@@katiejlumsden that’s next up for me after John Halifax, Gentleman which i have nearly finished. Those Victorians liked to give value for money as far as length is concerned!
Yes to this ranking! Those are my top two as well. The Way We Live Now is also such a great insight into the business practices of the 19th Century with meetings in Liverpool - the gateway to the New World and investment opportunities. Liverpool had the world's first American Embassy (which still has its golden eagle to this day). It's so fascinating to see this point in history - especially the early days of the American railroads. Dr Wortles School is the perfect place to start with Trollope because it introduces the reader to his deeply empathic insight into the complicities of ethics. Our world is so seemingly polemic right now - Trollope is the antidote.
Luv ya, kid! Your recommendations particularly of Victorian literature are really enhancing my retirement, now that I finally have time to read and enjoy all these wonderful books. Keep 'em coming!
Love this video because I too love Trollope. I just finished the warden and am looking forward to reading the next one in the series. Thank you for being you. It is so helpful to hear your reviews.
I’ve read about 10 Trollope books but I still feel like I’m just scratching the surface with him. He is definitely one of my favourites though- hoping to get to some more of him this Victober. That’s after I’ve tackled Lorna Doone, which I’ve been meaning to read for literally years. My mum is named Lorna after that character so I really should just crack on with that xx
I liked Cousin Henry. Trollope's ability to convey Henry's thoughts made this book so good. I loved Cranford, too, and especially the BBC adaptation that combined a couple of Gaskell's short works together. I love and appreciate your videos, Katie!
Hi Katie, I haven’t read Anthony Trollope yet but I’m new to Victober. I’ve never even heard of him before joining the community. I’m participating in Victober for the second time. And there’s so much good Victorian literature waiting for me. I’m reading the woman in white right now and loving it so much. Thank you. Aloha
Thank you for this video, I really enjoyed it. I've just finished The Way We Live Now (which took me a long time but it was well worth it) and loved it. The characters are just so relatable, even 150 years later. I have already read the Warden so I am now going to go through the rest of the Barchester chronicles. Thanks again for your enthusiasm, it has made me want to explore Trollope further.
I am so glad to hear that you loved The Way We Live Now! I just started it last night and I am really enjoying it so far. Lady Carbury is such a great character!
I haven't read any Trollope yet, but when you were reading through and posting about the Pallitser novels I happened to find the entire series at my used bookstore so I bought it as it sounded really good and right up my alley! Hoping to start my journey with him next year!
I Love Trollope. I have read Barchetshire series and few more of his works. can't wait to read more... but it needs time and patience...thanks for the video and inputs. I just newly found you :) great stuff on your channel.
Thank you so much for doing this video! So far I have listened to the Barchester Chronicles but should read/listen again as it has been a while. With so many Trollope books, I just wasn’t sure what to read next. Your summaries are super helpful. I’m excited to read more and have picked out a few for the Victober Readathon, The Belton Estate (countryside), The Way We Live Now (city), and maybe some more from your top 10 list. At this rate, the Readathon will last much longer than a month for me! ;)
Your channel is a gem, Katie. I loved this video. I knew Pheneas Redux was going to be at the bottom of your ranking. I remember you mentioned you didn’t like what happens with Laura in that book. I agree with you regarding Dr Thorne. I know most people love it but I feel he has better books than that one. If you want to try listening to He Knew He Was Right, I suggest you listen to the one narrated by Nigel Patterson, he is not like Timothy West but I think he does a good job in his audiobooks. I always read his books in ebook so thanks for mentioning which ones are shorter, that helps me prioritize. This is a great way to start Victober.
Great overview, thanks! :) This reminds me that I really have to read more of his books. So far, I've only read two; _The Warden_ and _Dr. Wortle's School_ .
I've just really started with my Trollope journey as I'm on my third book now, making my way through Barchester so glad to see some of those rank so highly. It's a nice feeling when you are really enjoying an author already and you have so much more left to go, more so with Trollope as he probably fills three bookshelves or more.
