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Phineas Finn (Palliser #2)

4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 · rating details · 2,017 ratings · 120 reviews

The novel is set against the background of the Reform Bill of 1867, and focuses on an Irish Member of the British House of Commons; in it Trollope explores the relations between the distinct elements of 'the United Kingdom'. Phineas has a personal chronicle which largely dominates the political calendar and it is noteworthy that Trollope wrote Phineas Finn at the same time

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Paperback, 752 pages

Published June 30th 1975 by Penguin Classics (first published 1869)

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Jan 15, 2013 Greg rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Phineas Finn: The Irish Member isn't about an Irish penis.

Rather, it is about a young Irish gentleman who who gets himself elected to the British House of Commons and the manner that he navigates through the very exciting legislative time period surrouding the Second Reform Bill!

I bet I had you clicking the 'to-read' button there, but please don't be in such a rush and tear off to your amazon, your neighborhood bookstore, get on your reading device or head over to ProjectGutenberg.org to get yo...more Phineas Finn: The Irish Member isn't about an Irish penis.

Rather, it is about a young Irish gentleman who who gets himself elected to the British House of Commons and the manner that he navigates through the very exciting legislative time period surrouding the Second Reform Bill!

I bet I had you clicking the 'to-read' button there, but please don't be in such a rush and tear off to your amazon, your neighborhood bookstore, get on your reading device or head over to ProjectGutenberg.org to get your copy just yet and ignore the rest of this sure to be thrilling review of mine (or go off and do those things, but please come back, or at least click like, that way I'll think you read this even if you didn't).

Did I keep you reading for a few moments? Because I should warn you while it does take place during the Second Fucking Reform Bill!!! and that is pretty exciting stuff, this is the second book in the Palliser series of novels. And while you don't need to read, Can you Forgive Her? (which I reviewed here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..., and which is actually probably a tedious read and has background in some 'ancient goodreads history' (ie., things that happened about four months ago), although interestingly enough that might be the last review I've written that I cared at all about while I was writing it, I mean and this one, and any other one you've read by me in the past three and a half months, none of these were just phoned in or anything like that), to understand or follow what is going on here, there are a couple of spoilers in the basic plot of this book to events that happen in the first book. But if you don't mind having the plot of the first novel spoiled and you just can't wait to get into a novel about the Second Reform Bill era, then read this first!

Even though I only gave this book three stars it was quite good. I just didn't enjoy it as much as Can you Forgive Her?, so I rated it lower to show preference. It was probably like a 4 star to a 4.4 star of the other book though.
I started reading the book as a book, and over Christmas I think I left the book somewhere in my parents house. This was sad, since the book had all the juicy footnotes giving historical information about the Second Reform Bill and it's major players (like you or I really need this sort of crib sheet, pshaw!). When I got back to the city I was despondent over leaving my Trollope at my parents house (c'mon Karen break your New Years Resolution), but then I realized I could download the book for free on the internets (legally, too!), so I did, but I no longer had the exciting notes. And a couple of chapters and transitions seemed rather abrupt, but that's probably just how they were written, although in each case I worried that I was missing something. Like maybe a little bit of dialogue about Tenant Rights and true participatory democracy.

So I read more than half of this book on my nook, making it the longest novel I've read on my silly device, and twice(twice!) had the annoyance to trying to read only to find out that there wasn't enough power in the thing to turn on. But it was mostly an enjoyable experience, and the epub version of the book at ProjectGutenberg.org was formatted fairly well, except for the names at the end of any of the epistolary sections of the book.

I have some gripes about the book. But I think they are more about the accepted behaviors of the time than with the novel itself, although a few of my gripes might have come from the serial format the novel was initially written in. I think if the novel had been conceived and executed as a whole a few of my gripes would have been cleared up, these were sort of things like, hey we need a character here that can do this to move the plot along, so blam, new major character!

I'm not positive, and I'm sure I'm wrong, but the character Violet Effingham might be one of the earliest examples I can think of for the Manic Pixie Dream Girl (I'm sure there are earlier examples though).

The book itself can be summed up as the story of a young man who is trying to not sell out. He's trying to do the right thing, stay true to his convictions and uphold his duty, two things that aren't always in harmony with each other. He is also trying to circumnavigate that thing called love, and in that quirky 19th century English manner, try to marry correctly while also being true to himself. Like in the first Palliser novel, the women generally steal the show, they get the best parts of the novel and are generally more interesting and dynamic than many of the male characters who are more fairly stock characters.

