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A review by alexiacambaling
Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
The first book I read by Anthony Trollope was The Warden which I rated 2 stars and didn't really enjoy. Can You Forgive Her? was a much longer read than The Warden but far more enjoyable. I liked the characters and plotlines more and the writing is also better.
In Can You Forgive Her? we are asked to forgive the main female characters around whom the novel revolves, but chiefly Alice Vavasor who breaks off her engagement several times only to get back together with the jilted fiance. Alice can be frustrating, but I like to think that she's doing her best for a woman in that era. If she had been allowed to run for Parliament herself as a woman, then perhaps all that ruckus could have been avoided. I like Alice, as I said, she's sometimes frustrating, but she's an interesting character. While strong-willed and independent, she's not immune to manipulation and does get manipulated by the people around her.
Lady Glencora is also another complex character. Even as she contemplates the greatest sin in marriage, the author remains sympathetic to her situation and asks the readers to forgive her. As a note, I actually like them saying that Lady Glencora is 'young' at 21 because I'm tired of modern historical fiction calling 21 year olds, 'spinsters'. In any case, Lady Glencora is the more emotional between her and Alice, but she is never mocked or derided because of her nature.
The female characters in this novel are great. Sometimes, they can be annoying, but they are complicated, complex, and flawed. They feel like real people. In contrast, the male characters can seem a bit one note. I won't be hurrying to read the next novel in the series, but I will do it because I've gotten attached to this style. And I think I might pick up more of the Barsetshire Chronicles novels too.
In Can You Forgive Her? we are asked to forgive the main female characters around whom the novel revolves, but chiefly Alice Vavasor who breaks off her engagement several times only to get back together with the jilted fiance. Alice can be frustrating, but I like to think that she's doing her best for a woman in that era. If she had been allowed to run for Parliament herself as a woman, then perhaps all that ruckus could have been avoided. I like Alice, as I said, she's sometimes frustrating, but she's an interesting character. While strong-willed and independent, she's not immune to manipulation and does get manipulated by the people around her.
Lady Glencora is also another complex character. Even as she contemplates the greatest sin in marriage, the author remains sympathetic to her situation and asks the readers to forgive her. As a note, I actually like them saying that Lady Glencora is 'young' at 21 because I'm tired of modern historical fiction calling 21 year olds, 'spinsters'. In any case, Lady Glencora is the more emotional between her and Alice, but she is never mocked or derided because of her nature.
The female characters in this novel are great. Sometimes, they can be annoying, but they are complicated, complex, and flawed. They feel like real people. In contrast, the male characters can seem a bit one note. I won't be hurrying to read the next novel in the series, but I will do it because I've gotten attached to this style. And I think I might pick up more of the Barsetshire Chronicles novels too.