Just called in to give you a thumbs up and consign the video to the "watch later" list. The reason being that I have a policy of saving Mr Trollope as a treat for my dotage. Not there just yet. :-)
This video makes me so excited to continue reading Anthony Trollope's works. I've only read two, so I've a long way to go yet, but it will be interesting to visit these books and see if my thoughts and ranking align with yours. Many thanks for putting this video together and I hope that you have a brilliant Victober. (side-note: the only interest I have in Harry Heathcote comes from the fact we share a surname. I'm an awful reader.)
I have read about the same number of Trollope as you and I too would put The Small House at Allington on top. I am also fond of Orley Farm, it does go on a bit, but every moment fascinated me, even all the legal minutia. I’m not sure you mentioned it in your video, you move fast. Thanks for a great video with several useful recommendations for those that I haven’t read.
Trollope's Autobiography is worth reading. It is considered a Victorian classic by many. Anthony's mom was a resourceful, industrious, creative woman, but a person who occasionally at the same time could have vision but lack understanding. If Trollope understands the power and workings of money better than most fiction writers, it is in part because of his upbringing.
Excellent video - thanks! I personally would really love to see you list all of the Trollope books that you would describe as being very focused. Because of time constraints I do struggle greatly with his meandering ones. It would be great to have a comprehensive list perhaps even in order of publication as well. I don’t ask for much! LOL 😆. Thanks for all your videos which are always greatly anticipated. I want to read another trollope but can’t decide which. Perhaps one of the more focused ones you mentioned here.
I think there's a list of all his books in publication order on wikipedia. In terms of the more focused ones I'd say they are: Dr Wortle’s School, An Old Man’s Love, The Warden, Lady Anna, The Belton Estate, Miss Mackenzie, Cousin Henry and Rachel Ray - and The Claverings is sort of in between
I loved this video! I am a big fan of list style videos. Thanks so much for putting this together. I think you might find Castle Richmond interesting. It has an inheritance plot line and a love triangle. However, the treatment of the potato famine can be off-putting to some. I also love his short story Malachi’s Cove. It is brilliant (in my humble opinion)!
@@carlabrown6849 It is so witty and insightful at times, I was a bit afraid the novel would be boring but I really like. Unfortunately, English is only my third language, so I'm rather a slower reader. But I'll try of course. :)
@@carlabrown6849 13th favorite author is Anthony Trollope. Here is where his books fall on my favorite books list: 59) "He Knew He Was Right" by Anthony Trollope 71) "The Warden" by Anthony Trollope 86) "The Way We Live Now" by Anthony Trollope 101) "Can you forgive her?" by Anthony Trollope
I love Anthony Trollope, and I thank you for getting me started on him. I first heard about him from you! I’ve read the Barsetshire Chronicles and Rachel Ray and now I’m starting The Belton Estates. My favorites are Barchester Towers and Framley Parsonage so far, but honestly I loved them all.
Hi! I really liked this video a lot, thank you! I've only read The Warden so far, and I loved it and made me feel like reading Trollope further. Unfortunately, there aren't many of his books translated into Spanish, which is my mother tongue, but at least I have The Barchester towers, which will be one of my readings for this Victober. I read The Warden without many expectations, just as a preparation for The towers, but it surprised me. Thank you!
Thank you for your wonderful review. I've just finished the Barchester series. In The Last Chronicle of Barset two paragraphs especially made me cry. The last paragraph of chapter 77 re Lily Dale. Also the very last paragraph where Trollope writes 'if the reader will allow me to seize him affectionately by the arm, we will together take our last farewell of Barset and the towers of Barchester'. Brilliant how it feels that I'm being talked to so directly and personally by the author from 150 years ago.
CAN YOU FORGIVE HER? was my gateway book into Victorian literature and remains among my favorites today. In fact, it is one of the only novels I've read multiple times in my life. Also, Trollope wrote something like 48 novels, so you are beyond half way there!
What a fantastic list! I have read 15 Trollope novels, but I haven't thought about ranking them. I'd have to give that a good think. I am in the middle of The Claverings right now and it is so good! The characters are each so well rounded, so compelling. I have no idea how it will end, which makes it fun!