Even if the story line doesn't sound that interesting (if it doesn't it is because you are some sort of cretin who doesn't realize that the Second Reform Bill era in the House of Commons was truly epic!), Trollope's writing is once again a joy to read. He's fun. And maybe it is more escapist reading for snobbish nerd types than seriously good literature, I don't know, but I have once again enjoyed my Trollope, even if the novel didn't turn out to be a seven hundred page tome about an Irish cock. (less)

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Sep 04, 2007 Inder rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 19th-century, 1001-books, law, read-2007, england, fiction

Trollope is in high form here. It's 700+ pages of deliciously complex interpersonal relationships. Difficult decisions, falling in and out of love, good marriages and bad, coincidence and fate. It's great writing plus great soap opera.

As usual, Trollope's respect for women's intelligence and sensitivity comes through loud and clear. He was hardly a feminist (he makes fun of the real feminists of the time - the suffragettes and bluestockings), so it's a bit hard to explain - but you can tell he...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Sarah Magdalene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Phineas Finn - Anthony Trollope

Trollope is my therapy. He is the one sure fire cure for life sickness. I think it’s because he’s so human, so unpretentious and so kind hearted.
And Phineas Finn is a lovely boy, charming and yet not a rogue. I like reading books about people who I like, especially when they don’t suffer too much (just a little). It restores my faith in the ultimate goodness of life, and that is a sorely needed tonic.

Trollopes characters are so tangible, so real, and mostly very ap...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Tristram rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic-english-literature

Beef and Ale

“’Convictions! There’s nothing on earth that I’m so much afraid of in a young member of Parliament as convictions. There are ever so many rocks against which men get broken. One man can’t keep his temper. Another can’t hold his tongue. A third can’t say a word unless he has been priming himself half a session. A fourth is always thinking of himself, and wanting more than he can get. A fifth is idle, and won’t be there when he’s wanted. A sixth is always in the way. A seventh lies so...more Beef and Ale

“’Convictions! There’s nothing on earth that I’m so much afraid of in a young member of Parliament as convictions. There are ever so many rocks against which men get broken. One man can’t keep his temper. Another can’t hold his tongue. A third can’t say a word unless he has been priming himself half a session. A fourth is always thinking of himself, and wanting more than he can get. A fifth is idle, and won’t be there when he’s wanted. A sixth is always in the way. A seventh lies so that you never can trust him. I’ve had to do with them all, but a fellow with convictions is the worst of all.’” (Chapter LXVII)

This reaction shown by the experienced MP Barrington Erle when he learns about Phineas Finn’s resolution to follow his own convictions rather than the party line in a vote on Irish tenant right and thereby to renounce his post as a Government secretary and to overthrow his own career seems to be quite evident an analysis of the laws of present-day political life. Therefore this analysis must have passed into common knowledge, because with regard to today’s politicians Barrington Erle would have little to worry about, since it would be quite an achievement to point out a politician who holds any convictions at all these days, whereas, of course, examples 2, 4 and 7 in his enumeration undoubtedly abound.

In his second so-called Palliser novel, “Phineas Finn” (1867/68), Anthony Trollope gives insight into the mysterious ways Parliament works. His hero, Phineas Finn, a decent enough, dapper young man and son of an Irish country physician, makes his entrance into Parliament by being elected the representative of a pocket borough. Soon he finds himself unable to pursue his legal career next to his parliamentary duties so that, against the advice of his father and his paternal friend Mr. Low, he gives up the law altogether, thus depriving himself of any source of revenue except the allowance granted him by his doting father. His easy-going and gentlemanly manner soon make him a favourite of some of the best families in London, and he also befriends the radical Mr. Monk, who has been talked into accepting a Government office and thus finds himself unable to freely express his opinions in debates.

