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elizafiedler's review
4.0
Entertaining, but I don't quite believe the "great love" between Mary and Frank.
doramac's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.75
ipb1's review against another edition
5.0
The most melodramatically romantic of the Barsetshire novels.... and it's still brilliant, because it's Trollope.
beledit's review against another edition
5.0
Listened to the audio version (from audible.co.uk). Wonderfully read by Timothy West.
axl_oswaldo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
<b>Victober</b> (<u>2</u>)
<b>4.5 stars</b> rounded up
I love <i>Downton Abbey</i>. <i>Downton Abbey</i> is my all-time favorite series, the number one, and basically my 'comfort zone', that place where I usually get back when I have no idea about what to watch on TV. I guess I'm kind of obsessed with <i>Downton Abbey</i>. As a matter of fact, it has been a while since I finished the whole series and since I saw a complete episode, however, I do confess that the first thing that comes to mind when someone says England is, of course, <i>Downton Abbey</i>. Well, as you can tell, I'm a huge fan of this period drama, and so is my mother, though she is still watching it. So, in order for me—and for my mother once she finished <i>Downton Abbey</i> as well—to keep enjoying series of that kind, I decided to look for other Julian Fellowes' works, the creator and writer of <i>Downton Abbey</i>, basically those period dramas where he has worked as a writer. It turned out that there are at least four more series or miniseries of the sort: <i>Belgravia</i> (an interesting drama, yet somewhat melodramatic for my taste – in the end the experience was great though, with a deeply satisfying ending), <i>Titanic</i> (this series was anything but a good version: I never happened to meet the characters who were actually rather plain and not likable; besides, there were many subplots and all of them quite superficial), <i>The Gilded Age</i> (this was fabulous, a really nice, enjoyable experience, good plots and well-developed characters, my second favorite after <i>Downton Abbey</i>), and of course, <b>Doctor Thorne</b>.
I knew beforehand <b>Doctor Thorne</b> would be the TV adaptation of the homonymous novel by Anthony Trollope, and since I truly enjoyed my previous Trollope reading experience, I said to myself 'let's watch—should I say 'read'?—it as soon as possible.' Okay, here's the thing: when it comes to TV adaptations, I don't like to watch the adaptation before reading the corresponding book; I feel like, since the book is (almost) always much better than its adaptation, it's a better idea for me to get to the book first, finish it, and then, and just then, watch the series or the movie in question. This was my plan, and that was what I did.
I also knew <b>Doctor Thorne</b> is part of a series called <u>The Chronicles of Barsetshire</u>, being the third book in the series. Honestly, I didn't care much about that fact; for me, the order of a series is optional, you can start wherever you want as long as you are comfortable with it, and besides, a GR friend of mine, Justin, told me that this book sort of has nothing to do with the two previous novels in the series; so, I eventually picked it up and ended up loving it. Whereas <b>Doctor Thorne</b>—sorry, I mean the TV adaptation—was somewhat plain, and with one-dimensional characters, yet a compelling storyline (a little different to the book though), the novel is actually very well written, with an engaging, profound story, palpable characters, and a well-developed conflict and resolution. In other words: book > TV adaptation (what a surprise, huh?).
<b>Doctor Thorne</b> is a novel with quite a few characters but with only one main plot: the love story of Mary Thorne, Doctor Thorne's niece, who has a mysterious background—though it is mysterious only for the rest of the characters as the reader knows the actual mystery from the very beginning—and Frank Gresham, son of a wealthy(?), respected family, who must <i>marry money</i>, according to many members of his family. The problem is, as you can imagine, that Mary has no money. So, Frank will have two options: he will have to follow either his family's wishes or his heart. What a dilemma!
Furthermore, there is an interesting subplot that involves a couple of characters and has something to do with alcoholism and its consequences – the way Trollope depicted how a human being might be affected by that disease and their consequent behavior in the society of his time feels really vivid and palpable, and the descriptions of how a person and the people around them may suffer because of it were really moving and rather realistic.
In short, this novel was another successful reading experience, and a good option for me to keep enjoying my Trollope journey and this Victober (though it's Victober for me throughout the entire year, as you can tell). I'd highly recommend <b>Doctor Thorne</b> to anyone who loves Victorian literature, and even if you are not very much into it. Probably you will want to read <b>The Warden</b> and <b>Barchester Towers</b> before getting to <b>Doctor Thorne</b>, which I think it will be a perfect idea (I don't regret doing the things differently though, but I hope I can read the first and second novels sooner rather than later and then keep reading the entire series, this time in the right order).
