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Phineas Redux (Palliser #4)

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 · rating details · 664 ratings · 64 reviews

After the death of his Irish wife, Phineas Finn returns to London and to the House of Commons. But though drawn back apparently irresistibly, he never approaches politics with the zest of earlier days. What Trollope describes, in some of his most powerful writing, is a sad, at times almost sombre, progress towards maturity and self-wisdom.

768 pages

Published (first published 1874)

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Mar 30, 2009 Jon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Read the first half of this a month or so ago, then after a break, read the second half, which, I was glad to find out had less politics. Still, even the politics of the first half were pretty entertaining. Trollope is the world's champ at presenting our inner monologues, as we explain to ourselves and justify to our own satisfaction why we act the way we do, analyze for ourselves what we think of other people and why. And he does this from the omniscient author's point of view, for practically...more Read the first half of this a month or so ago, then after a break, read the second half, which, I was glad to find out had less politics. Still, even the politics of the first half were pretty entertaining. Trollope is the world's champ at presenting our inner monologues, as we explain to ourselves and justify to our own satisfaction why we act the way we do, analyze for ourselves what we think of other people and why. And he does this from the omniscient author's point of view, for practically every character. Like gods, we watch each one watching all the others and sit back while they misunderstand each other, misinterpret situations, and generally cause each other problems. It's calming to watch politicians do this over issues you don't care about--the disestablishment of the Church of England, for example, or decimal coinage. I read this part while watching Obama's first run-ins with the Republicans in the House of Representatives, and it enabled me to have a little perspective. It would be a rare and fairly naive politician in Trollope's House of Commons who might actually deal with an issue on its merits: that aspect was always relevant, but far more important were personal animosities, webs of friendship and influence, party loyalty, needs of constituents, and fear of public ridicule or reprisal. I'm sure nothing has changed. It's a wonder anything ever gets done.

Then the second half dealt with a murder trial and a love triangle, using the same narrative techniques. Full of memorable characters, both attractive and repellent. And I learned that I wasn't quite a sensitive enough reader. I realized towards the end that I had admired one character more than Trollope wanted me to--I had accepted her explanation to herself of her mistakes and misdeeds and had readily forgiven her because she was pretty and romantic. I didn't realize until quite late that in Trollope's opinion she was simply selfish. Self-justifications I had taken straight he had intended ironically. These days nothing is worse than not getting it when somebody is being ironic, and I'm embarrassed for being taken in by her charm. (less)

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Feb 14, 2009 Consuela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the 4th in the 6 Palliser novels by Anthony Trollope, but I consider it to be the sequel to the second in the series, "Phineas Finn." In this book we continue with "our hero" (as the author rightly calls him) but this time, unlike the first book where we see his meteoric rise, this one is full of woe and is much darker. But it's a wonderful book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I might look into the rest of the books. But how could they possibly be as good as these two books?

Phineas continu...more

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

Phineas Redux - Anthony Trollope

Ahhhh Phineaaassss!!!
He suffers much more this time. But it’s good for him. He wakes up out of his dream as a result. This was a really subtle piece of emotional manipulation. I cried when the crusty old lawyer fell for his lovely client (well, the keyword here is subtle), I cried when all his friends stood up for him in court. But it’s been raining non stop, and somehow Phineas’ trial seem to mirror my own trial.

Its a classic piece on scapegoating and jealousy. P...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Smcleish rated it 3 of 5 stars

Originally published on my blog here in August 2001.

The fourth Palliser novel, as its title says, is about Phineas Finn's return to the political scene. Standing once again for parliament takes up the first part of the story, along with the renewal of his acquaintance with the women who played an important part in his early career before his marriage, Lady Laura Kennedy, Madame Goestler and Glencora Palliser, now the Duchess of Omnium.

The second half of the novel rather overshadows this, however...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Anastasia Fitzgerald-Beaumont rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Here I am at the top of another mountain, having climbed Phineas Redux, the forth in Anthony Trollope’s Palliser series. It’s really the sequel to Phineas Finn, the second in the set, though it follows on from The Eustace Diamonds, its immediate predecessor.