The novel follows Finn’s development as a parliamentary orator, his trouble with a letter of comfort he has rashly signed for a friend, his battle with a newspaper editor, and finally his rise into office and his moral conflict, which makes it impossible for him to toe the party line regardless of his personal convictions. Apart from that, we are invited to witness the hero’s emotional journey – a gauntlet of marriage proposals, as one could say – between four women: There is the mild and penniless Mary Flood Jones from Ireland, the highly intelligent Lady Laura Standish, the sprightly heiress Violet Effingham, who is constantly battling with her aunt for her independence, and the experienced and calculating young widow Madame Goesler. With the help of these so different women, Trollope manages to portray the narrow scope of action that was allowed a Victorian woman of the upper classes. Whereas Mary seems to be the colourless and submissive kind of pet that would find her way into any Dickens novel, the three other women are real characters, and especially Lady Laura, who rushes into an unhappy marriage with the wealthy, but stern Mr. Kennedy for the sake of her reckless brother, is quite a tragic and three-dimensional character.

Nathaniel Hawthorne once wrote of Trollope that his work is “written on the strength of beef and through the inspiration of ale, and [is] just as real as if some giant had hewn a great lump out of the earth and put it under a glass case, with all its inhabitants going about their daily business, and not suspecting that they were being made a show of.” I think that the spirit of what makes Trollope Trollope could hardly have been expressed any more aptly. You will not find any of the romanticism and sensationalism that was typical of many other Victorian writers – in “Phineas Finn”, for instance, there is also a duel, but what would have been given a chapter of its own in Dickens or Sheridan Le Fanu is quickly passed over by Trollope and is only referred to in the conversation of the characters after the event –, and so many modern readers will find it boring. However, you will get a lot of real life in Trollope, seemingly unspectacular, but masterfully conceived and written. If, for example, you compare two unhappy marriages in literature, the Kennedys in “Phineas Finn” and the Lammles in “Our Mutual Friend” by Dickens, you will find that the latter is, of course, more dramatic and imaginative, but the former couple could actually be living next door to you.

So if you really want to get an impression of Victorian life, you can hardly ignore Trollope.
(less)

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May 29, 2012 Smcleish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally published on my blog here in November 1999.

Phineas Finn is one of Trollope's most enjoyable novels. It is here that the so called Palliser series of political novels really gets under way, Can You Forgive Her? being more of a prologue introducing some of the characters. (The overlap between the two novels is actually quite small, and it is not until later that characters from them really begin to interact.)

Finn is a young Irish barrister tempted from his legal career by the offer of a...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Ed rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I chose "e-book" since goodreads doesn't have a "Nook" category.

Phineas Finn is an intelligent and very ambitious young man the only son of an Irish doctor. While studying with a London barrister so that he can be admitted to the bar himself Finn is approached by an acquaintance at his club and asked to stand for Parliament in the small borough where his family lives. Through a stroke of good luck he is successful and goes back to London as a member of Parliament.

He woos and loses several women...more I chose "e-book" since goodreads doesn't have a "Nook" category.

Phineas Finn is an intelligent and very ambitious young man the only son of an Irish doctor. While studying with a London barrister so that he can be admitted to the bar himself Finn is approached by an acquaintance at his club and asked to stand for Parliament in the small borough where his family lives. Through a stroke of good luck he is successful and goes back to London as a member of Parliament.

He woos and loses several women, fights a duel over one of them (having to go to the Continent since dueling is illegal in England) and, most importantly, discovers just how insignificant and unimportant one member of the House of Commons can be. This is the story of his political and social awakening told against the backdrop of political reform and continued agitation in Ireland.

Finn is a likable sort--he wants to do what is right for his country, his party and for Ireland but he can't quite figure out how to go about it. He wants to be married to his first love, the delightful Mary Flood in Ireland but is attracted by the sophistication and connections of Lady Laura Standish and the immense wealth of Mademoiselle Max Goesler, the widow of a diamond merchant.

He ultimately stands on his principles (once he figures out what they are) both in Parliament and with the women in his life.

