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velocitygirl14's review against another edition
5.0
I again loved this book since the politics and the mechanics were perfectly written and the characters seemed much more vivid and even more unlikeable. Especially Lopez and Lizzie Eustace coming back to the fore. I felt so bad for Emily and her family and the ending was a relief to get to and see how it worked out.
The Duke and the Duchess were fantastic as always and their bond is always a joy to read. Loved this volume. Lopez was perfectly terrible and Lizzie was always her horrible, but mature self.
The Duke and the Duchess were fantastic as always and their bond is always a joy to read. Loved this volume. Lopez was perfectly terrible and Lizzie was always her horrible, but mature self.
janey's review
4.0
I spent way too much of this book being mad at its main protagonists. ☹ Too many of them needed a good slap to knock them out of their smarmy martyrdom.
smcleish's review
4.0
Originally published on my blog here in November 2001.
The fifth Palliser novel is one of Trollope's longer, and, as is customary in the series, combines its political plotlines with a romantic subplot, the political plot relating to the other parts of the series and the romantic one specific to this novel. The latter is more interesting than the time spent by Plantagenet Palliser, Duke of Omnium, as Prime Minister, even if it is that which provides the novel's title. The most memorable aspect of the Palliser Ministry is that its leader is reluctant and does not enjoy his position at all.
In the other plot, Trollope introduces a scoundrel rather like Melmotte in [b:The Way We Live Now|149785|The Way We Live Now|Anthony Trollope|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347748385s/149785.jpg|2152551]. Ferdinand Lopez is a penniless adventurer who uses other people's money in dangerous speculation; even worse, to some of the characters, is that he is foreign and Jewish despite a façade of the English gentleman. (Trollope has occasionally been accused of anti-Semitism because of characters like Lopez, but he was interested in the reactions of society to Jews rather than in attacking them.) He manages to marry an heiress, the innocent Emily Wharton, against the wishes of her family, but eventually his schemes overreach themselves when he runs as a candidate for Parliament. What is interesting about his character is that as an outsider he doesn't understand conventions of society, but that he continually attributes his failures to the enmity and bad faith of others, and thus the results of his actions bring out the worst in him.
The structure of the novel is dominated by Lopez, but in the end the conventional happy outworking of the Lopez/Wharton plot is subdued by the fall of the Palliser Ministry. This makes it one of Trollope's better novels, but the many references to the earlier members of the Palliser series mean that it shouldn't be read on its own.
The fifth Palliser novel is one of Trollope's longer, and, as is customary in the series, combines its political plotlines with a romantic subplot, the political plot relating to the other parts of the series and the romantic one specific to this novel. The latter is more interesting than the time spent by Plantagenet Palliser, Duke of Omnium, as Prime Minister, even if it is that which provides the novel's title. The most memorable aspect of the Palliser Ministry is that its leader is reluctant and does not enjoy his position at all.
In the other plot, Trollope introduces a scoundrel rather like Melmotte in [b:The Way We Live Now|149785|The Way We Live Now|Anthony Trollope|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347748385s/149785.jpg|2152551]. Ferdinand Lopez is a penniless adventurer who uses other people's money in dangerous speculation; even worse, to some of the characters, is that he is foreign and Jewish despite a façade of the English gentleman. (Trollope has occasionally been accused of anti-Semitism because of characters like Lopez, but he was interested in the reactions of society to Jews rather than in attacking them.) He manages to marry an heiress, the innocent Emily Wharton, against the wishes of her family, but eventually his schemes overreach themselves when he runs as a candidate for Parliament. What is interesting about his character is that as an outsider he doesn't understand conventions of society, but that he continually attributes his failures to the enmity and bad faith of others, and thus the results of his actions bring out the worst in him.
The structure of the novel is dominated by Lopez, but in the end the conventional happy outworking of the Lopez/Wharton plot is subdued by the fall of the Palliser Ministry. This makes it one of Trollope's better novels, but the many references to the earlier members of the Palliser series mean that it shouldn't be read on its own.
craigbruney's review
4.0
4.5 stars would be a rating more reflective of my feelings, but not possible using this rating system
pgchuis's review
5.0
Plantaganet Palliser is persuaded to lead a coalition government and a woman called Emily Wharton marries a scoundrel called Ferdinand Lopez. The politics bits are not terribly interesting - mainly Palliser moaning about how mean people can be and worrying too much about what is written in the press about him. (By the way, I thought Quintus Slide had been exiled to America?) The Lopez sections are much more exciting (although coloured by Victorian attitudes to "foreigners" who might or might not be "Jews"). Lopez is definitely not a "gentleman", but it is not clear to me whether Trollope can imagine that a non-Englishman can possibly be a gentlemen. Overall a fairly sad book in a gently relentless way. I spent the last volume wishing Palliser would just shut up and resign and Emily would just get over herself and marry Arthur. Emily is very very annoying and cries all the time. Oddly, nothing terrible happens to Lord Fawn in this volume... (And no hunting).
markk's review
5.0
This is the fourth of the Palliser novels that I have read (I skipped over The Eustace Diamonds with no ill effect) and so far it's the best of the bunch. In it Anthony Trollope offers two intertwining tales: that of the government of the upright and dutiful Plantagenet Pallier, Duke of Omnium, and the courtship of Emily Wharton, the daughter of a rich barrister, by the slick speculator Ferdinand Lopez. While I started the novel to read the first tale, I soon found myself much more interested in the development of the latter, which was perhaps a little predictable but no less engrossing for it. Yet Trollope's depiction of politics is no less entertaining in this novel, largely because of his focus on the machinations of the duke's wife, Lady Glencora Palliser. Though well-meaning, Trollope sees her efforts as counter-productive, which certainly raised questions for me as to why she is regarded by so many as one of Trollope's greatest heroines. Independent and willful as she may be, she seems to be presented in this novel mainly as a cautionary note as to the folly of women participating in politics, as her actions create many of the problems her husband's government subsequently faces. Nevertheless, she is marvelous as a plot device, and is one of the greatest strengths of this enjoyable book.
tenisonpurple's review
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Great wide canvas with good sub-plots. Emily’s great mistake in marrying Lopez and the evil consequences for them and other people.
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