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One couldn't find a better illustration of Trollope's considerable talents than this book. And his wit is so dry and crisp that he doesn't lapse into the preaching tone into which Dickens sometimes falls. At times one begins to feel that the women in Dickens are either angels or demons, with some close to caricatures. For one thing, I find Trollope's female characters, while still Victorian, to be far more fully developed and interesting. Both stage-manage a breathtaking cast of characters, and provide unforgettable stories. And if not better, then he certainly can give him a run for his money every time! Both share a genius for choosing the perfect names, and both provide social commentary and satirical wit. It's more cynical than Dickens, but also more intelligent, and that is what gives it its tremendous satirical bite.Īs others have rightly said, Trollope may be better than Dickens. I can easily see how this work might be tepid in less skilled hands. Also, the narrator's voice had just the right blend of intelligence, wit and irony. It is, as previously reviewed, pitch perfect in every way.
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Much has been said of Timothy West's narration. We empathize with Trollope's rogues and victims because we see a bit of ourselves in them and appreciate the fact that that at bottom each of them is vulnerable. He exposes everyone as self-obsessed and challenges the reader to love them in spite of their flaws, and God help us, we do. Unlike Dickens, Trollope does not give the reader any syrupy and lovable characters. He relentlessly exposes the neuroticism, betrayal, greed, jealousy and lack of authenticity that characterize humanity in general, but were especially salient in that highly constrained society. Trollope skewers the money and status-obsessed upper class of late 19th century London in a manner that surpasses Dickens or any other author I am familiar with from that time. To say that I am pleasantly surprised would be a terrible understatement. I had not even heard of Anthony Trollope until now. I bought this book because I had been listening to Victorian literature, familiarizing myself with some works that I had neglected earlier in my life, and the reviews were so positive I decided to give The Way We Live Now a try. On television, Timothy has appeared in Broken Biscuits (BBC), Great Canal Journeys (across 3 Series), and the regular role of Stan Carter on EastEnders (BBC). Timothy West's theatrical credits include King Lear, The Vote, Uncle Vanya, A Number, Quarter, and Coriolanus and his films include Ever After, Joan Of Arc, Endgame, Iris, and The Day of the Jackal. He has also narrated volumes of Simon Schama's A History of Britain and John Mortimer's Rumpole on Trial. He has narrated a number of Anthony Trollope's classic audiobooks, including the six Chronicles of Barsetshire and The Pallisers series.
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Timothy West is prolific in film, television, theatre, and audiobooks.
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The Way We Live Now has become recognised as Trollope's masterpiece and was featured at Number 22 in The Guardian's 100 best novels. Inspired by the financial scandals of the 1870s, the novel is a dramatization of how greed and dishonesty permeated life during that era. Trollope's highly regarded satire is about the dishonest and villainous financier, Augustus Melmotte, who captivates and buys his way into the corrupt aristocratic society of London, throwing it into turmoil.ĭescribed by The Guardian as 'the darkest of Trollope's 47 novels' it is also the longest with gloriously rich subplots. But as vile as he is, he is considered one of Trollope's greatest creations. In this world of bribes, vendettas, and swindling, in which heiresses are gambled and won, Trollope's characters embody all the vices: Lady Carbury is 'false from head to foot' her son Felix has 'the instincts of a horse, not approaching the higher sympathies of a dog' and Melmotte - the colossal figure who dominates the book - is a 'horrid, big, rich scoundrel.a bloated swindler.a vile city ruffian'.