Reviews

Dr. Thorne by Anthony Trollope, Ruth Rendell

jenmcmaynes's review against another edition

3.0

Third of The Barsetshire series, Doctor Thorne certainly takes its time in reaching its point! The length (nearly 600 pages), and the fact that for the middle two-thirds of the book not much happens, was my chief complaint with this installment of the series. The set-up and conclusion were very satisfying, but oy! The middle dig drag!

As for the story, the only way to describe it is Dickensian in its construction. The improbable set of events that lead to the main conflict and resolution (namely Mary's birth, the fortune, the inter-connectness of the Scratcherds and Greshems, and the fact that a small country village managed to forget the details of such huge scandals) stretch the bounds of belief. However, they aren't really the point. The point is, over and over, how do people act in these circumstances? And this is where Trollope shines, as he really is a master of characterization. We see good blood behaving badly, the poor being gracious, men sticking to their principles... or not, as the case may be.

Did I enjoy it though? Despite Trollope's deft hand with characterization, I do feel that he would have benefited from an editor. And some of the points concerning breeding versus money have become very dated. So... yes, with caveats. Not nearly as funny as Barchester Towers, but less political, so probably a draw.

haazex's review against another edition

4.0

Entering the realm of Trollope is a magical experience. The writing is exquisite with waves of vocabulary and lingering sentences that virtually have their own linguistic flavor. It transports you to the realm of Barsetshire in mid-19th century England, and the midst of a number of personalities that you will literally live with as hundreds of pages unfold. Trollope has the power to place one (as a reader) among these individuals, sharing sorrows, happiness, conflicts, thoughts and daily lives. His power of description and characterization rivals Dickens, Eliot and Gaskell, so the main characters in the novel truly come alive. They are human in all aspects apart from a few that seemingly are used a humorous interludes. Trollope has a frisky sense of humor which especially plays out in the realm of the medical profession in this particular novel, but politics gets it fair bite as well. It is a love story blended with politics, the issues of wealth and aristocratic blood lines and time's ability to affect lives. From a more holistic perspective it is a story of how society as a whole relate to the individuals based on their wealth and/or aristocratic heritage. It seems as if Trollope wants the world to reflect on these issues through his characters. I very much enjoyed reading this book. However, the latter portion of the story somewhat disappointed me. This is why I removed one star from a novel that otherwise truly belongs in the five star realm.

Spoiler

Towards the end I expected Mary Thorne to pay back all the pain she had received from Lady Arabella and her aristocratic lineage. However, she simply turned the other cheek and seemingly ignored all the painful treatment she had received in terms of shunning and libel. Mary and Frank were simply a bit too angelic and perfect as characters (apart from Frank giving Mr. Moffett a good whipping. Seeing these qualities carried through to the very end of the novel bothered me quite a bit. I expected a drastic change towards the very end, a revolt, but Frank and Mary seemingly started to blend right back into the norms of the age. The de Courcys joined the wedding without any issues etc. The only payback I noticed was that Frank and Mary refused to visit the de Courcy castle. Otherwise life seemed like it was going back to normal in Barsetshire. Happiness prevailed. It felt kind of strange having the story wrapped up in this fashion. Numerous questions started to fill my mind as I finished the book. Is Trollope suggesting that societal change is extremely slow or that life is fixed in terms the roles we play in our society? In addition, I was quite irritated with that Mary was the last person to find out about her inheritance. Why did Dr. Thorne inform Frank and the Squire before his niece? Should it not be the other way around? Very peculiar! One of my favorite characters was Ms. Dunstable with her liberal views (which ultimately played an important role in the storyline).

It is hard to leave the Trollope world. This novel simply fueled my urge to continue the journey and further suspend myself in Trollope's linguistic weave in the years to come.

michael5000's review against another edition

4.0

2013: Another fine novel by the dean of urbanity. Some strong stuff in here, read in the proper spirit, about alcoholism, before people fully realized there was such a thing. Less satisfying than other Barsetshires for two reasons: 1) it's plot is maddeningly dependent on people keeping as secrets things that it would be sensible and natural for them to discuss with each other, and 2) the bulk of the novel sets up Dr. Thorne's great moral and legal dilemma, only to eventually brazenly (in direct address to the reader) brush it away with a grinning statement to the effect that "it probably wouldn't work this way in reality, but for purposes of the novel everything turned out [fine/badly]." I say "fine/badly" so as to not give away the ending. Either (1) or (2) alone would be droll; together, they just seem kind of sloppy.

