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abitahooey's review against another edition
challenging
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
slrsmith's review against another edition
3.0
The tale of Lizzie the liar. Book 3 of the Palliser novels. Quite entertaining and that's about all there is to say about this one. I will keep going with the series as I find them diverting and not too demanding. I also like Trollope's cynical tone and pithy observations.
lbrex's review against another edition
5.0
This novel was a fascinating book on its own as well as a meaningful counterpoint to _Phineas Finn_, as many of the questions around marriage and financial stability, principle vs. pragmatism from _PF_ return in _The Eustace Diamonds_ in a different register. The novel centers around Lizzie Eustace, a young widow who claims, falsely, that her husband bequeathed her the £10,000 family diamonds before his death. She is not going to let go of these diamonds! They were given to her by her dear Florian! The narrator compares Lizzie to Becky Sharpe from Thackeray's _Vanity Fair_, but the truth is that Lizzie is less likable than Becky and the narrator seems, rather consistently, to dislike her. _The Eustace Diamonds_ is thus a fascinating exercise in a story about a woman for which the storyteller has no affection, though I began to wonder, near the end, if there wasn't some grudging admiration that was being developed.
Lizzie, because she is often a shallow liar bent on material gain, doesn't always attract the "best people" to her social circle, so the rest of the cast of character are a fairly unpleasant bunch. Some of them, Sir George and Mrs. Carbuncle, who appear in the middle of the novel and occupy many pages, aren't necessarily interesting (though I appreciated some of their antics), but the others certainly are. Perhaps foremost among them is Lizzie's attractive cousin, Frank Greystock, who attempts repeatedly to be her champion and "brother," but is in fact involved in repeated semi-erotic scenes with her, some of which are observed by Lady Eustace's humorous Scottish groundskeeper. The problem with these erotic scenes is that Frank is legitimately in love with Lucy Morris, a penniless governess who the narrator tells us is NOT the heroine of the novel, but Frank is frequently second guessing himself because marriage to the virtuous Lucy will mean a significant reduction in the luxuries he enjoys as a single member of parliament and barrister (parallels and contrasts with Phineas here). The narrator knows that we want Frank to be a good guy, but the narrator reminds us that even villains, if we hung out with them as friends, would probably fun people to know, so Frank is allowed to neglect Lucy for a significant chunk of the novel. What he and Lucy would do next, and whether Lizzie would succeed in winning Frank, were questions that kept me interested in the novel.
The risk of this review, of course, is that it's becoming a jaunty and appreciative "recap" of _The Eustace Diamonds_, when in fact all you're looking for is a review. For that, I can say that this is a good novel to read, whether on its own or as part of the Pallisers. Lizzie does not disappoint!
Lizzie, because she is often a shallow liar bent on material gain, doesn't always attract the "best people" to her social circle, so the rest of the cast of character are a fairly unpleasant bunch. Some of them, Sir George and Mrs. Carbuncle, who appear in the middle of the novel and occupy many pages, aren't necessarily interesting (though I appreciated some of their antics), but the others certainly are. Perhaps foremost among them is Lizzie's attractive cousin, Frank Greystock, who attempts repeatedly to be her champion and "brother," but is in fact involved in repeated semi-erotic scenes with her, some of which are observed by Lady Eustace's humorous Scottish groundskeeper. The problem with these erotic scenes is that Frank is legitimately in love with Lucy Morris, a penniless governess who the narrator tells us is NOT the heroine of the novel, but Frank is frequently second guessing himself because marriage to the virtuous Lucy will mean a significant reduction in the luxuries he enjoys as a single member of parliament and barrister (parallels and contrasts with Phineas here). The narrator knows that we want Frank to be a good guy, but the narrator reminds us that even villains, if we hung out with them as friends, would probably fun people to know, so Frank is allowed to neglect Lucy for a significant chunk of the novel. What he and Lucy would do next, and whether Lizzie would succeed in winning Frank, were questions that kept me interested in the novel.
The risk of this review, of course, is that it's becoming a jaunty and appreciative "recap" of _The Eustace Diamonds_, when in fact all you're looking for is a review. For that, I can say that this is a good novel to read, whether on its own or as part of the Pallisers. Lizzie does not disappoint!
jakebittle's review against another edition
There are literally a hundred characters in this book and not one of them is likable. Yet somehow the book is just a delight, never anything else. How does this guy do it?
mollyrook's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book. Reviews compared it to Vanity Fair, and while there are clear similarities, this isn't anywhere near as good. It lacked the keen societal insights and satire, and instead just had a host of mostly unlikeable characters that weren't all that funny. Trollope is a witty writer, and I did enjoy reading it, but it won't go on my favourites shelf.