It was suggested that I read the Phineas novels back to back. But, closely related as they are, I preferred to follow the author’s own footsteps. I’m glad that I did because there is a reasonably important overlap with The Eustace Diamonds,...more

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

After the annoyance of the Eustace Diamonds, it’s great to read Trollope doing what he does really best. The first is allowing his characters to grow and develop. The bitter and self pitying aspects of Phineus’ character in this book definitely grow out of his experience in the previous Phineus novel, so much so that they almost seem like two part of the same novel. He’s not the same person, changed by experience. He’s not alone, Laura Standish is changed, her husband driven to madness and her b...more

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

After seven years of exile in Ireland and the death of his wife, Phineas Finn returned to London. Those in power had implied that were he again in Parliament, he would be taken into the government. He accordingly contested the borough of Tankerville and was elected. Lady Laura Kennedy was still in Dresden, where Phineas visited her, and at her request had an interview with her husband when he returned to London. Mr. Kennedy believed that Phineas was responsible for his wife's refusal to return t...more After seven years of exile in Ireland and the death of his wife, Phineas Finn returned to London. Those in power had implied that were he again in Parliament, he would be taken into the government. He accordingly contested the borough of Tankerville and was elected. Lady Laura Kennedy was still in Dresden, where Phineas visited her, and at her request had an interview with her husband when he returned to London. Mr. Kennedy believed that Phineas was responsible for his wife's refusal to return to him, and after hot words attempted unsuccessfully to shoot him. No report was made to the police but relatives took him, completely mad, back to Loughlinter, where he soon died.

At the death of the old Duke, Plantagenet Palliser succeeded to his honors. The Daubeny government fell, Mr. Gresham became Prime Minister and the new Duke Lord Privy Seal. Mr. Bonteen had expected to become Chancellor of the Exchequer, and was angry and disappointed when asked to take the Presidency of the Board of Trade. There had never been friendship between Phineas and Mr. Bonteen, and one night, after a quarrel at their club, Mr. Bonteen was murdered. Suspicion was first directed to the husband of Lizzie Eustace, the converted Jew Emilius, since Mr. Bonteen was attempting to discover evidence that his marriage to Lizzie was bigamous, but Emilius had, seemingly, a perfect alibi. The quarrel at the club had been overheard by a number of members and, on purely circumstantial evidence, reinforced by the hesitating testimony of the blundering Lord Fawn, Phineas was indicted. His friends rallied to his support but the case against him was very strong. New evidence of the duplicity of Emilius was found through the ingenuity of Madame Goesler, and Phineas was acquitted. Unnerved by his sufferings, he resigned his seat, but was immediately re-elected and offered his old place as Undersecretary of the Colonies. He refused, and soon after he and Madame Goesler were married.

The old Duke of Omnium had left valuable jewels and a large sum of money to Madame Goesler in his will. She refused to accept them, and with the consent of the new Duke returned the jewels to the estate and turned over the legacy to Adelaide Palliser, a charming young cousin of the younger Duke, whose love affair with the equally impecunious Gerard Maule was thus brought to a happy conclusion.

"There are certain chapters in the middle of Phineas Redux that are Trollope at the highest power.... It is in these chapters in Redux that have to do with Kennedy's growing madness (his attack on Phineas in the lodging is a grand piece of dramatic writing), Laura Kennedy's hopeless love for Phineas, and Phineas' quarrel with Bonteen that Trollope is at his very finest ... an absolute modern. No post war-psychoanalytic realist can teach him anything. He seems in these passages to know all the morbid obscurities of the human heart."(less)

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Jan 16, 2012 Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trollope