2019: For what it's worth, neither (1) nor (2) bugged me much this time around. I either had a stronger sense of why Doc Thorne might choose not to discuss the mystery of his niece's birth with her, or was just more willing to let it slide this time. Let's say I'm smarter now, and wisely have a better insight into the characters' behavior than I used to, because that's nicer than saying I'm dumber now and less discerning. For (2), I've learned to accept and even cherish in Mr. Trollope that he's occasionally going to interrupt the narrative so we can have a cordial little chat about how the two of us, writer and reader, are enjoying a collaborative game of pretending, in which he for one is willing to take a few judicious shortcuts.

literarylawgirl's review against another edition

4.0

”Wounds sometimes must be opened in order that they may be healed.”

-Book 3 of the Chronicles of Barsetshire
#thegreatanthonytrollopereadalong2023 #adollopoftrollope

aaronreadabook's review against another edition

4.0

Wonderful characters, and very well-plotted. Not quite as funny as Barchester Towers, so doesn't quite reach those heights for me.

burritapal_1's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

1850s Winchester (area) England

(Augusta Gresham) "...had she not sat herself down obediently at the feet of her lady Gamaliel, and should she not be rewarded?..."

It has to do with Augustus marrying Mr Moffat, because he has money, but she does not love him. She's in love with "her match." (Her father needs money.)

(Gamaliel is St. Paul's teacher. I loved this name and thought it was a woman's name. But it's not.) 

In this book Trollope makes fun of the English custom of putting some people above others because they have "aristocratic blood." But moreover, they're hypocrites, because if you don't have "blood" but you have money, then it's all right for you to marry aristocratic blood. 

Mary Thorne is a so-called bastard, the niece of the village practitioner, and the personal doctor for the Gresham family. She was brought up playing with the Gresham children, and never thought of herself as any less than them. Their father is the village squire and a former minister of parliament.  But when she is close to his same age and her childhood friend Frank Gresham turned 21, his sisters observe him flirting with Mary. Well why not? He loves her. But it's not very proper, and it's tattletaled to their mother who is a de Courcy, a family of an earl.

"on one point Mary's mind was strongly made up. No wealth, no mere worldly Advantage could make anyone her superior. If she were born a gentlewoman, then was she fit to match with any gentleman. Let the most wealthy man in Europe pour all his wealth at her feet, she could, if so inclined, give him back at any rate more than that. That offered at her feet she knew would never tempt her to yield up the Fortress of her heart, the guardianship of her soul, the possession of her mind; not that alone, nor that, even, as any possible slightest fraction of a make weight."

Her uncle has brought Mary up as a moral, upstanding Young woman. She has way more morals than any of the girls and young women in the Gresham and de Courcy family.

Mary's mother Was the sister of Sir Roger Scatcherd, who had originally been a poor bricklayer. Because he'd Done a railway job that no one Else could, he was made a baronet, and became very rich as an expert contractor.

But long aGo, Dr Thorne 's brother Henry Had sex with Roger Scatcherd's sister Mary, and She became pregnant. When her brother Roger Found out, he murdered Henry. doctor Thorne did Everything he could to Keep Roger from being jailed for life, so he only got six months. Meanwhile, an old suitor of Mary Scatcherd marries her, but the Husband doesn't want to Keep the baby. Mary tells her brother that the baby died, and she and her husband move to North America. 

Dr Thorne adopts the baby Mary and raises her as he would his own daughter, hiding her illegitimacy. She is first sent to a farm, then to school, then at the age of 12, she comes home to him. 

