humanity. 

Similar to other novels of the 19th century, Trollope as author is heavy-handed in the way he steers the narrative at certain points. However, I also found this quite enjoyable. Trollope is prone to interjecting his own opinions on the characters in the story. One section hilariously describes a large family in much detail, but the author repeatedly interjects how they are essentially dull. Not only does Trollope make his prejudices about certain characters known, but he also speculates on his readership of the ladies or “middle-aged bachelor” who might be reading these pages. It's amusing how this makes the author himself into a kind of character rather than being an unseen and entirely objective god behind the story. 

There's also a profuse amount of delightful detail about the period contained in the “The Warden”. Trollope describes the way this society is ordered and how finance works as well as details of what you might see in a particular kind of individual's house or walking down the street. There's a wonderful chapter titled 'A Long Day in London' when Mr Harding is visiting the capital and finds ways to occupy himself until his scheduled meeting. We follow his journey along The Strand up to Westminster Abbey as he views various shops and finds his meals. Rather than agonize over the monumental decision he's made, Mr Harding seeks soft contentment in humble pleasures observing “What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book and a cup of coffee?” This epitomizes the way this writing could be labelled as “cozy fiction” but at the moment I really appreciate the respite from the modern world that this book offered. There's also something admirable about the way the novelist recognizes the dignity and heart in all his characters as they strive to do what's right. I'm greatly looking forward to reading more of the novels in this series of books and other novels by Trollope.