Trollope makes Finn a man on the make, one who wants to accomplish great things but who still worries about what people will think of him. After a career in the Civil Service in both Ireland and England (he is credited with inventing the pillar box for the Royal Mail) Trollope was familiar with people like Finn, his family, his political opponents and allies and the women around him. Trollope isn't a major English novelist but is not unimportant and well worth reading. Like Dickens and other mid to late 19th Century writers Trollope's long works were serialized in a popular magazine before being issued as a three volume novel--there was no reason to be brief and many to be prolix. (less)

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Jul 03, 2011 Bruno Bouchet rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love the insights into the political process in this book and seeing how it’s changed so little over 150 years – although the idea of an MP being able to be independent from his party simply because he wasn’t part of the Government would be a great idea now - obviously from before the days of the three line whip. I know many reviewers say it, but it’s worth repeating, Trollope is such a great chronicler of his times – he simply calls it like he sees it, and when he does offer opinions, makes t...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Anastasia Fitzgerald-Beaumont rated it 4 of 5 stars

Now I’ve finished Finn! Sorry for the awful pun. I’ve finished reading Phineas Finn, the Irish Member, the second volume of Anthony Trollope’s Palliser series of six politically-themed novels. It’s long, in excess of seven hundred pages, but on the whole entertaining and diverting.

The book touches on politics at a whole number of levels. There is the obvious parliamentary dimension, with a thorough-going exploration of the great question of the day, namely that of electoral reform (it was writt...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Justin Evans rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Honestly, so far I prefer Barchester to Parliament as far as Trollope's series go. This is probably a bit funnier, and the plot is certainly more impressive, but his style is much tamer and less interesting. There's very little of the authorial intrusion that makes the earlier Barsetshire novels so entertaining, and the writing in general is invisible. That's no mean feat, but I also miss the hyper-irony of Barchester Towers or even Doctor Thorne. Also, as with most authors, the longer his books...more

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Nov 13, 2010 Mrsgaskell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 8-star, british, classics, own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 29, 2010 Rowland Bismark rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Phineas Finn, a young Irishman just admitted to the bar, was elected to Parliament from Loughshane through the support of his father's old friend Lord Tulla. His genial temperament soon won him many highly placed friends in London society, among them Lady Laura Standish.

Although Phineas was in a sense committed to marry a childhood sweetheart, Mary Jones, he fell in love with Lady Laura. She, however, had sacrificed her fortune to pay the debts of her brother Lord Chiltern, and valued her positi...more Phineas Finn, a young Irishman just admitted to the bar, was elected to Parliament from Loughshane through the support of his father's old friend Lord Tulla. His genial temperament soon won him many highly placed friends in London society, among them Lady Laura Standish.

Although Phineas was in a sense committed to marry a childhood sweetheart, Mary Jones, he fell in love with Lady Laura. She, however, had sacrificed her fortune to pay the debts of her brother Lord Chiltern, and valued her position in society above her romantic love for Phineas. She was deeply and intelligently interested in politics and the maintenance of a salon needed money and position, and she found both in the person of Robert Kennedy, a wealthy MP representing a group of Scottish boroughs.

In Lady Laura's circle of friends, Violet Effingham stood nearest to her, and when Phineas sought to marry her Lady Laura was bitterly angry, not only because she considered that he was being untrue to her, but that she wished Violet to marry Lord Chiltern. Violet did in fact love him, but his violent temper and manner of life did not seem to insure her happiness. When Lord Chiltern learned that Phineas was his rival, he challenged him and a duel was fought in Belgium, with no serious results. Both men were soon sensible of their folly, and shortly after they became reconciled Violet accepted Chiltern.

Phineas, by taking a government post to enable him to pay his way in London, lost his seat in Loughshane, and through the good offices of Lady Laura was offered Loughton, her father's pocket-borough. His career seemed assured until from a matter of principle he voted against his colleagues on a bill for tenant right in Ireland, and was forced to resign. In the meantime, life with the harsh and priggish Mr. Kennedy had become impossible for the high-spirited Lady Laura. She rejoined her father and eventually, to escape her husband's demand that she return to him, went into exile at Dresden.

Max Goesler, a wealthy and charming widow, interested herself in securing another seat for Phineas and, when he refused to allow her to finance the cost of the election, offered to put him in possession of her great fortune by their marriage. This he was too proud to accept and, discouraged by the net result of his years in Parliament, returned to Ireland where he married Mary Jones.

Although not generally reckoned as the first of the Parliamentary series, as some of the characters appeared earlier in The Eustace Diamonds and Can You Forgive Her?, it is in fact the first in which the affairs of the parliamentary world are of major interest.(less)

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Jun 25, 2012 Helen Kitson added it

Shelves: 19c, fiction

Our hero is the son of an Irish doctor. Phineas defies his father, who wants his son to become a barrister, and instead embarks upon a career in Parliament. He falls in love with Lady Laura, but she chooses instead to marry Robert Kennedy, who is sufficiently wealthy to assist her brother, who has had problems in the past with drink and gambling - and an ongoing problem with idleness.

