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A review by duffypratt
Framley Parsonage by Anthony Trollope
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
Perhaps not as delightful as Barchester Towers. And it doesn't deal with some of the angst that's in Dr. Thorne. But it's a joy to read nevertheless.
This book spends quite a bit of time in London, and becomes much more deeply involved in politics. It basically circles around the theme of integrity. The characters are all torn between doing what they think is right, and doing what will make them look best to others.
Thus we get our main plots. First, we have Mark Roberts, an ambitious young vicar. He wants to rise in the church, but to do so he needs to get involved with a set of people of whom his chief patroness does not approve. Thus he gets involved in the sins of fox-hunting, associating with disreputable social climbers, and worst of all, allowing his name to be used on a promissory note for the benefit of one of his new, disreputable friends (who also happens to be a member of Parliament.)
Then there is the main love story. This is between Mark's sister, and Lord Lufton, who is the son of Mark's patroness, Lady Lufton. The match is inappropriate, because she is too low for the Lord, though they are of a class to socialize together, and her brother is high enough to have been specially invited to a function by the Duke of Omnium (love Trollope's names). Anyway, Lucy refuses to marry Mark unless Lady Lufton approves of the match, which she decidedly does not, mostly because Lucy does not fit her image of a future Lady Lufton.
Then there are smaller side plots. Griselda Grantly had been intended by their mothers for Lord Lufton. She is all appearance, and perhaps little substance, and she keeps herself aloof from the Lord, perhaps casting her net for bigger fish.
And there is Miss Dunstable, the homely but lovable heiress from Dr. Thorne, who is still getting proposals from suitors after her money, but is only interested in finding someone who would love her for herself and not her money, but that seems impossible -- if not in truth, then at least impossible to ascertain. Dr. Thorne might be interested in her, but he's afraid that she will think he is after her money.
And finally worth noting, is Rev. Crawley, who is so aware of his poverty that he can't bear to be with his older friends who are now more wealthy than them, because of the appearance of it. His pride can't take his own seeming inferiority, even though his friends would be delighted to have him.
In all of these plots, the characters are contending, for better or worse, between the pressure of their appearance in society, and what they think is right. Even better, most of the characters are defined by certain weaknesses in their character. And these are portrayed realistically, and with a remarkable deftness.
On this reread, I'm enjoying these books even more than I did the first time. They are simply fantastic.
This book spends quite a bit of time in London, and becomes much more deeply involved in politics. It basically circles around the theme of integrity. The characters are all torn between doing what they think is right, and doing what will make them look best to others.
Thus we get our main plots. First, we have Mark Roberts, an ambitious young vicar. He wants to rise in the church, but to do so he needs to get involved with a set of people of whom his chief patroness does not approve. Thus he gets involved in the sins of fox-hunting, associating with disreputable social climbers, and worst of all, allowing his name to be used on a promissory note for the benefit of one of his new, disreputable friends (who also happens to be a member of Parliament.)
Then there is the main love story. This is between Mark's sister, and Lord Lufton, who is the son of Mark's patroness, Lady Lufton. The match is inappropriate, because she is too low for the Lord, though they are of a class to socialize together, and her brother is high enough to have been specially invited to a function by the Duke of Omnium (love Trollope's names). Anyway, Lucy refuses to marry Mark unless Lady Lufton approves of the match, which she decidedly does not, mostly because Lucy does not fit her image of a future Lady Lufton.
Then there are smaller side plots. Griselda Grantly had been intended by their mothers for Lord Lufton. She is all appearance, and perhaps little substance, and she keeps herself aloof from the Lord, perhaps casting her net for bigger fish.
And there is Miss Dunstable, the homely but lovable heiress from Dr. Thorne, who is still getting proposals from suitors after her money, but is only interested in finding someone who would love her for herself and not her money, but that seems impossible -- if not in truth, then at least impossible to ascertain. Dr. Thorne might be interested in her, but he's afraid that she will think he is after her money.
And finally worth noting, is Rev. Crawley, who is so aware of his poverty that he can't bear to be with his older friends who are now more wealthy than them, because of the appearance of it. His pride can't take his own seeming inferiority, even though his friends would be delighted to have him.
In all of these plots, the characters are contending, for better or worse, between the pressure of their appearance in society, and what they think is right. Even better, most of the characters are defined by certain weaknesses in their character. And these are portrayed realistically, and with a remarkable deftness.
On this reread, I'm enjoying these books even more than I did the first time. They are simply fantastic.