The Warden by Anthony Trollope

The Warden 
Anthony Trollope
1855 
3/5 stars

Septimius Harding is an upright clergyman who is the devoted warden of a local charity.  John Bold, his young friend (and his daughter's suitor), becomes convinced that the charity is not being managed according the original intents, and involves Mr. Harding in the agony of a public debate.  

This, the first of the Chronicles of Barsetshire,  deals with a hot contemporary topic, and Trollope handles the subject well.  However, had this been the first novel I had read by him, it would probably have been my last.  Happily, I read the Palliser novels first (all six of which were five star reads for me), so I know what gems Trollope can write.  As it is, The Warden lacks the sparkle, humor, and charm of the Palliser books, and while still well-written, is not compelling.  Despite this, I will continue the series, in anticipation of great things to come.

Read as part of the Classics Club.  My explanation is here.

August 2022 Wrap Up

Florence L. Barclay

Thanks to more extremely long audio books, I don't have much to show for August.

Books Read:

The Rosary by Florence L. Barclay (1909)  4/5 stars

This Edwardian romance was a best seller in it's day and is an excellent example of the genre.  It will seem silly by today's standards, but I have read it several times and enjoyed the writing, the story, and melodrama.  

Audio Books Completed:

Phineas Redux by Anthony Trollope (1874)  5/5 stars 

(24 hours/658 pages)

and

The Prime Minister by Anthony Trollope (1876)  5/5 stars 

(26 hours/700 pages)

These are books four and five of Trolllope's Palliser series.  As with the previous three, they are excellent: well-written, engrossing, and completely entertaining.  

 

July 2022 Wrap Up

Lizzie Eustace 
illustration by J. Steeple Davis

I did not read any physical books in July.  My thoughts were only on Trollope's Palliser series and when I had reading time, I listened to those incredibly lengthy books instead of picking up anything else.

Audio Books Completed:

Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope (1865)  5/5 stars (my review here)

Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope (1869)  5/5 stars (my review here)

The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope (1873)  5/5 stars 

This, the third in Trollope's Palliser series, is another fantastic read.  It's the humorous, wry, insightful, and completely engrossing tale of Lizzie Eustace and the diamonds she swears were given to her by her late husband.  Trollope writes so well, creating believable flawed characters -- Lizzie, so unpleasant and yet so likable, is clearly the work of genius -- and highlighting the the hot topics of his time cleverly, in subtle but devastating light.  Despite being nearly 800 pages, The Eustace Diamonds is never slow or dull, and is my favorite of the series thus far.

Two by Anthony Trollope

Trollope

Anthony Trollope (1815-1882) was a prolific, successful, and as far as I'm concerned, excellent Victorian author.  I have intended to read him since I first began reading Victorian novels, but never did until this month.  I regret waiting so long!

Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope (1865)  5/5 stars
It's hard to explain this lengthy (847 pages) Victorian novel, as it follows many characters and several plot lines.  Politics, various aspects of marriage,  mistakes both innocent and guilty, and the examination of contemporary morals and mores link together to form a deliciously meaty, completely entertaining, excellently penned experience.  I was smitten from the beginning, laughed out loud often, and enjoyed every minute of the 28 hour audio book.  It's not for everyone, of course, but those loving Victorian novels as I do should find it delightful.  

Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope (1869)  5/5 stars

Irishman Phineas Finn, a twenty-five year old law student in London, finds himself as a Member of Parliament, nearly by accident.  This novel follows him for five years as he rises in his new profession, falls in and out of love, and finds his moral mettle tested and proven true.  

Trollope is an excellent writer, creating believable characters and engrossing plots, while subtly examining burning issues of his times such as marriage, the role of women, and the working of politics.   While not as humorous as Can You Forgive Her? (the first in this series), and full to bursting with politics that I didn't always understand, Phineas Finn is a fantastic novel.  I thought about the book often when not reading it, and was completely involved all the way through the entire 23 hour audio book. 