As I said before, probably in my review of <b>He Knew He Was Right</b>, Trollope's prose is very easy to read, it's enjoyable and compelling; that being said, I do believe sometimes the author is digressing a little from the main storyline, which was the case in <b>He Knew He Was Right</b>, but fortunately not so often here in <b>Doctor Thorne</b> – at the end of the day, this is something I have usually found in many Victorian novels, so I guess that was the way people used to write way back in that period of time. Anyway, just give Trollope's novels a try if you haven't done so already, and hopefully you will enjoy his stories as much as I do.
<i><b>He had a pride in being a poor man of a high family; he had a pride in repudiating the very family of which he was proud; and he had a special pride in keeping his pride silently to himself.</b></i>
<b>4.5 stars</b> rounded up
I love <i>Downton Abbey</i>. <i>Downton Abbey</i> is my all-time favorite series, the number one, and basically my 'comfort zone', that place where I usually get back when I have no idea about what to watch on TV. I guess I'm kind of obsessed with <i>Downton Abbey</i>. As a matter of fact, it has been a while since I finished the whole series and since I saw a complete episode, however, I do confess that the first thing that comes to mind when someone says England is, of course, <i>Downton Abbey</i>. Well, as you can tell, I'm a huge fan of this period drama, and so is my mother, though she is still watching it. So, in order for me—and for my mother once she finished <i>Downton Abbey</i> as well—to keep enjoying series of that kind, I decided to look for other Julian Fellowes' works, the creator and writer of <i>Downton Abbey</i>, basically those period dramas where he has worked as a writer. It turned out that there are at least four more series or miniseries of the sort: <i>Belgravia</i> (an interesting drama, yet somewhat melodramatic for my taste – in the end the experience was great though, with a deeply satisfying ending), <i>Titanic</i> (this series was anything but a good version: I never happened to meet the characters who were actually rather plain and not likable; besides, there were many subplots and all of them quite superficial), <i>The Gilded Age</i> (this was fabulous, a really nice, enjoyable experience, good plots and well-developed characters, my second favorite after <i>Downton Abbey</i>), and of course, <b>Doctor Thorne</b>.
I knew beforehand <b>Doctor Thorne</b> would be the TV adaptation of the homonymous novel by Anthony Trollope, and since I truly enjoyed my previous Trollope reading experience, I said to myself 'let's watch—should I say 'read'?—it as soon as possible.' Okay, here's the thing: when it comes to TV adaptations, I don't like to watch the adaptation before reading the corresponding book; I feel like, since the book is (almost) always much better than its adaptation, it's a better idea for me to get to the book first, finish it, and then, and just then, watch the series or the movie in question. This was my plan, and that was what I did.
I also knew <b>Doctor Thorne</b> is part of a series called <u>The Chronicles of Barsetshire</u>, being the third book in the series. Honestly, I didn't care much about that fact; for me, the order of a series is optional, you can start wherever you want as long as you are comfortable with it, and besides, a GR friend of mine, Justin, told me that this book sort of has nothing to do with the two previous novels in the series; so, I eventually picked it up and ended up loving it. Whereas <b>Doctor Thorne</b>—sorry, I mean the TV adaptation—was somewhat plain, and with one-dimensional characters, yet a compelling storyline (a little different to the book though), the novel is actually very well written, with an engaging, profound story, palpable characters, and a well-developed conflict and resolution. In other words: book > TV adaptation (what a surprise, huh?).
<b>Doctor Thorne</b> is a novel with quite a few characters but with only one main plot: the love story of Mary Thorne, Doctor Thorne's niece, who has a mysterious background—though it is mysterious only for the rest of the characters as the reader knows the actual mystery from the very beginning—and Frank Gresham, son of a wealthy(?), respected family, who must <i>marry money</i>, according to many members of his family. The problem is, as you can imagine, that Mary has no money. So, Frank will have two options: he will have to follow either his family's wishes or his heart. What a dilemma!
Furthermore, there is an interesting subplot that involves a couple of characters and has something to do with alcoholism and its consequences – the way Trollope depicted how a human being might be affected by that disease and their consequent behavior in the society of his time feels really vivid and palpable, and the descriptions of how a person and the people around them may suffer because of it were really moving and rather realistic.
In short, this novel was another successful reading experience, and a good option for me to keep enjoying my Trollope journey and this Victober (though it's Victober for me throughout the entire year, as you can tell). I'd highly recommend <b>Doctor Thorne</b> to anyone who loves Victorian literature, and even if you are not very much into it. Probably you will want to read <b>The Warden</b> and <b>Barchester Towers</b> before getting to <b>Doctor Thorne</b>, which I think it will be a perfect idea (I don't regret doing the things differently though, but I hope I can read the first and second novels sooner rather than later and then keep reading the entire series, this time in the right order).