The fourth of the six Palliser novels revisits Phineas Finn and looks at the political stage in Victorian England. It is wide ranging and Trollope is at his best. He had recently stood for Parliament (unsuccessfully) and his disenchantment with politics shines through. The is a level of cynicism here not present in the first outing of Phineas Finn. Trollope dwells on the intricacies of elections and the party system and the towering political figure, Daubeney is clearly based on Disraeli.
Our her...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Christopher F. added it · review of another edition

Of COURSE it gets five stars. It's Anthony Trollope. One of his best; lovely, perfect, etc. Those on anti-Semitism watch will note that the villain of the story is Yosef Emilius, a rather unsympathetic unscrupulous Jew who turns out to be a bigamist who also clubs a member of Parliament to death with a bludgeon in a dark alley. On the other hand, the beloved protagonist (an Irish Catholic) ends up marrying the widow Mrs. Max Goesler, a "Bohemian Jew" who rises above accusations that she is a gol...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars

The further adventures of Phineas Finn. In many ways, better than Phineas Finn. I particularly liked the trial, and Mr. Chaffanbrass is one of my favorite characters in the Trollope stable. I was less enthusiastic about the extended discussion of the proposed Church legislation earlier in the book; the passage of time since the writing of the book has rendered that whole debate, and the issue involved, incomprehensible, at least to me. The evolution of Phineas as a character in this book was in...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Spiros rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those with a taste for politics, both parliamentary and personal

Shelves: citylights, londoncalling

He's back; older and ever so slightly wiser, Phineas is lured back into the whirlwind of Parliamentary and Government politics, having lost his wife to childbirth. He just can't get the taste for Westminster, and the splendors of London society, out of his blood. He still has no money, and no position outside of Parliament; how is he to sustain himself? Being brought up on charges of murder probably is not the best way to advance his career.
Once again, it's the women who fight for Phineas' advan...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book

This book taught me more about fox-hunting and parliamentary politics than I ever thought I would want to know, although it main interest lies elsewhere, in the character of the protagonist and the two women who love him. Trollope's characters evolve with all the unpredictable complexity of unusual people. My only problem with this book was the constant reference, by narrator and characters, to a murder suspect as "the Bohemian Jew" and "that Jew"-- carrying out the Jew as Villain tradition work...more

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Aug 28, 2010 Mrsgaskell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics, own, british, 8-star

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the fourth of Trollope’s Palliser novels. I am really enjoying the series but still prefer the Barsetshire books. Phineas Finn is a widower when the novel opens, and returns from Ireland to run for parliament again. The government is concerned with the disestablishment of the Church of England and decimalization of the currency and the early part of this novel is very political. There’s a good deal of fox hunting, too. I found the beginning a little slow but by the time a rival politicia...more

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Aug 10, 2009 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

This volume has a little bit of everything--relationships, detective work, politics, psychology--but you won't appreciate it fully unless you have read the three previous novels in the series: Can You Forgive Her, Phineas Finn, and The Eustace Diamonds.

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Oct 28, 2011 Hazel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Antidisestablishmentarianism! I remember when that was the longest word in the dictionary. :-) I was tickled to find it one topic of this second novel about the progress of Phineas Finn. There's far more in the book about Phineas' political ambitions, his disappointments and his personal relationships. He's still not one of my favourite characters, and Trollope hasn't convinced me of Phineas' irresistibility to women. (Being tall and handsome and personable just isn't adequate.) But at least the...more

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Jan 01, 2010 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the 4th of the 6 Palliser novels by Trollope and the characters from the previous books are woven into this book. This book seemed to move a bit more quickly and get less bogged down in details of the British parliamentary system (unless I'm just getting used to it, or better at skimming). Phineas' complex character is examined more through twists and turns of the plot and it's actually fun to see him evolve. Only 2 more Palliser novels to read to complete the series.....I always wonder...more

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May 02, 2013 Kathryn Guare rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have not read a great deal of Trollope, but what I have leads me to believe that I will spend the rest of my life getting through every word he ever penned. This was my second reading of Phineas Redux, and I enjoyed it even more the second time.

