Where Do I Go From Here?: Or Which Trollope Novel Should I Read Next?

Hi all. I was hoping someone could recommend a favorite Trollope novel (I'm not a fan of his nonfiction), which I haven't yet read. I don't want to read all his novels just to have read all his novels, but I don't want to miss anything wonderful either.

I've read all the Pallisers (about three times each!), all the Barsetshires, He Knew He Was Right, Orley Farm, Miss Mackenzie, The Struggles of Brown Jones and Robinson, The Belton Estate, Is He Popinjoy, The Three Clerks, Rachel Ray, Lady Anna, The American Senator, Dr. Wortle's School, Ayala's Angel, The Kelly's and the O'Kellys, Ralph the Heir, The Vicar of Bullhampton, An Old Man's Love, The Claverlings, Cousin Henry, The Way We Live Now, and The Golden Lion of Granpere.

The only one of these I didn't really like was The Struggles of Brown, Jones, and Robinson.

Where do I go from here?

Thanks in advance for your recommendations.

Hi mkalech,

you have read an impressive amount of Trollope!

I haven't read them yet, but Mr. Scarborough's Family and The Bertrams are apparently quite good.

Linda Tressel, Sir Harry Hotspur and Harry Heathcote are OK, if somewhat dour.

It's seems you've read about everything worthwhile but for digifish's suggestions. I second her on Mr. Scarborough's Family; The Bertrams is okay - nothing special. Harry Heathcote was rather lame but you can buzz through it quickly. Sir Harry is solid but sad.

Why not start in on the short stories? "An Unprotected Female at the Pyramids" is a classic.

Now that I think of it, Nina Balatka ain't bad. Nowhere near as dismal as Linda Tressel.

I applaud you for getting through Brown, Jones and Robinson and The Three Clerks. I've tried both several times but can't manage it; puts off my "completist" aspiration!

I loved the Three Clerks! I have a specific memory of reading it on a Saturday, a guy calling to ask me to go out that night, and my turning him down because I wanted to continue reading The Three Clerks. (I think I said I was tired--most guys don't like to hear that you would rather spend an evening with a guy who has been dead for over 100 years than with them. I have since married someone who understands my Trollope obsession and is also fine if I want to stay home and read instead of going out.)

I think I'm going to try Mr. Scarborough's Family.

I'm not much a fan of the short store as a genre. One of the reasons I like Victorian novels is the length.

I have shied away from Linda Tressel and Nina Balatka, as I think (I could be wrong) that Trollope published those novels under a different name for the purpose of seeing how critics would react to his stuff if they didn't know he was the one writing it, and I was worried they might be different from his normal style. (I think that's the problem with Brown, Jones, and Robinson--not typical Trollope at all.) Maybe I should give them a chance.

I will also try one of the three digfish recommends with the dour caveat. Dour has never bothered me. I am a huge fan of Thomas Hardy!

>4 mkalech: Have you had a chance to tackle Mr Scarborough's Family yet...?

I have restarted Ayala's Angel which I put to one side last September. Determined to finish it!

I loved Ayala's Angel. Very worth it. Let me know if you are enjoying it.

I still need to get hold of Mr. Scarborough. I need to request that it be sent from the main branch of our library to the one near me.

I just checked, and I will need to order through interlibrary loan. I cannot believe they do not have it (I live in Philadelphia--huge library).

THE WAY WE LIVE NOW is very good.

Yes, I am a huge fan. I saw the BBC production and was rather disappointed. The book is always much better.

What didn't you like about the miniseries, just out of curiosity? I haven't read the book yet but I borrowed the DVDs from the library.

I felt that they oversexualized the character of the young woman (whose name of course I can't remember right now).

I find that often happens in BBC versions of classics. They even had Moll Flanders sleep with the ONE man she didn't sleep with in the book! (In case you're not familiar with the plot, Moll Flanders sleeps with a ton of men, including her brother, although she doesn't know he is her brother while she is sleeping with him.)

I am a huge fan of Masterpiece Theatre, but mostly when I haven't read the book. (Caveat: I usually don't like the movie/tv adaptation when I have read the book, so my opinion may not be worth much. I may have loved the BBC version of The Way We Live Now if I hadn't read the book.)

I appreciate your thoughts, mkalech, and will bear them in mind as we watch. I don't think I will get to the book beforehand (too many Early Reviewer books on my plate at the moment) but I will read it someday and be able to compare the book and adaptation.

>6 mkalech: I am kind of 'skim reading' to the end of Ayala's Angel with only 10 or so chapters left. It feels like its dragging on too long.. Not sure what's happened to me lately but I'm finding Trollope a bit of a struggle to get through! Maybe I should give up on these 'minor works' and re-read the Chronicles of Barset :)

Just finished the McDermots of Ballycloran. Struggled the first third but found the ending too sad.

I just finally requested Mister Scarborough's family through interlibrary loan--I can't believe the Philadelphia Free Library doesn't have a copy! It's the first time I'm trying their ILL system--I'm curious to see if they bother to find it (I know a lot of public libraries ignore ILL requests and then tell patrons they couldn't find a copy).

Going to pick up Mr. Scarborough's Family today. Yeah!

I just want to thank everyone who recommended Mr. Scarborough's Family. I finished it the other day and loved every minuted of reading it (except the hunting chapter--he always seems to have at least one hunting chapter in each novel, but this one was more interesting than most as there was less hunting and more human interaction).

Anyway, thanks.