Reviews

Phineas Redux by Anthony Trollope

shoba's review against another edition

3.0

"But the country gets nothing done by a Tory Government."

"As to that, it's six of one and half a dozen of the other. I never knew a government yet that wanted to do anything.”

"And is the country to have no service done?"

"The country gets quite as much service as it pays for, and perhaps a little more. The clerks in the offices work for the country. And the Ministers work too, if they've got anything to manage. There is plenty of work done; but of work in Parliament, the less the better, according to my ideas. It's very little that ever is done, and that little is generally too much."




Came across this sentence.
"She is a jilt then?"
Jilt meaning a woman who unexpectedly rejects a lover.

ph1lb's review against another edition

4.0

Phineas Finn has been a good read. It includes quite a lot of British politics which at the time included the whole of Ireland. The reader might be advised to read up on rotten boroughs and on Irish tennant law.

cat_uk's review against another edition

slow-paced

alisongodfrey's review against another edition

3.0

Far too long.

ruth's review against another edition

informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

sbarolo's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

ashleylm's review against another edition

4.0

If you haven't read Trollope before, this is a pretty good place to start. It depends on your mood--if you want high life and politics, then the Palliser series will please (and this, and the third book, are my favourites in the series), but if you prefer something a little gentler, then go for the Barchester Chronicles (and probably start with book 2).

Either way, he's a lovely writer. He's a bit like Dickens divided by Eliot multipled by 1/2 an Austen, if you can imagine that. What stands out most, for me, is he's not afraid of the occasional unhappy (or, at least, non-happy) ending. His books have that wonderful Victorian broadness of scope, are elegantly written (but not overwritten or dry, I can't read the later Henry James, not really, but Trollope's a page-turner by comparison).

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, I'm a bit more ruthless.

mary_juleyre's review against another edition

funny informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

fannri's review against another edition

funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

isabellaeastwood's review against another edition

3.0

A book about the life of Finn as he attempts to be successful in British parliament. Interwoven with romances and Finn's failings of trying to get a wife that he loves. Explores the duty of a wife , with Lady Laura and her attempt to have some say in the discussions of politics. It represents the politics of the time , to allow the reading to reflect and question.