Friday, May 24, 2019

Back to the Classics Challenge 2019: The Way We Live Now

One of my favorite things about the Back to the Classics Challenge hosted by Karen at the blog Books and Chocolate is the indulgence of the excuse to read Dickens and Trollope, my two most loved Victorian era authors.  Accordingly, for the category “Very Long Classic”, I opted to read the doorstopper, The Way We Live Now which just happens to be Trollope’s longest of the 40-plus novels he wrote over his long career.

Now, of course, the title could be changed to “The Way They Lived Then” since Trollope meant the book to be a commentary on late 19th century upper-class society and their twin obsessions with status and money. But as with so many classics, there is plenty in the novel which still applies to our modern lives. 

But how to write a short review of such a long novel? That’s the challenge. The story is rich with a variety of subplots and intrigues, but the majority of them all revolve around one man: Auguste Melmotte.  Mr. Melmotte is a financier, a capitalist, a man who makes nothing himself but is able to use the money of others to make more money, chiefly for himself. His origins are murky, his past checkered. But as long as he appears to have the Midas-touch he is courted by the upper classes outwardly while behind his back they despise him. There is particular interest in Melmotte’s daughter, Marie, who is to be sacrificed to anyone with a title, provided the groom is willing to only have limited control over Marie’s dowry.

Marie, however, has other ideas about who she will marry. She is enamored of  Sir Felix Carbury, Baronet. Felix is a useless idiot who loves no one but would like a way out of his debts. His mother, Lady Carbury, is all for the match since Felix, though he is her favored child, is rapidly depleting her own finances which she supplements by writing terrible books. Lady Carbury’s daughter, Hetta, has no problem with her mother’s favoritism. She only wants to be free herself to marry young but poor Paul Montague. But her mother wants Hetta to marry her much older cousin, Roger Carbury, who has an estate outside of London. 

Paul Montague wants very much to marry Hetta if only his can get his finances in order, which are ultimately tied up with Melmotte and his dealings. But that’s not all. Roger Carbury is his closest friend and a father figure to him. Marrying Hetta may destroy that friendship. And, to complicate matters further, Paul is pursued by a certain Mrs.  Hurtle, an American widow to whom he was once (and may still be) engaged.

There is so much more in terms of plot and characters than this bare bones outline, like the snobbish Longstaffe family who are inextricably bound up in Melmotte’s financial machinations or Ruby Ruggles, a country girl who wants to throw over her bumpkin finance John Crumb in the forgone hope that Felix Carbury will marry her. Also there is a wonderful parallel plot about gambling at cards among the aristocrats which satirizes the kind of high finance perpetuated by people like Melmotte.

I really enjoyed The Way We Live Now. I didn’t find it quite as charming as some of his previous novels, however; mostly because I found it hard to really root for any of the characters. They were all frustrating, though some such as Lord Nidderdale, Marie Melmotte, Hetta Carbury, Mrs. Hurtle, etc. were less egregious in the errors of their ways than others. But I always found them interesting and I was invested in their fates.

17 comments:

  1. I've only read one Trollope novel (Barchester Towers), but it was long ago, and I remember nothing about it. Thanks for reviving my interest. What is your favorite Trollope novel? My favorite Victorian is Wilkie Collins--I love a good complex and lengthy book.

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    1. Thanks for the comment jenclair! I don't know if I can pick a favorite. Phineas Finn, He Knew He Was Right, Can You Forgive Her, ...? Barchester Towers is great, however and a really good entry point for Trollope.

      I love Wilkie Collins too, in particular The Woman in White.

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    2. I need to get to the library. :) The Woman in White is my favorite, too.

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  2. I keep putting off my Trollope read for the Back to the Classics challenge. It's just so long! And there are so many other books I always seem to want to read first. ;D

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    1. Thanks for the comment Lark! It is long. It took me a couple of weeks to read it. I understand the pull of other books as well. I am always balancing between older classics I want to read and shinier new releases. :D

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  3. Hi Ruthiella, I've got The Way We Live Now down for my choose a 19th century classic. I am eager to read this book because it will be my first time reading Trollope but in thinking of the legnth of some of the books on my classics list I better start soon!

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    1. Thanks for the comment Kathy! Long books can be daunting! But I hope you enjoy it. I would love to hear what you think of it, particularly since this will be your first book by Trollope.

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  4. I read this for the Very Long category too and found it great. Just the right balance of romance and business. I'm toying with the idea of reading a fistful of Trollope's stand-alone novels this summer. Next summer - all the Palliser novels.

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    1. Thanks for the comment Major! I enjoyed your review of this book a lot!

      I've read the first four of the Palliser novels. I like them but my heart is in Barsetshire. :D

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  5. I'm really looking forward to this one but I simply MUST finish his Barsetshire Chronicles first. I have one book to go and I started the series AGES ago. It's frankly embarrassing. Congratulations for knocking one off your challenge!

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    1. Thanks for the comment Cleo! No need to be embarrassed! So many books, so little time. And I don't think any Trollope novel is under 500 pages. Good luck in finishing the Barsetshire Chronicles. :D

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  6. I'm not very well read in Trollope, but of the ones I have read, this was my favorite. I thought Marie Melmotte's situation was very well-handled; I read it mostly for her fate.

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    1. Thanks for the comment reese! Trollope is very sympathetic to his female characters, I think, in general. I Know I breathed a sigh of relief when she escaped that terrible Felix and his clutches.

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  7. That is an excellent review of a long novel—I share your pain, how to encapsulate so much in a digestible post! I have this book, but don’t see myself reading it for a few years as I am about to embark on the Palliser series. It’s interesting that in such a long novel that there is no one you really can root for—it almost seems like Trollope was fed up with society!

    Good post—thanks.

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    1. Thanks for the comment Jane! I am also working on the Palliser series. I have three more to go.

      You might be right about Trollope being fed up and that fueling his creation of The Way We Live Now. Some would say Roger Carbury is the hero, but I would disagree. :D

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  8. If I ever finish the Barsetshire Chronicles (which, at the pace I'm going, is unlikely) then I'll add this to the list of Trollopes to explore later!

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    1. Thanks for the comment Simon! Knowing your aversion to long books, I don't know if you'll ever feel compelled to read this one when there are shorter Trollope novels to try.

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