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stephxsu's review against another edition
2.0
Unfortunately I have to say that I liked Trollope and his works much better before I read this. It is interesting, no doubt--but the man himself is rather unappealing, thoroughly self-important, lacking in confidence, and vindictive. It is more a discussion of his works and his theory on work than a thorough autobiography. Still, of course, it is a must-read for Trollopian fans.
karinlib's review against another edition
4.0
For the last few years I have been trying to work my way through Trollope's works. I've read 10 novels, and now Trollope's Autobiography. [b:The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classic Guide to World Literature, Revised and Expanded|249186|The New Lifetime Reading Plan The Classic Guide to World Literature, Revised and Expanded|Clifton Fadiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388614382s/249186.jpg|241449] lists it as one of Trollope's books to read. It seems as though everyone has a favorite Trollope. The "books you should read" lists differ on which one of his 47 novels are the best. My personal favorite, still, is [b:Doctor Thorne|29151142|Doctor Thorne|Anthony Trollope|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462528612s/29151142.jpg|690564] (the third book in the Barsetshire series).
Although Autobiography is not my favorite Trollope, I am glad I read it. Not only does he discuss his early life, career as a postal worker, travels and his writings, but he also discusses the best authors of his time (according to him): Thackery, Dickens, George Eliot. In different chapters of this work he says Pride and Prejudice is the best novel, in another chapter he says that [b:The History of Henry Esmond, Esq.|900765|The History of Henry Esmond, Esq.|William Makepeace Thackeray|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347524887s/900765.jpg|2096110], by Thackery, is the best novel of his time.
Now that I've had a break from Trollope's novels, I'll return to his Palliser series.
Although Autobiography is not my favorite Trollope, I am glad I read it. Not only does he discuss his early life, career as a postal worker, travels and his writings, but he also discusses the best authors of his time (according to him): Thackery, Dickens, George Eliot. In different chapters of this work he says Pride and Prejudice is the best novel, in another chapter he says that [b:The History of Henry Esmond, Esq.|900765|The History of Henry Esmond, Esq.|William Makepeace Thackeray|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347524887s/900765.jpg|2096110], by Thackery, is the best novel of his time.
Now that I've had a break from Trollope's novels, I'll return to his Palliser series.
jason_pym's review against another edition
5.0
Anthony Trollope is a favourite of my dad's, but even he said the books were good to read if 'you're having trouble sleeping.' So I really didn't expect to find a man who is likeable and funny, whose view of the world, other authors, attitude to life pretty much match my own. There's good stuff on how to write (or how to do anything you love, and be successful at it).
All in all an unexpected joy, though there is the nagging thought that that's because I've managed to become as tedious as he is in my old age :)
There's a great audio book version of this on Librivox read by Jessica Louise.
All in all an unexpected joy, though there is the nagging thought that that's because I've managed to become as tedious as he is in my old age :)
There's a great audio book version of this on Librivox read by Jessica Louise.
erinbrenner's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
For Trollope fans, this is a peek into the writer's life and Victorian life in general. We get a sense of the beliefs and social norms that inform his books. We see him judge his work as objectively as a writer can. We get more of the personality hinted at in his fiction.
An Autobiography offers writers even more. Trollope explains his method for getting the work done, even while working a busy full-time job. He shares his thoughts on the writing process, literature, publishing, and more. I was particularly taken by how he thinks about his characters all the time. They live in his head, having a life of their own, even while he works his f/t job with the postal service.
It's well worth the read!
An Autobiography offers writers even more. Trollope explains his method for getting the work done, even while working a busy full-time job. He shares his thoughts on the writing process, literature, publishing, and more. I was particularly taken by how he thinks about his characters all the time. They live in his head, having a life of their own, even while he works his f/t job with the postal service.
It's well worth the read!
sir_ehssan's review against another edition
4.0
Such a good book!
It's starts slow and remains a slow read till to the end.
But I most say, I learned a lot. Trollope was a man with high standards and moral.
Definitively a great read, but I'm not going to read it again other than some specific part.
The best part IMO is the third part of the book, where he tells more about his worldview and the business of literature.
It's starts slow and remains a slow read till to the end.
But I most say, I learned a lot. Trollope was a man with high standards and moral.
Definitively a great read, but I'm not going to read it again other than some specific part.
The best part IMO is the third part of the book, where he tells more about his worldview and the business of literature.
amandaquotidianbooks's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5
This was an interesting mix of an autobiography. A bulk of the book is Trollope discussing the books he’s written (and claiming most of them are not particularly good). It was interesting to hear about his early life and career in the post office. He also discusses his writing process, how long it took for his literary career to be successful and how much money he made as an author, which is really cool. He also discusses his contemporaries like Dickens, Eliot and Charlotte Brontë and makes some juicy comments that were fun to hear. He doesn’t go into depth about his personal life, but it was a satisfying read especially for its length. It does spoil the following books however:
Orley Farm
Orley Farm
The Small House at Allington
Can You Forgive Her
Miss Mackenzie (vague)
The Claverings
Jane Eyre
The Last chronicle of Barset
Phineas Finn
Phineas Redux
Lady Anna
More...