As I said before, probably in my review of <b>He Knew He Was Right</b>, Trollope's prose is very easy to read, it's enjoyable and compelling; that being said, I do believe sometimes the author is digressing a little from the main storyline, which was the case in <b>He Knew He Was Right</b>, but fortunately not so often here in <b>Doctor Thorne</b> – at the end of the day, this is something I have usually found in many Victorian novels, so I guess that was the way people used to write way back in that period of time. Anyway, just give Trollope's novels a try if you haven't done so already, and hopefully you will enjoy his stories as much as I do.
<i><b>He had a pride in being a poor man of a high family; he had a pride in repudiating the very family of which he was proud; and he had a special pride in keeping his pride silently to himself.</b></i>
issyjanejane's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bookbelle5_17's review against another edition
Frank Gresham must marry for money as the heir and the only one who help make up for his father's debts. Unfortunately, for the family, Frank is love with Mary Thorne, the town doctor's niece.
Like the other books in this series this one has a lot of drama, but it has less politics. Again, Trollop speaks to his readers, hinting things that he and the reader knows, but the characters don't know. This jumps around in time referring things that had happened that a character in previous chapter wouldn't know about or he brings up a subplot that will be relevant later. This is a bit disorienting until you get use to it. The characters are as complex and as human as ever creating feelings of frustration, anger, and adoration. The characters have their faults and their attributes. Frank matures the most throughout the novel. In the beginning, he is impulsive and temperamental, but his love for Mary never changes. Mary is sweet and would do anything for those she loves, but often second guesses herself. She struggles with making her own decisions and often asks those like her uncle and Frank to make them for her. Though, she's not afraid to stand up for herself. Dr. Thorne is loving and loyal, but can be indecisive and has a temper if pushed too far. The two antagonists I would say are Sir. Louis Scratchard and Lady Arabella. Lady Arabella has good intentions and her actions can be selfish, but come from a place of love. Louis is arrogant, selfish, and a drunkard making it hard to feel he can be redeemed. I did pity him briefly, but that went out the window quickly. Like The Warden and Barchester Towers this is an enjoyable read for me.
Like the other books in this series this one has a lot of drama, but it has less politics. Again, Trollop speaks to his readers, hinting things that he and the reader knows, but the characters don't know. This jumps around in time referring things that had happened that a character in previous chapter wouldn't know about or he brings up a subplot that will be relevant later. This is a bit disorienting until you get use to it. The characters are as complex and as human as ever creating feelings of frustration, anger, and adoration. The characters have their faults and their attributes. Frank matures the most throughout the novel. In the beginning, he is impulsive and temperamental, but his love for Mary never changes. Mary is sweet and would do anything for those she loves, but often second guesses herself. She struggles with making her own decisions and often asks those like her uncle and Frank to make them for her. Though, she's not afraid to stand up for herself. Dr. Thorne is loving and loyal, but can be indecisive and has a temper if pushed too far. The two antagonists I would say are Sir. Louis Scratchard and Lady Arabella. Lady Arabella has good intentions and her actions can be selfish, but come from a place of love. Louis is arrogant, selfish, and a drunkard making it hard to feel he can be redeemed. I did pity him briefly, but that went out the window quickly. Like The Warden and Barchester Towers this is an enjoyable read for me.
heather_freshparchment's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
sophronisba's review against another edition
funny
relaxing
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
5.0
It's a pretty simple story, but I loved this book to bits, primarily because I enjoyed the characters so much. I think that Trollope writes his "good" characters much better than Dickens does -- Doctor Thorne and even Mary come across as more real than, say, Madeline Bray or Agnes Wickfield. It's long and you have to have a tolerance for the glacial pace at which Victorian novels often proceed but I found it as relaxing as a long, hot bath.
melissab09's review against another edition
4.0
I don't think I was the only one a little uncomfortable with the narration at first, but it did grow on me. He was just so sassy I couldn't resist. He also strives to paint his characters with justice; that is to say, not as completely good or bad.
The tale is entertaining enough, but a little dry at times, at least to my taste. I felt like this mostly when Dr Thorne or Mary weren't in the story. I missed their amazing dialogues! It happened for some 100 pages once and I got a little bored.
The tale is entertaining enough, but a little dry at times, at least to my taste. I felt like this mostly when Dr Thorne or Mary weren't in the story. I missed their amazing dialogues! It happened for some 100 pages once and I got a little bored.