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Trollope - where to start?! http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=7213

Author:	Elbee [ Mon Jan 18, 2010 11:35 am ]
Post subject:	Trollope - where to start?!
I find myself with a ticket to see Edward Fox's one-man show "An Evening with Trollope" in a few weeks time. I am looking forward to it as I don't go out to the theatre much these days, but there's a slight problem - I've never read any Trollope . I thought I would see what any cbbers would recommend as a starting point, as I'll probably only have time to read one of his books between now and then. Which would be the best book to try, the easiest and most enjoyable to read? Any suggestions welcome! Thanks, Linda.

Author:	cestina [ Mon Jan 18, 2010 11:43 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Trollope - where to start?!
Not The Warden..... It always reminds me of The Hobbit. Part, but not really part of a much larger, more interesting, work..... I don't know if others will agree. My first Trollope (apart from The Warden, a mistake) was Dr Thorne, which although part of the Barchester series, seems to me to stand alone very well. I loved it and went on to read the rest.....

Author:	Jennie [ Mon Jan 18, 2010 11:09 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Trollope - where to start?!
Though 'The Warden' is not particularly exciting or interesting, it is the first in the series of Barsetshire books, and gives some very informative background on the later books. If you read it quickly, you might find it useful for later. I agree that Dr. Thorne is a good stand alone book, but not necessarily the best to start with.

Author:	Artemis [ Mon Jan 18, 2010 11:17 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Trollope - where to start?!
Barchester Towers. The Warden precedes it but isn't nearly as good, and Eleanor is frankly boring in it, as is her husband-to-be John Bold. Barchester Towers, where she's a wealthy widow and the deliciously slimy chaplain, Obadiah Slope, the hopelessly lazy and dilettante-ish artist Bertie Stanhope, and the academic and virginal Francis Arabin are all after her is much funnier. Dr and Mrs Proudie are superb at annoying the Archdeacon, and Madeline the vamp sails wickedly through it scheming and dealing as she lies on her chaise-longue . . . Plus there's a superb (if old) BBC adaptation, very true to the original, with a galaxy of good actors including Donald Pleasance, Nigel Hawthorn, Susan Hampshire and a very young Alan Rickman in the biggest part he'd done to that time. Dr Thorne is OK, but I prefer this one . . .

Author:	Emma A [ Tue Jan 19, 2010 11:54 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Trollope - where to start?!
I've read the first three of the Barsetshire books but couldn't tell you anything about them now - admittedly this was at least 10 years ago. When I recently read a synopsis of Dr Thorne on Wikipedia the plot didn't even ring a bell, it was that memorable! Perhaps the Palliser ones might be more my thing ...

Author:	JS [ Mon Jan 25, 2010 5:15 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Trollope - where to start?!
We did The Warden for book club last year and I loved it - couldn't believe I hadn't read Trollope before. I've just read Barchester Towers and Dr Thorne in quick succession (it's like a soap, it's so addictive) and have just ordered the next three. Was so narked today when an Amazon delivery came and it wasn't them! So, from my experience, The Warden was a good starting point, and it's pretty short too

Author:	Mia [ Sun Jan 31, 2010 7:51 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Trollope - where to start?!
Just seen this. I really enjoyed The Warden too. Read it in Sixth Form.

Author:	Elbee [ Mon Feb 01, 2010 10:18 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Trollope - where to start?!
Thanks everyone! I'm trying to get hold of The Warden since it is the first of a series and short, so that does seem a sensible place to start! In the meantime I've found a copy of Can You Forgive Her? so I've started that to keep me going, although I can't say I'm too gripped yet! At least it will give me an idea of his style.

Author:	JB [ Mon Feb 01, 2010 10:25 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Trollope - where to start?!
I love the Pallisers series but wouldn't say that Can You Forgive Her is one of the better titles. We do, though, get to met Glencora and Plantagenet who are important characters in the other books.

Author:	JS [ Tue Feb 02, 2010 1:47 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Trollope - where to start?!
Now reading Framley Parsonage and finding it a little uncomfortable. Anyone else read it?

Author:	Cath V-P [ Sat Feb 06, 2010 5:28 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Trollope - where to start?!
Yes - I liked it, but not as much as Doctor Thorne - I do recall that I kept wanting to slap Mark Robarts for idiocy, but then I was very young when I read it and far less aware of life's complexities. Last Chronicle of Barset is two thirds wonderful and one third (the Johnny Eames bits) not! And of the Palliser sequence, The Prime Minister is excellent.

Author:	JS [ Mon Feb 08, 2010 2:53 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Trollope - where to start?!
I'm not very far into it (Farmley Parsonage) but just have very uncomfortable feelings that the 'hero' is going to be a complete idiot (he's already being a bit of a twerp) and it's making me cringe uncomfortably. I will persevere, though, but maybe when I'm feeling a bit stronger!

Author:	Loryat [ Tue Mar 02, 2010 3:59 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Trollope - where to start?!
Is Framley Parsonage the one with the stolen cheque/banknote? I enjoyed that one! I know it is a bit late but The Way We Live Now (though long) is great and is standalone.

Author:	Elbee [ Tue Mar 02, 2010 4:32 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Trollope - where to start?!
I got my copy of The Warden a few weeks ago and haven't yet finished it, but I am finding it a helpful tool for falling asleep at night . However, I am glad I started it as it meant that I at least knew about the Archdeacon and Septimus Harding who featured in "An Evening with Trollope". It was quite a good show, Edward Fox was wonderful to listen to as he did a mixture of reading passages from the Barchester Chronicles and excerpts from the autobiography, as if he was Trollope. However, I would have got more out of it had I read the whole series! I am determined to finish The Warden and then I will go back to Can You Forgive Her? which I was beginning to enjoy so I would like to finish it. Maybe I'll become a Trollope fan after all!

Author:	ammonite [ Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:39 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Trollope - where to start?!
After this thread, I decided i really ought to give Trollope another go after trying and failing with the The Warden a while back. So I got Barchester Towers out of the library and really enjoyed it. Now I have the next two to read and have started on the Angela Thirkells to see where it all goes! They seem to be good together as you can have fun spotting the character names not to mention Trollopes original names. (Mr and Mrs Quiverful are my favourites along with their fourteen children! Anyone else think Jack should change his surname?)

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