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kalupy's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
schopflin's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Featuring one of Trollope's more annoying flawed male protagonists, but still a highly enjoyable inheritance and marriage story. If you read the Oxford World's Classics edition with the introduction by John Sutherland, don't even glance at it until after you are finished as it's FULL of spoilers.
fauve184's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
persey's review against another edition
3.0
What a shame. Trollope raises many issues regarding the relationship of the sexes as well as money and inheritance and he creates intriguing potential plot twists, only to abandon them all. Even the titular question is never resolved. Moreover, ultimately none of the characters is particularly likable. Among the annoying strains are the mockery of the feminist movement, the domineering husband who is essentially validated, and the prelate who rejoices in the death of a miserable two-year old. By the end of the book, pretty much nothing has happened although most are better off. The saving grace is Trollope’s prose, but this is still barely three stars; it has the feel of something he ground out doing his daily stint without caring.
pgchuis's review
3.0
Mary Lovelace, the daughter of a Dean, marries Lord George, the younger brother to a Marquis. Lord George previously asked his cousin Adelaide to marry him, but she refused him and married a rich old man instead. After George and Mary's marriage Adelaide tells George she still loves him and he is drawn into an inappropriate flirtation with her, which Mary eventually discovers. Mary tries to love George, who is older than her, but enjoys the company of the young and dashing Jack de Baron. George tries to interfere with this friendship, but Mary points out that she has done nothing wrong. Meanwhile the Marquis returns from a 30 year residence in Italy with a wife and a sickly son. The son's legitimacy is in question and George and his father-in-law, the Dean, employ a lawyer to try to get to the bottom of things.
In many ways this was an enjoyable Trollope: the Marquis is terrible and the mystery surrounding his wife and son is initially intriguing; Adelaide is evil and scheming and I loved the scene where the Dean attacks the Marquis. Lady Sarah, who comes to appreciate Mary and always deals with her fairly is a touching character and the old Marchioness, while irrational and annoying (and latterly presumably suffering from dementia), is well drawn.
But, there were problems for me: I never understood why Mary loved George (apart from because she had married him) - he never said anything kind to her or supported her or in any way seemed to appreciate her good qualities. On the contrary, he was weak and negative and ineffectual and whiney. I disliked the way he and his family looked down on Mary for her middle class origins and only truly took her to their hearts when she became the mother of the heir. Trollope seemed largely to allow them to get away with this. They supported the Marquis as the head of the family to a truly masochistic level.
Trollope seemed to get bored of the central question of whether the child from Italy was or was not the heir: he killed him off so that it didn't matter and then the Marquis claimed that he didn't even know himself what the truth was. By this stage I wanted to know the answer in black and white. Trollope treated the women's rights movement with mockery, while allowing Mary to stick up for herself in her marriage and giving Lady Sarah important things to say about the role available to her and her sisters.
I think overall I felt that people didn't get their just desserts and it left a sour taste in my mouth.
In many ways this was an enjoyable Trollope: the Marquis is terrible and the mystery surrounding his wife and son is initially intriguing; Adelaide is evil and scheming and I loved the scene where the Dean attacks the Marquis. Lady Sarah, who comes to appreciate Mary and always deals with her fairly is a touching character and the old Marchioness, while irrational and annoying (and latterly presumably suffering from dementia), is well drawn.
But, there were problems for me: I never understood why Mary loved George (apart from because she had married him) - he never said anything kind to her or supported her or in any way seemed to appreciate her good qualities. On the contrary, he was weak and negative and ineffectual and whiney. I disliked the way he and his family looked down on Mary for her middle class origins and only truly took her to their hearts when she became the mother of the heir. Trollope seemed largely to allow them to get away with this. They supported the Marquis as the head of the family to a truly masochistic level.
Trollope seemed to get bored of the central question of whether the child from Italy was or was not the heir: he killed him off so that it didn't matter and then the Marquis claimed that he didn't even know himself what the truth was. By this stage I wanted to know the answer in black and white. Trollope treated the women's rights movement with mockery, while allowing Mary to stick up for herself in her marriage and giving Lady Sarah important things to say about the role available to her and her sisters.
I think overall I felt that people didn't get their just desserts and it left a sour taste in my mouth.
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