(On a side note: Timothy West is an amazing audio book narrator, and gives such life to the characters in these two books.)

June 2022 Wrap Up

Books Read:

Before the Fact by Francis Iles (1932)
5/5 stars  (my review here)

The Honorable Algernon Knox, Detective by E. Phillips Oppenheim (1913/1920)  3/5 stars (my review here) 

The Zeppelin's Passenger or Mr. Lessingham Goes Home by E. Phillips Oppenheim (1918)  4/5 stars (my review here)

The Amiable Charlatan by E. Phillips Oppenheim (1915)  4/5 stars (my review here)

The Great Impersonation by E. Phillips Oppenheim (1920)  4/5 stars  (my review here)

Ambrose Lavendale, Diplomat by E. Phillips Oppenheim (1920)  3/5 stars 
My review for this will be published later, paired with the Oppenheim thriller that I'm currently reading.

Audio Books Completed:

Armadale by Wilkie Collins (1866)  5/5 stars  (my review here) 

The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katharine Green (1878)  3/5 stars (my review here)

Did Not Finish:
The Golden Bowl by Henry James

I have thoroughly enjoyed James in the past, and was enjoying this one as well.  However, it's a rather dense and meaty book and I felt like I was missing a lot, and that it didn't work well on audio.  I own it, so I'm sure I'll read it at some point.

Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

I've read this several times, and listened to a few hours, but I just wasn't in the mood for tragedy.

The Inevitable Millionaires by E. Phillips Oppenheim

I've been on an Oppenheim binge of late, but this lighthearted story wasn't what I wanted it.  I dropped it and went on to a more serious novel of suspense and espionage.

The Leavenworth Case

The Leavenworth Case

Anna Katharine Green
1878
3/5 stars

Wealthy Horace Leavenworth is found murdered in his locked library. Naturally, his household is suspected, and evidence points to one of his nieces, Eleanor.

The narrator is a young lawyer, Mr. Raymond, who has no experience is mysteries or murders. The police detective, Mr. Gryce, enlists Raymond's help because he is a gentleman, and as such will be welcome in places that Gryce would not be. While Raymond hates the thoughts of playing spy, he has become extremely interested in protecting Eleanor's reputation, so agrees. 

The Leavenworth Case, Green's first published novel, is a well-penned mystery with appealing characters and a twisty plot, and did keep me guessing until the denouement. The deduction of the culprit, though, seems to rely more on guesswork than on clues shown to the reader.  Despite only deserving an average rating, it's an enjoyable read, not only for the story but for the picture of life among certain classes in the U.S. during the late nineteenth century.

Armadale by Wilkie Collins

frontispiece illustration by G.H. Thomas

Armadale

Wilkie Collins

1866

5/5 stars

The plot of this complicated novel is to difficult to convey in a few lines, yet makes perfect sense by being slowly revealed while reading.  The main premise is that the lives and fate of Miss Lydia Gwilt and two young men, both named Alan Armadale, are bound together by a single act of revenge and the evils engendered by that act.  There are many side issues that come about as a result, and other characters that feature largely, but all is central to this trio and the web of deceit, manipulation, and regret that surround them.

This Victorian melodrama is simply one of the best of the many that I've read.  Collins, who always writes well, excels in this novel at distinctive personalities, descriptive passages, and gripping situations.  I was captured from the beginning, and completely wrapped-up in the plot for the entire 30 hours of the audio book.  Collins creates sympathetic and complex characters, with believable motives, strengths and flaws.  The plot, while far-fetched, is so twisty, compelling, and enjoyable that incredulity is a nonissue.  While the book intrigues by  discussions of religion, subtle commentary on society, unpopular views of Victorian womanhood, and a question of superstition versus rationality, it ultimately satisfies with a moving ending worthy of the build-up.  I highly recommend it for fans of the genre.