Dr Thorne, besides being Sir Roger's financial advisor, is Roger Scatcherd's physician. He has convinced him to lend huge amounts of money to squire Gresham, to make up for political blunders he had made when he was first married to his wife. Now Sir Roger holds large swaths of land that formerly belonged to Greshamshire. Moreover, many of the Gresham lots have been sold to him, including the land that Sir Roger's house sits on, that was formerly Gresham land.

Sir Roger has a huge drinking problem. He has the physique of a god, and this has served him well. Until now, in his 50s, where the brandy is beginning to affect his health.

This excerpt is from a visit the doctor is making to Sir Roger, sick in bed from too much drinking.

" 'why do you take it then? Why do you do it?your life is not like his. oh, Scatcherd! Scatcherd!' And the doctor prepared to pour out the flood of his eloquence in Beseeching This singular man to abstain from his well-known poison.

'Is that all you know of human nature, doctor? Abstain. Can you abstain from breathing, And Live like a Fish does under water?'

'but Nature has not ordered you to drink, Scatcherd.'

'habit is Second nature, man; and a stronger nature than the first. and why should I not drink? What Else has the world Given me for all That I have Done for it? what other resource have I? What other gratification?'

'Oh, my god! have you not unbounded Wealth? Can you not do anything you wish? be anything you choose?'

'No,' and the sick man shrieked with an Energy That made him audible all through the house. 'I can do Nothing That I would choose to do; be nothing That I wish to be! what can I do? What can I be? What gratifiication Can I have except the brandy bottle? If I go among gentlement, can i talk to them? If they have anything to say about a railway, they Will ask me a question: If they speak to Me beyond That, I must to be dumb. If I go among my workMen, can they talk to me? no; I am their Master, and a stern Master. they bob their heads and shake in their Shoes When they see me. Where are my Friends? here!' Said he, and dragged a bottle from under his very pillow. 'Where are my amusements? here!' and he brandished the bottle Almost in the doctor's face. 'where is my One resource, my one gratification, my only comfort after all my toils? Here, dr; here, here, here!' and, so saying, he replaced his treasure beneath his pillow. 

There was something so horrifying in this, that Dr Thorne shrank back amazed, and was for a moment unable to speak."

Sir Roger tells Dr Thorne that his will has been made. His son, Louis Philippe, will get his fortune when he turns 25. If Louis Philippe dies before he turns 25, Sir Roger's sister Mary's oldest child will be the heir. Dr Thorne realizes that this means Mary could very easily inherit all his wealth because Louis Philippe is as much of an alcoholic as his father. However, Louis Philippe does not have the same bodily strength as his father. Dr Thorne realizes that Sir Roger is thinking of the children who his sister would have in North America. He's much troubled about this, and tells Sir Roger that he must name his sister's heir, not just say that her oldest child will inherit. Yet he hesitates to tell Sir Roger that his own Mary Thorne is his sister's oldest child. 

When he goes home that evening, Mary feels playful and tries to tease him, but she notices that he's very somber and she tries to pry out of him what his trouble is.

" 'Uncle, she said at last,' what makes you so somber? Shall I read to you?'

'no; not tonight, dearest.'

'why, uncle; what is the matter?'

'nothing, nothing.'

'ah, but it is something, and you shall tell me;' And, getting up, she came over to his armchair, and leant over his shoulder. 

He looked at her for a minute in silence, and then, getting up from his chair, passed his arm around her waist, and pressed her closely to his heart. 

'my darling!' he said, almost convulsively. 'My best, own, truest darling!' And mary, looking up into his face, saw that the big tears were running down his cheeks. 

But still he told her nothing that night."

The author gives us many endearing scenes like this between Dr Thorne and his niece mary. I almost started crying at this last scene. They give each other so much comfort and they love each other so much.

Frank Gresham's sister Augusta is engaged to be married to a young man named Mr Moffat, whose only redeeming quality is that he has money made from his father, having made much money as a tailor and then died. 

There is also another young lady who has a redeeming quality of money, her father having made much money off "oil of lebanon," and then died. 

Frank's mother and his aunt are urging Frank to "make love" to Miss Dunstable, as she is named. They are doing their damnedest to keep Frank and Mary Thorne apart , as Mary Thorne is not of aristocratic blood nor does she have a fortune. 