This video is very helpful! The only Trollope novel I’ve read is The Warden, a number of years ago. I’m just starting Can You Forgive Her? I also have John Caldigate in my ebook library. Plus, I just now got The Small House at Allington and a few others. Yea!
This was a great video. So enjoyed watching it. This is the first video I have seen on this channel and will definitely subscribe having watched it. The only Trollope novels I have read are the Palliser novels and The American Senator. Politics and literature are my two great passions so the combination of the two was the main draw to him. I agree with the general disdain towards The Eustace Diamonds as I find it too peripheral to the rest of the Palliser series (Trollope himself didn't even consider it part of the series, of course) so struggled to maintain interest. I feel the same way a bit about Can You Forgive Her?, which I had read after reading the four core parliamentary novels. I thought it felt pedestrian compared to them, although I did enjoy it as a sort of prequel (from my perspective) that really struck home how much Planty and Glen's love grows through deep respect and shared experiences over time. Phineas Redux sort of annoys me, too, in that it is the novel Trollope wrote after drifting away from Gladstone over Ireland so it sort of runs against the spirit of Phineas Finn a bit (although I still think it probably the second-most important book to read in the series, despite not being as good Phineas Finn, The Prime Minister, and The Duke's Children) Although I adore The Prime Minister and The Duke's Children (the two I read first and that made me fall in love with Trollope), my favourite novel of the series is Phineas Finn. It is the most historical and didactic of the series so I just love it (also because I love the female characters). During lockdown, a group of friends and I had twice-weekly Zoom seminars and I did my presentation on the politics of Trollope on electoral reform, Irish tenant right, and gender relations through the Palliser series generally and Phineas Finn in particular. Looking at how Trollope's intellectual influences and opinions of the issues of the day shape the books. I am thinking of uploading it to RU-vid.
Great video! II disagree with you on some of the books (I found The Warden and Lady Anna rather boring and on the other hand Can You Forgive Her is probably my favorite Trollope so far) but I'm with you for The Way We Live Now, The Duke's children and The American Senator. They are brilliant, and I feel like the latter is underrated. Happy Victober!
I am happy that I found your channel. I have great respect for Trollope. I would call him the English Tolstoi. Trollope like Tolstoi portrays ordinary people and does it very well. That said, I've only read a a few of his works, The Eustace Diamonds (which compares favorably with Vanity Fair) and The Way We Live Now. Both are great books. I believe I read at least one other novel but I don't recall its name or even what it was about, and also his play which when I read it was the first Trollope I read. The play reminded me of Ibsen. I've read some of his mother's work as well. Have you ever read any of his brother's novels ? I've always wanted to read them. But when I was young and had the time to do so, they were unavailable and almost impossible to find. Now, it's possible to get them online, but the time, the time ! Where did that go? They are usually set in Italy where he lived as an expat. A very talented family. I've decided, thanks to you, that the next Trollope I will read is the Little House etc. that you so highly recommend. Cheers.
Thank you Katie, being a mexican who love victorian literature makes my options short and I love your videos because they give me wonderful suggestions. I'd read 14 Trollope's but Doctor Thorne is my favorite, my second is Can you forgive her, I just can understand Lily Dale but The small house is a great book.
I'd love to watch a readalong of the whole Chronicles of Barsetshire, it's an all time favorite! Or the March family trilogy, Little Women, Little Men, and Jo's Boys, or Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom, Cranford and Return to Cranford, I will keep clicking around hoping to find people doing those.
Grwetings from Chicago! I love Anthony Trollope and I loved your video! I've read about as many Trollopes as you and many overlap. I'm curious to hear why you don't rank Doctor Thorne so highly. I love it mostly because it contains my favorite Trollope character: Miss Dunstable. The platonic relationship between her and Frank Gresham is so unusual for a Victorian novel. Of the ones you haven't read I would really recommend John Caldigate. And if you are looking for the weirdest Trollope novel you should try The Fixed Period. Pretty short and super weird. I think you would also like No Name by Wilkie Collins. It has quite a Trollope feel to it. Keep up the great work. I'll be following you
Thanks very much for the recommendation! I do have an individual review here of Doctor Thorne, back from nearer to when I'd read it, when my mind was fresher! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cu98XnYmewU.html . I love it, I just love a lot of other Trollope books more, and I love the other books in the Barsetshire Chronicles more.
