acommonreader.st
I chose The Way We Live Now as part of the The Classics Circuit’s tour of Anthony Trollope. Rebecca Reid does a wonderful job coordinating the various tours and has provided a retrospective post that links to various posts by book bloggers on works by Trollope. I didn’t finish in time to be included but […]
I just finished watching the TV series of Trollope’s novel adapted by Andrew Davies and David Yates. Despite some major changes in characterization and storyline, which I’ll detail later, I enjoyed the movie very much. A detailed discussion on the adaptation and the novel can be found at Ellen And Jim Have A Blog, Two […]
Lionel G. Fawkes, Detail from “Mr Mixet of course made a speech” [Ruby as the “happy” bride], The Way We Live NowWhile there are many possible topics to cover in the last twenty-five chapters of Trollope’s novel, especially with the avalanche of weddings, I’m going to limit myself to two areas I struggled with in […]
Lionel G. Fawkes, “Mr Melmotte speculates”, Chapter 62Picture source Having had a stomach virus work its way through the family this past week, I’m hoping things are returning to some sense of normalcy. While recuperating from my bout Tuesday, I watched about three-fourths of the BBC adaptation of The Way We Live Now. I hope […]
Cynthia Ozick: “Though Trollope belongs with the permanent enchanting few (he educates domestically in the manner of Jane Austen, and in a worldly sense in the manner of Balzac), he has been a diminished figure ever since—except in the unbiased regions of literary truth.” Her essay “Our Kinsman, Mr. Trollope” looks to offset that diminishment […]
“You, I think, are Miss Melmotte.” Picture sourceA reminder for anyone interested in Trollope, The Classics Circuit is underway with a tour of the author. SFP at pages turned has posted a good review of The Way We Live Now. I just finished Volume One so here are a few quotes and comments on Chapters […]
Forgive the extended quotation in this post, but the opening of Chapter 49 captured so much of what makes The Way We Live Now enjoyable. Trollope has created a wonderful villain in Mr. Melmotte yet that character is rarely on the stage (so far). Watching how others respond to him is the delicious part. “As […]
Paul Montague, a likeable enough fellow but a moral weakling, goes to visit the American widow Mrs. Hurtle with whom he has tried to break off their engagement. Mrs. Hurtle represents herself as the fiancée of Paul when taking a room in London. Here is Paul upon entering the house where Mrs. Hurtle is staying: […]
What follows are a few thoughts on Trollope’s world in The Way We Live Now…or at least through Chapter 24. ReligionTrollope clearly takes aim at religion, but it is more how he does it as well as his issue (or target) that interested me. We are introduced to two men of the church in the […]
Mr Longestaffe was a tall, heavy man, about fifty, with hair and whiskers carefully dyed, whose clothes were made with great care, though they always seemed to fit him too tightly, and who thought very much of his personal appearance. It was not that he considered himself handsome, but that he was specially proud of […]
Lionel G. Fawkes, Chapter 37: ‘The Board-Room”, The Way We Live Now “My Lords and Gentlemen,” said Melmotte. “I hope that you trust me.” This is part of The Classics Circuit, which is currently reading and posting on Anthony Trollope’s novels. Never having read anything by Trollope, I thought I would take the plunge with […]