Miss Dunstable and Mr Moffat are spending a period of time at Lady de Courcy's mansion, and Lady de Courcy takes Frank with her from a visit with her sister, Frank's mom. Frank is bored to death at the de Courcy castle, but he and Miss Dunstable get along very well. 

Mr Moffat is also interested in Miss Dunstable's money. Though he's engaged to Frank's sister, he starts trying to make a move on Miss Dunstable, but she puts him down with the most humorous speech:

" 'and I had, had wished to say something before we parted for so long a time. Ms Dunstable -'

'stop! - Mr Moffat. Let me ask you one question. I'll hear anything that you have got to say, but on one condition. that is, that Miss Augusta Gresham shall be by while you say it. Will you consent to that?'

'Miss Augusta Gresham,' said he, 'has no right to listen to my private conversation.'

'Has she not, Mr Moffat? Then I think she should have. I, at any rate, will not so far interfere with what I look on as her undoubted privileges as to be a party to any Secret in which she may not participate.'

'but, Ms Dunstable - '

'and to tell you fairly, Mr Moffat, any secret that you do tell me, I shall most undoubtedly repeat to her before dinner. Good morning, Mr Moffat; my feet are certainly a little damp, and if I stay a moment longer, Dr easyman will put off my foreign trip for at least a week.' And so she left him standing alone in the middle of the gravel walk."

Now it's Frank's turn to try to make his Overture to Miss Dunstable, though he has no intention of marrying her.

"Frank had nothing further to say in his own defense. He had not wanted Miss Dunstable's money - that was true; but he could not deny that he had been about to talk that absolute nonsense of which she spoke with so much scorn.

'You would almost make me think that there are none honest in this fashionable world of yours. I well know why Lady de Courcy has had me here: how could I help knowing it? She has been so foolish in her plans that 10 times a day she has told her own secret. But I have said to myself 20 times, that if she were crafty, you were honest.'

'and am I dishonest?'

'I have laughed in my sleeve to see how she played her game, and to hear others around playing theirs; all of them thinking that they could get the money of the poor fool who had come at their Beck and call; but I was able to laugh at them as long as I thought that I had one true friend to laugh with me. But one cannot laugh with all the world against one.'

'I am not against you, Miss Dunstable.'

'sell yourself for money! Why, if I were a man I would not sell one jot of Liberty for mountains of gold. What! Tie myself in the Heyday of my youth to a person I could never love, for a price! Perjure myself, destroy myself - and not only myself, but her also, in order that I might live idly! Oh, heavens! Mr Gresham! Can it be that the words of such a woman as your aunt have sunk so deeply in your heart; have blackened you so Foully as to make you think of such vile folly as this? Have you forgotten your soul, your spirit, your man's energy, The Treasure of your heart? And you, so young! For shame, Mr Gresham! For shame- for shame!'

Frank found the task before him by no means an easy one. He had to make Miss Dunstable understand that he had never had the slightest idea of marrying her, and that he had made love to her merely with the object of keeping his hand in for the work as it were; with that object, and the other equally laudable one of interfering with his cousin George."

The book goes on and on with Frank's mother forbidding him from seeing Mary, because of the desperate need for the family to have Frank marry money. Frank is resolute, though, in his determination and love for Mary to marry her. Frank's mother and his aunt are vicious towards Mary, so she deters any efforts of Frank to see her, and hardens her heart against his mother.

The ending is rather delicious, when Mary is revealed to be the heiress of Sir Roger, after Louis Philippe's death. Frank's mother apologizes to her profusely and welcomes her into the family. 

This author is so good at creating characters that are so easy to hate, and then he makes them eat crow. I will be reading the next barsetShire book.

siguirimama's review against another edition

funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

narwhal23's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, and Death

Minor: Child death, Toxic relationship, Cursing, and Cancer

qwelling4's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

rosekk's review against another edition

4.0

A lot of the allure of the book was seeing how it would all pan out. I could guess the ending pretty well from the first few pages, but I still found myself in suspense. There's something a tiny bit cartoonish in the characters, but that didn't diminish their appeal.