What I find so amazing about these books is that although they are set somewhere in the latter half of 19th-century England, they have such a contemporary flavor. The smallness of the politics (of which there is much) seems all too familiar, the media...more

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Feb 18, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthony-trollope, palliser-novels

I love the way Trollope refuses sensationalism. He throws in a murder and immediately lets us know who really did it. It's NEVER about the plot with him--always character.

And usually the public character. We have no idea what jail was really like for Phineas, other than that it sucked and that he had a lot of company. I suppose this refusal to provide tantalizing details is just another example of Trollope's refusal of sensationalism.

I LOVE Lady Laura. Trollope sure gives her a hard time for ma...more

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Aug 29, 2010 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-read

I'm slowly rereading Trollope's political novels and just finished #4, Phineas Redux. In the first Phineas book the likeable (maybe one of Trollope's most likeable characters) Irishman wins a seat in Parliament and makes his way quickly into the homes and political circles of the Liberal Party. He falls in love--almost immediately--with Laura Standish who's the daughter of an Earl. She should have been male--she's that interested in politics and undertakes to make Phineas' career, but she marrie...more I'm slowly rereading Trollope's political novels and just finished #4, Phineas Redux. In the first Phineas book the likeable (maybe one of Trollope's most likeable characters) Irishman wins a seat in Parliament and makes his way quickly into the homes and political circles of the Liberal Party. He falls in love--almost immediately--with Laura Standish who's the daughter of an Earl. She should have been male--she's that interested in politics and undertakes to make Phineas' career, but she marries an elderly rich man, Robert Kennedy (a calculated move because she didn't love him). Phineas is heart-broken but immediately finds another woman to love (who also marries someone else). He gets involved in a political issue, though, where he has to act on his conscience which means he has to leave the government and he can't afford to be only an MP (no salary). So he goes back to Ireland and marries his childhood sweetheart who rather quickly dies in childbirth.

Phineas Redux is about his second foray into politics. Likeable as ever, he still have limited means and, though, elected to Parliament, has to have a government post to make enough money to survive. But the gods are against him. Laura Kennedy has left her husband--who's tormenting her with his extreme religious practices--and he blames Phineas Finn whom Laura has discovered she really loves. Phineas is over that but kind and compassionate and mets her whenever she requests to give the support and advice of a friend. But the salacious press gets wind of the story when Robert Kennedy makes public his efforts to "get his wife back" and blames Phineas Finn for her leaving, implying an affair. Laura has to leave the country with her father to avoid the law compelling her to go back to her husband. Phineas, the good friend as ever, acts as go between and is attacked by friend and foe, even to the extent that the leaders of the Party avoid picking him for government office.

The political insights in this book, apart from the somewhat dated prose, could be written by today's political pundits. It's both amusing and horrifying to realize that very little has changed.... Amusing too that Plantagenet Palliser (sort of the central character--well his wife is maybe more central) is angling all the time to convince Parliament to adopt a decimal currency--Trollope never knew it would ever be accomplished--in fact the first time I went to London counted out 10 pennies for some tourist attraction that cost a shilling, the ticket taker just glared at me and held out his hand until I sheepishly remembered there were 12 pennies in a shilling.....

Phineas quarrels with one of the party hacks who's most critical (on moral grounds) of his supposed affair with Lady Laura and the next thing we know Phineas is in Newgate accused of murder and in danger of being hung with only circumstantial evidence against him. (Very frustrating--one wants finger prints, blood types, DNA....) And I haven't even mentioned Madam Goesler (rich, dark-haired, young and somewhat mysterious Viennese widow) who's taken up by Glencora Palliser and becomes a fixture in Liberal political circles...who is Phineas' friend and had even proposed to him in the first book, though he'd refused, not wanting to be seen as a poor man angling for a rich wife.