Although Phineas and Laura remain friends, things become rocky when he confesses his love for Violet, whom Laura...more Our hero is the son of an Irish doctor. Phineas defies his father, who wants his son to become a barrister, and instead embarks upon a career in Parliament. He falls in love with Lady Laura, but she chooses instead to marry Robert Kennedy, who is sufficiently wealthy to assist her brother, who has had problems in the past with drink and gambling - and an ongoing problem with idleness.

Although Phineas and Laura remain friends, things become rocky when he confesses his love for Violet, whom Laura wants her brother to marry. She would not admit as much to Phineas, but Laura is still in love with him. Her marriage, she realises very soon, is a mistake. She resents her husband's attempts to control her and rebels against his authority.

For the sake of his conscience, Phineas decides to leave Parliament. He also vows to marry Mary, a sweet and simple Irish girl who has always loved him, yet who has no social position or money. He is still, right until the end of the book, torn between doing what is right and doing what would make life easy. "Then had come Mr Monk and Mary Flood Jones - and everything around him had collapsed...with, however, a terrible temptation to him to inflate his sails again, at the cost of his truth and his honour."

Violet and Chiltern (Laura's brother) finally become engaged. Chiltern thinks that Phineas still carries a torch for Violet, but she is more perceptive. "He is broken-hearted," she realises, "about everything. The whole world is vanishing away from him." Phineas has decided to leave behind his English life. He will become a barrister in Ireland, though it will mean a great deal of hard work and it will take him a long time to earn much money, and therefore he won't be in a position to marry Mary for many years. At the age of thirty he is still poor, because he impetuously decided to become an MP before establishing himself in a career - a course of action he was warned against, but he chose to ignore the warnings.

At the end of the book Laura is still living apart from her husband and she is to move abroad, where it will be harder for her estranged husband to force her to come back to him. Her life, she feels, is over, and yet to live abroad is preferable to her than to return to the far less socially ambiguous position of dutiful wife.

Phineas is rewarded for following his conscience rather than going after wealth and social position: he is offered the post of poor law inspector in Ireland, with a salary of £1,000 a year, which will enable him to marry Mary. [Dec 2004](less)

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Dec 30, 2012 Mary Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

I very much enjoyed reading Phineas Finn, the second in Trollope's Palliser Chronicles. The story is about a young man from Ireland who rises from nothing to be an admired member of the House of Commons. He does not come from money, so he needs to gain a position in the government in order to earn a salary, as being a member of Parliament does not in itself pay anything. He tries and fails to become engaged to several women, fighting a duel at one point. Phineas' position in government becomes p...more

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Dec 10, 2009 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars

The second volume of Trollope's Palliser series. Be warned: Trollope is not for everyone. But it is for me. I love the relaxed pace of the books, and the detailed character studies. This book's cast is particularly interesting, and one of the appeals is that Trollope's characters, while representative of their era, are never boring or predictable.
The books are long (this one is 700+ pages), but one doesn't mind. In a stately Victorian way, it's a page turner. Will our hero succeed in his ambi...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 18, 2011 Spiros rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those who enjoy politics, of all sorts

Shelves: citylights, vacationreads, londoncalling

Follows the early career of the callow and susceptible Phineas Finn, son of an Irish doctor, as he finds his way into Parliament and Government, and negotiates the mine field of his own heart. As compelling as is Finn's emotional roller-coaster ride, from his Irish sweetheart, Mary Flood Jones, to his patroness and mentor, Lady Laura Standish, to the ravishing Violet Effingham, destined mate of Lady Laura's rakish brother Lord Chiltern, to the enigmatic Marie Max Goesler, and finally back to Mar...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Ferris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Audiobook..........In the big picture of literature I have read, "Phineas Finn" is probably more of a three star read, but I really like Trollope's ability to create characters who struggle with moral dilemmas and then lets the reader watch them mature over time. In this case, our "dear Finn", starts out as a young man who chooses the path of least resistance to reach an idealized goal....to be a Member of Parliament. He falters in Parliament and in love, yet discovers, almost to his own surpris...more