I have read the Barsetshire Chronicles and the Palliser Series too but not much beyond and I read them forty years ago I enjoyed Trollope's writing and he will be a prime candidate for my new eReader I have a shoulder injury and fat Victorian novels are not comfortable to read but with my new eReader some of the standalone novels cane be on the horizon.
Awesome video! I have read 8 Anthony Trollopes. My order of preference would be: 1- He Knew He Was Right 2- Is He Poppenjoy? 3- Can You Forgive Her? 4- The Way We Live Now 5- Barchester Chronicles 6- Harry Heathcote of Gangoil 7- The Warden 8- Dr. Whortle's School Really need to read more by him!
I'm actually reading The Small House at Allington now! Really loving it. So far, I am just making my way through the Barsetshire books, but will definitely continue past that point with Trollope's work!
Great video! I am a big Trollope fan, I've read around 30 of his books. I recommend "Ayala's Angel", one of Trollope's last works (and least known too - sadly). It is a great read, which will make you smile and laugh, as only Trollope can do. I agree with your comments, but not about The Eustace Diamonds - I've always ranked that as one of my top books by Trollope, the character of Lady Eustace, very Becky Sharp-ish, is just great, and the various robberies and plots around the main story are all wonderful.
Surprised I missed this. Trollope is my favorite author. I’ve read all his novels and stories, and am currently re-reading everything in the Barset/Palliser universe. You should think about updating this when you’ve read about ten more. Definitely read John Caldigate and Marion Fay. I have a higher opinion of the Finn books than you do, especially of the first one. And whatever you think about what happens to Laura, I love the second book so much because of the characterization of Madame Max, and because I love pretty much anything with Glencora in it.
Just finishing up a rereading of "The way we live now". The ranking of the novels is a bit of a disservice. I stumbled upon " The Warden", not realizing the richness of the Barsetshire to come!
I read Small House after Can You Forgive Her?, and didn't realize a certain character would be there. Definitely agree about reading the Barsetshire books first!
Just finishing re-reading the Barsetshire Chronicles, this time on audio. Agree with your Small House at Allington ranking, great book, lots going on. Although John Eames' romantic dalliance with Amelia in this book and then Madelina in the final book made me want to give him a good talking to!😀Love your Trollope ranking vidio
It's funny as I just read Dr Thorne and The Framley Parsonage back to back and had the opposite thoughts where I loved Dr Thorne so much and how Framley Parsonage felt dimmer in comparison especially in the love story. I do love Lady Lufton so much though. I also prefer The Warden over The Barchester Chronicles which I know is also unpopular ordering.
I really need to finish The Barsetshire Chronicles. Like you said... a lot of the Palliser series is pretty low on this list, and I don't know if I'm so excited to read it. You've given me some wonderful standalones to check out though. We should read He Knew He Was Right together sometime! I own it and haven't read it yet. This video also makes me want to reread The Way We Live Now. The Small House at Allington is so good too! It's a better Sense and Sensibility and I love Johnny Eames.
The Small House at Allington was the first I read. I was impressed by the way it shows how a man can deceive himself and find justifications for things he shouldn't have done. Crosbie is not a monster but he slowly convinces himself that he is right in hurting other people. It is so realistic. I would recommend a book about Trollope: The Gentleman in Trollope by Shirley Robin Letwin. For those who might think that the novels are mere descriptions of social customs, that book will show that there is much more in them: they are explorations into human problems and dilemmas.
