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A review by lbrex
Phineas Finn by Simon Dentith, Anthony Trollope
5.0
This was an excellent novel that, though less dramatic and sensational than _The Way We Live Now_, tells quite a gripping story about a young Irishman, Phineas Finn, who is trained in the law but, rather than becoming a barrister, commences his career by representing his home in the British House of Commons. This isn't something, though, that comes with a salary, so, though he is elated to take public office and join a respected legislative body, he is not economically self-sufficient.
The great question of the book is how whether he can make a living for himself and serve in parliament. Because one solution to Phineas's problem would be to take a wife with money, the courtship narratives here are woven into the parliamentary narrative. The reader gets to learn about, for instance, Phineas's first attempt to speak in the House (Trollope does a great job rendering his psychology here), while also hearing about his four main love interests: his young and ever-faithful Irish lover, Mary Flood Jones, his political ally and daughter to an Earl, Laura Standish, a wealthy heiress who seems to have trouble knowing her own mind, Violet Effingham, and a rich widow with a knack of befriending everyone, Mme. Max Goesler.
Trollope manages to keep the reader turning the pages while also bringing up some interesting questions about politics, such as what one can do when one's views go against one's political party, whether a legislator's independence is more important than public service, whether financial resources and political power are good reasons to get married, and whether it's okay to benefit from an unjust system even when you are trying to reform the very same system.
This book really captured my imagination. I may need to keep reading the Palliser novels!
The great question of the book is how whether he can make a living for himself and serve in parliament. Because one solution to Phineas's problem would be to take a wife with money, the courtship narratives here are woven into the parliamentary narrative. The reader gets to learn about, for instance, Phineas's first attempt to speak in the House (Trollope does a great job rendering his psychology here), while also hearing about his four main love interests: his young and ever-faithful Irish lover, Mary Flood Jones, his political ally and daughter to an Earl, Laura Standish, a wealthy heiress who seems to have trouble knowing her own mind, Violet Effingham, and a rich widow with a knack of befriending everyone, Mme. Max Goesler.
Trollope manages to keep the reader turning the pages while also bringing up some interesting questions about politics, such as what one can do when one's views go against one's political party, whether a legislator's independence is more important than public service, whether financial resources and political power are good reasons to get married, and whether it's okay to benefit from an unjust system even when you are trying to reform the very same system.
This book really captured my imagination. I may need to keep reading the Palliser novels!