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May 27, 2009 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the second volume of Trollope’s political series. Phineas Finn, the son of an Irish doctor, intended to become a barrister after studying law at Trinity College, but becomes an MP instead and moves into London political society—those in the Liberal party at least. He’s handsome, personable, and does real work. He just can’t afford to be an MP (no salary) except by letting his father support him. In Parliament, he overcomes his initial fear of speaking after a disastrous first attempt and then...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Lindsey Strachan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: desert-island-books-my-all-time-f

Phineas Finn, being the second novel of Trollope's Palliser series, has much to live up to by comparison with earlier Trollope works such as the Barset novels, which contain some of the finest examples of classic English literature. By and large, it does not disappoint.

I wont summarise the plot as others have done so better than I ever could. It is an entertaining account of a young man's progress through London society of the 1860s, particularly the politics of the period. The 1860s was a peri...more Phineas Finn, being the second novel of Trollope's Palliser series, has much to live up to by comparison with earlier Trollope works such as the Barset novels, which contain some of the finest examples of classic English literature. By and large, it does not disappoint.

I wont summarise the plot as others have done so better than I ever could. It is an entertaining account of a young man's progress through London society of the 1860s, particularly the politics of the period. The 1860s was a period of great political change in Britain, with the second Reform Act changing the political landscape of the country. All of which means that this could so easily have been a dull book, bogged down with political theory and argument, but thanks to Trollope's great skill as a writer this never happens. Sure, there are one or two points where the political explanations are a little dull unless that sort of thing floats your boat, but these are very minor and on the whole Trollope manages to make the political process both entertaining and understandable. He also manages to steer clear of too obvious a political bias. Whilst it is possible to get an understanding of Trollope's own politics from the book, you never feel like he is forcing this down your throat, and he does give both sides of the argument.

As ever with Trollope, the plot is not overly complex, but it is an accutely observed portait of real life in those times. He paints this picture using a wonderful cast of characters - indeed a number of Trollope's best are to be found in Phineas Finn. The exquisite Lady Glencora and my Victorian pin up, Plantagenet Palliser, are to be found within its pages - although in a disappointingly small amount. Lord Chiltern is a wonderful depiction of a highly strung, idle aristocrat and yet is rather loveable for all his faults. Lady Laura and Violet Effingham are two further examples of Trollope's genius at depicting his female characters - intelligent, strong, passionate and yet imprisoned by the conventions of the time, a situation which Trollope again deals with admirably, despite his supposedly anti-feminist views.

I could go on about numerous other enjoyable and believable characters here, but I wont bore you. To be honest, the only character I didn't realy take a strong shine to was the eponymous hero himself, Phineas Finn. I didn't dislike him by any means. I just found him a bit insipid and with too many double-standards, though his principled resignation in the end made up somewhat for this. He seemed to have so much luck fall into his lap and yet not to appreciate it that it just annoyed me a tad. However, this was by no means enough to spoil an extremely enjoyable book. However, it was the the one element that made this book a four star instead of 5 for me.(less)

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Apr 15, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Emily by: A patient

2nd book in the series, and again one that probably caused me to take slightly longer lunches and be up later than planned several days. This one focuses on a young Irishman who ends up in the British parliament and the beginnings of his political career. The politics were at times mind-boggling, especially their apparent tendency to dissolve Parliament & call new elections at the drop of a hat. To steal a line from "Buffy": "Parliament's dissolving? Must be Tuesday!" I sometimes felt I need...more

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Jan 12, 2009 Consuela rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was a slow starter. If I friend hadn't sent this to me, I would have never gotten past the first 50 of its 700 pages! But I persisted and it was worth it. I love the title character for his honestly, integrity and willingness to do what is right, no matter how great the cost to himself. We need more of this now! While I don't pretend to completely understand the politics of the British Parliament in the 1860s, I do understand it a little better. These men love the thrill of having an o...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Jessica added it

Shelves: gave-up-on

Taking a break after book one. My heart breaks for Lady Laura, who should be Prime Minister. Phineas, I'm trying to like you. Maybe if I were with you I'd be captivated by your good looks.

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Mar 09, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read by Robert Whitfield.

Second title of the six Palliser novels. Time: mid 1860s. Place: mostly London, some parts in Ireland. Phineas Finn has been elected to Parliament.