Beyond that, I have one significant complaint. There's a certain amount of Victorian anti-Semitism that I'm willing to dismiss as just "part of the time," but this book really harped on about it. There were whole sections that I skimmed because they were too distasteful.
All in all, a thoroughly middle of the road book.
Beyond that, I have one significant complaint. There's a certain amount of Victorian anti-Semitism that I'm willing to dismiss as just "part of the time," but this book really harped on about it. There were whole sections that I skimmed because they were too distasteful.
All in all, a thoroughly middle of the road book.
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
3.0
The Eustace Diamonds (1873) is the third novel in Anthony Trollope's Palliser series. However, this is the first Trollope novel I've read--picked out initially for the jewel in the title to fulfill part of the What's in a Name Challenge. I didn't find that stepping into the series in mid-stream hurt my understanding of the book at all. There weren't any references to people or incidents that weren't made clear in the work itself.
According to the blurb on the back of the book, this novel "bears all the hallmarks of [Trollope's] later works, blending dark cynicism with humor and a keen perception of human nature. Following the death of her husband, Sir Florian, beautiful Lizzie Eustace mysteriously comes into possession of a hugely expensive diamond necklace. She maintains it was a gift from her husband, but the Eustace lawyers insist she give it up, and while her cousin Frank takes her side, her new lover, Lord Fawn, declares that he will only marry her if the necklace is surrendered. As gossip and scandal intensify, Lizzie's truthfulness is thrown into doubt, and, in her desire to keep the jewels, she is driven to increasingly desperate acts."
This was an interesting read. I find Trollope to be somewhere between Jane Austen and Charles Dickens for me--with Jane being the higher end of literature. Trollope's characters are well-drawn, realistic and believable. In fact he did such a good job of representing Lizzie Eustace a s a grasping, lying, cheating, social-climbing wench, that I can assure you I would have no desire to be introduced to her when out in society. I was a bit disappointed in the ending. Although I do think Lizzie is getting a bit of karma thrown her way, I would have appreciated a better resolution with respect to the diamonds. But I guess we can't have everything we want.
One other quibble...as with many novels from this time period, The Eustace Diamonds was originally printed in installments--which meant the reading public had to wait a long time to find out what happened next. I appreciate Penguin Classics desire to present the work in precisely the form that readers in the Victorian era would have received it....except that doesn't exactly work. I've got it all in one volume...so rather than having to wait weeks or longer to read the next bit, I was able to plow on through. This meant that the "reminder" passages which were intended to help the Victorian reader remember what had taken place previously really began to irritate me. Whole passages that had just appeared two or three pages ago would suddenly reappear. Minor quibble. Over all an interesting character study of how far one woman will go to hang on to what she has convinced herself is rightfully hers. Three and a half stars.
According to the blurb on the back of the book, this novel "bears all the hallmarks of [Trollope's] later works, blending dark cynicism with humor and a keen perception of human nature. Following the death of her husband, Sir Florian, beautiful Lizzie Eustace mysteriously comes into possession of a hugely expensive diamond necklace. She maintains it was a gift from her husband, but the Eustace lawyers insist she give it up, and while her cousin Frank takes her side, her new lover, Lord Fawn, declares that he will only marry her if the necklace is surrendered. As gossip and scandal intensify, Lizzie's truthfulness is thrown into doubt, and, in her desire to keep the jewels, she is driven to increasingly desperate acts."
This was an interesting read. I find Trollope to be somewhere between Jane Austen and Charles Dickens for me--with Jane being the higher end of literature. Trollope's characters are well-drawn, realistic and believable. In fact he did such a good job of representing Lizzie Eustace a s a grasping, lying, cheating, social-climbing wench, that I can assure you I would have no desire to be introduced to her when out in society. I was a bit disappointed in the ending. Although I do think Lizzie is getting a bit of karma thrown her way, I would have appreciated a better resolution with respect to the diamonds. But I guess we can't have everything we want.
One other quibble...as with many novels from this time period, The Eustace Diamonds was originally printed in installments--which meant the reading public had to wait a long time to find out what happened next. I appreciate Penguin Classics desire to present the work in precisely the form that readers in the Victorian era would have received it....except that doesn't exactly work. I've got it all in one volume...so rather than having to wait weeks or longer to read the next bit, I was able to plow on through. This meant that the "reminder" passages which were intended to help the Victorian reader remember what had taken place previously really began to irritate me. Whole passages that had just appeared two or three pages ago would suddenly reappear. Minor quibble. Over all an interesting character study of how far one woman will go to hang on to what she has convinced herself is rightfully hers. Three and a half stars.
daisyb's review against another edition
3.0
I wish the Eustace diamonds had never come to me. I wished none of this had happened. — Lizzie
siguirimama's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0