Thanks, Katie, this was fun. To date I’ve only read 4 Trollope novels and look forward to reading many more. “Dr Thorne” is my choice for Victober. Last year, while I was reading “Can You Forgive Her?” I kept comparing Alice Vavosor to Hardy’s perpetually indecisive heroine of “A Laodicean”, Paula Power. Trollope’s novel was published about 20 years before Hardy’s. I am guessing that Hardy may have consciously created Paula with attributes mimicking those of Alice.
I'm reading He Knew He Was Right for Victober. My favorite of the four I've read is The Way We Live Now. I plan to read Doctor Thorne soon. Did you see the mini series recently put out on Amazon of Doctor Thorne? How did you like it? I liked it.
Oh I only just bought dr wortles school for next year’s victober and I’m so glad I did. I’ve just started the last book in the barchester chronicles and I’m enjoying it the most all ready. I have the way we live now which I’m reading with Charlie next year
Nature sounds from my yard is fine or even traffic sounds but music, tv etc is not good for me. I just finished Heiress. Did you read it? Can you do a review if you did read it? Thank you.
I'm Surprised that you Ranked Dr. Wortle's School at #3. Maybe I should read it again. The Small house at Allington is my favorite also. Marion Fay and Orley farm are very good.
This was wonderful! I have read 27 novels; I think we have read 18 in common. YES to the impact of He Knew He Was Right--I still think about it often--it was gripping. And YES to The Duke's Children--it is my favorite so far--and I would strongly encourage everyone to read the 2017 restored text edition. Haven't read The Way We Live Now yet. I liked Dr Thorne and the 2 Phineas novels better than you did; they would be near the top for me. Miss Mackenzie is another favorite. I was not impressed by Small House...I found Lily Dale insufferable, but perhaps I need a re-read. Other novels I've liked a lot that you have not yet read are Orley Farm and The Three Clerks--the latter somewhat simple, but I still loved it. You are absolutely correct that the Barchester/Palliser novels should be read in order, especially to appreciate the full impact of The Duke's Children. Looking forward to my Victober selection The Claverings which will be novel #28 for me, and it sounds like it will be an excellent choice!
Haha I love Lily Dale, she's my favourite. I'm really exceeded to read both Orley Farm and The Three Clerks - I loved the exploration of the civil service in The Small House at Allington so looking forward to The Three Clerks especially.
Hi, I am looking to get a few Anthony Trollope books, I’m not sure if I should go for Oxford world classics or penguins, can I get your opinion on which is the best for his books?
Why would you want to do so? They are absolutely wonderful books. Many people rank Phineas Finn as their absolute favorite Trollope book. Both books contain many subplots and delightful characters that overlap with the other books in the series. If you skipped them, I think you'd be missing out.
Phineas Finn is a compelling character who leaves a lasting impression. I hope you enjoy your read. Btw -The Eustace Diamonds really was delightful! @@anderste4649
In the playlists of series reviews linked in the description they're in order, but also: Chronicles of Barsetshire: The Warden, Barchester Towers, Doctor Thorne, Framley Parsonage, The Small House at Allington, The Last Chronicle of Barset The Palliser/Parliamentary Novels: Can You Forgive Her?, Phineas Finn, The Eustace Diamonds, Phineas Redux, The Prime Minister, The Duke's Children.
Hello! I have two questions about reading Anthony Trollope. I am doing a reading project which involves reading complete works of authors in chronological order, but there are just too many for Trollope! With that in mind, I have provisionally settled on 14 of his books: the 6 Barsetshire novels, the 6 Palliser novels, plus He Knew He Was Right and The Way We Live Now. My first question is, will this list mean that I am missing out on some absolute classics? Are there any indispensable Trollope books that I should add? My second question is regarding The Duke's Children: should I get the version that was originally published or the expanded version? Many thanks!
So, my favourite Anthony Trollope's not in your list are: Orley Farm, The Three Clerks, The Vicar of Bullhampton, The Claverings and Dr Wortle's School, all of which are really worth your time as well. Dr Wortle's School is very short, if that helps. I read the original Duke's Children - chiefly because that was what my library had! - and really enjoyed it, but many people have said that they love the expanded version and if I were to reread it in the future, that is the one I'd read, I think.