I like this book very much - Trollope makes me feel the tension Phineas feels, particularly when he is getting ready to make his maiden speech before Parliament. And Phineas's frustration with Mr. Clarkson who is trying to collect from him on a bill he signed for Lawrence Fitzgibbon.

Phineas is described as a very good-looking...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-century-lit, fiction, trollope, reread

As I re-read many of Anthony Trollope's novels, I find myself revising my rating of them upward. It seems that there are few authors I positively enjoy reading as much as Trollope. There are some, very few, of his works that I do not care for that much; but, for the most part, I find his oeuvre to be remarkably consistent in its appeal and its innate excellence.

In Phineas Finn, we have the story of the eponymous hero, a handsome young Irishman of twenty-three, who comes to make his fortune in En...more As I re-read many of Anthony Trollope's novels, I find myself revising my rating of them upward. It seems that there are few authors I positively enjoy reading as much as Trollope. There are some, very few, of his works that I do not care for that much; but, for the most part, I find his oeuvre to be remarkably consistent in its appeal and its innate excellence.

In Phineas Finn, we have the story of the eponymous hero, a handsome young Irishman of twenty-three, who comes to make his fortune in England as a member of Parliament. When he obtains the seat at Loughshane due to the influence of his father, he finds himself moving in an illustrious crowd of famous politicians, nobility, and beautiful young women. Although his political luck has been phenomenal, he finds himself relatively poor (M.P.s were not paid for their service unless they managed to hold some position in one of the ministries) and lovelorn.

This book is about handsome Phineas and four women. First, there is Mary Flood Jones of Floodborough in Ireland, a beautiful but humble young woman. Then there is the proud Lady Laura Standish, who turns down Phineas to marry a Scottish millionaire -- though that quickly grows sour. Thereupon, he turns to Lady laura's friend, Violet Effingham, but runs into competition with Violet's childhood friend Lord Chiltern, who also happens to be Lady Laura's beloved brother. Lord Chiltern is so offended by what he sees as Phineas's treachery toward a friend, that they fight a duel at Blankenberg in Belgium -- dueling having been forbidden in Britain -- where Phineas gets a shoulder wound. Finally there is the wealthy, exotic, beautiful, and smart Madame Max Goesler.

Eventually, Phineas makes his choice, though it coincides with having to surrender his Parliamentary seat and his cushy Treasury post because of his belief in Irish reform:

He, like Icarus, had flown up towards the sun, hoping that his wings of wax would bear him steadily aloft among the gods. Seeing that his wings were wings of wax, we must acknowledge that they were very good. But the celestial lights had been too strong for them, and now, having lived for five years with lords and countesses, with Ministers and orators, with beautiful women and men of fashion, he must start again in a little lodging in Dublin, and hope that the attorneys of that litigious city might be good to him. On his journey home he made but one resolution. He would make the change, or attempt to make it, with manly strength.

Phineas Finn is the second of Trollope's six Palliser novels and easily stands among his best work.(less)

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Nov 26, 2008 Bettie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic, fraudio

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Phineas Finn is an Irish M.P. climbing the political ladder, largely through the assistance of the women with whom he becomes romantically involved - his patron, Lady Laura Standish, who marries another; Violet Effingham, who weds a volatile nobleman; Madame Marie Max Goesler, a wealthy, sophistic...more This is an unabridged version, 309MB, running for 22.5 hours.

Encoded as 32kbps 22050Hz MP3 mono - radio quality

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phineas Finn is an Irish M.P. climbing the political ladder, largely through the assistance of the women with whom he becomes romantically involved - his patron, Lady Laura Standish, who marries another; Violet Effingham, who weds a volatile nobleman; Madame Marie Max Goesler, a wealthy, sophisticated widow; and his patient sweetheart, Mary Flood-Jones. The questions he is forced to ask himself about honesty, independence, and parliamentary democracy are questions still asked today.

Phineas Finn is the second of Anthony Trollope's six Palliser novels. While each is a story within itself, together the volumes comprise a large, coherent composition that captures the fashions, slang, manners and politics of two decades. Beginning with this segment of the Palliser novels, Trollope painted an unrivaled portrait of Parliamentary political society in the high Victorian period. Trollope's understanding of the institutions of mid-Victorian England and the unobtrusive irony which informs his sympathetic vision of human fallibility is a hallmark of these stories.

