A review by xenid
An Old Man's Love by Anthony Trollope

challenging reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

What a strange little book. Very allegorical. I can see why it's not a "standard classic" - I see it more as a conversation piece and a diving off point for discussing contemporary moral/social values than as a stand-alone piece of literature, especially since, as I read it, how the reader is supposed to feel about the ending is completely ambiguous. It's an in interesting thought experiment.

Horrifically misogynistic, though, let's be clear. Startlingly so, even, in a couple spots, including the idea that a woman loves a husband more if he's occasionally cruel or violent, as this makes him divine (!?) in her mind.

Still. A relitively engaging perspective on relationships, duty, and the nature of love in 1880s England.