Anthony Trollope (1815-82) is most famous for his portrait of the professional and landed classes of Victorian England, especially in his Palliser and Barsetshire novels. Brought up amidst debt and deprivation, Trollope inherited a writing ambition from his mother, and famously disciplined himself to wake up every morning at 5:30 a.m. and write 250 words every quarter of an hour. While carving out a successful career at the post office, he got his first novel published in 1847, and eventually achieved fame and fortune with forty-seven novels and some sixteen other books. His Autobiography is a satisfied and fascinating look at his life and his own character, as well as other famous literary figures and politics of the times.

Read by Robert Whitfield(less)

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Sep 18, 2008 Virgil rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To be honest, I liked this book much more than I thought I would. Despite the hackneyed 19th century plot of a plucky young man trying to make his way up in society, Trollope's writing offers fascinating insights into the British parliamentary system, its complex and uncomfortable relationship with Ireland, and a some enlightened commentary about the status of women in Victorian Britain. That said, being a Victorian novel, it could have been half the size with almost no loss in plot development...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book took a little while to grow on me, but I found it interesting and enjoyable. It wasn't as compelling as the first book in the series, but I did like it a lot. I'm not terribly familiar with the British parliamentary system, that is, how "governments" are formed and changed when another party gains control. This book was very much concerned with Parliament since the main character, Phineas Finn, becomes a member. I found the main character likeable and the other characters well done. Ma...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Sarah Bringhurst Familia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic-literature, britain

I am, of course, still reading this series. One of the things I love about it is that I am still looking up new words (with the touch of a button--I love my Kindle!). I highly recommend reading Trollope to anyone preparing to take the SAT or GRE.

I've also unbent my feminist ire a little. In Phineas Finn, bad husbands are given no quarter, and the woman are portrayed as well-rounded, complex characters. Trollope is still not exactly progressive, but he might not be as bad as I thought. Plus, I'm...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Yrinsyde rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Phineas Finn is a man who does not understand women. On one hand, he is thoughtlessly cruel and on the other hand, is needlessly chivalrous. Finn is one of the political series of novels that Trollope wrote and as usual, he is in fine form. The machinations of politics is made clear and understandable without being dull or ponderous and the strategies and behind-the-scenes goings on are wonderfully drawn. His characters become real and the conversations he constructs between them are so lovely a...more

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Sep 14, 2011 Hazel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Phineas himself doesn't quite convince. There isn't much more to him than good looks, a pleasing manner and a desire to please. Perhaps it's this last that makes him so attractive to women? But, no, I don't really buy it. He is what my mother would call one confused bootoo; not too bright and without a shred of self-knowledge; fickle, short-sighted and self-serving.

But what interesting women characters Trollope creates for him, with far more complex internal lives, ambitions and conflicting des...more

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About Anthony Trollope

Anthony Trollope became one of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era. Some of Trollope's best-loved works, known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, revolve around the imaginary county of Barsetshire; he also wrote penetrating novels on political, social, and gender issues and conflicts of his day.

Trollope has always been a popular novelist. Noted fans ha...more

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Barchester Towers (Barsetshire Chronicles, #2)

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Quotes from Phineas Finn

“There is nothing in the world so difficult as that task of making up one's mind. Who is there that has not longed that the power and privilege of selection among alternatives should be taken away from him in some important crisis of his life, and that his conduct should be arranged for him, either this way or that, by some divine power if it were possible, - by some patriarchal power in the absence of divinity, - or by chance, even, if nothing better than chance could be found to do it? But no one dares to cast the die, and to go honestly by the hazard. There must be the actual necessity of obeying the die, before even the die can be of any use.” — 11 people liked it

“I hate a stupid man who can't talk to me, and I hate a clever man who talks me down. I don’t like a man who is too lazy to make any effort to shine; but I particularly dislike the man who is always striving for effect. I abominate a humble man, but yet I love to perceive that a man acknowledges the superiority of my sex, and youth and all that kind of thing. . . A man who would tell me that I am pretty, unless he is over seventy, ought to be kicked out of the room. But a man who can't show me that he thinks me so without saying a word about it, is a lout.” — 6 people liked it

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Phineas Finn (Palliser #2)

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