Trollope's world is simple compared to ours but his analysis is far from simple. It's psychologically convincing. His political insights are perfect. And Phineas is a most delightful character.(less)

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Sep 17, 2011 David Ireland rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: big-white-square

You shouldn't read Trollope for suspense. But with the other books I enjoyed being as concerned as the characters about the silly bullshit of their privileged lives. Will Phineas be made an Under-Secretary of State at the Colonial Office? Will Madame Max marry the Duke of Palliser? Who is Lizzie Eustace shagging next? It's not important, very predictable, but fun!

The second half of 'Phineas Redux' is a murder trial, and I don't think it works with the "not important, very predictable, but fun!"...more You shouldn't read Trollope for suspense. But with the other books I enjoyed being as concerned as the characters about the silly bullshit of their privileged lives. Will Phineas be made an Under-Secretary of State at the Colonial Office? Will Madame Max marry the Duke of Palliser? Who is Lizzie Eustace shagging next? It's not important, very predictable, but fun!

The second half of 'Phineas Redux' is a murder trial, and I don't think it works with the "not important, very predictable, but fun!" formula. If Phineas had been a bit darker and there was a chance that he might be guilty... But he's boring in his innocence. And the trial then changes Phineas so that he no longer cares for a life on the Treasury bench! What is the point of Phineas Finn if he isn't grasping for office?

The subplots are ok. Adelaide Palliser is a bit boring, but I like her snubbing Mr Spooner. It all ends happily for Adelaide and Gerard when ... the Duchess of Palliser gets them lots of lovely money. Not a very sophisticated resolution, but effective. Armfuls of cash bringing happiness to all, even Gerard's father is delighted. This is what I want from Trollope! Not people sobbing about nearly being hanged.

I love Lady Laura. She needs an orgasm or a hobby, STAT. She spends her time dry-humping Phineas and panting things like "I'm your elder sister. Treat me like an elder sister." Poor old, mad old cow.

I liked all the hunting in the other books, but in 'Redux' the focus is Lord Chiltern wanting something done about the foxes in Trumpeton Woods. This would be the dullest thing in the book but for the Parliamentary debates on the disestablishment of the Church of England.

In summary, not enough froth and too much angst about being hanged for murder.

Lady Gelncora on proposals:
"'Any man who is privileged to sit down to table with you is privileged to ask,"

"'The grace and beauty of life will be gone when we all become useful men.'"

Madame Max knows the score:
"'What a pleasure! To hear a man speak for two hours and a half about the Church of England.'"

"'What there is of him comes chiefly from the tailor.'"

"There is nothing that a man should fear so much as some twist in his convictions arising from a personal accident to himself."(less)

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Dec 20, 2009 Inder rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 19th-century, england, fiction, read-2009, other-reading-2009

Only Anthony Trollope could make British parliamentary politics and fox hunting (two topics that I had barely considered before reading these books) so interesting, so full of personal intrigue, and so deliciously page-turning. I have enjoyed each volume of the Palliser series (which is themed around, you guessed it, politics and hunting) immensely, each in its own right, and as a series. Friends: If you love Victorian novels, but you have not yet tasted Trollope, you are in for a rare treat. I...more Only Anthony Trollope could make British parliamentary politics and fox hunting (two topics that I had barely considered before reading these books) so interesting, so full of personal intrigue, and so deliciously page-turning. I have enjoyed each volume of the Palliser series (which is themed around, you guessed it, politics and hunting) immensely, each in its own right, and as a series. Friends: If you love Victorian novels, but you have not yet tasted Trollope, you are in for a rare treat. I suggest The Way We Live Now as a starting point if the idea of a series is too intimidating.

Especially, Anthony Trollope's women are exquisitely complex and believable. They are also surprisingly (given the era) strong and independent thinkers. They plot and scheme; they manipulate the people around them; they stand up for themselves and what they believe in; they manage their own property and spend their own fortunes; they come to the rescue of the men they love. In short, they are, by Victorian standards, totally bad-ass.

(And you can tell that Trollope just despises men who try to brow-beat their lovely, spirited wives into submission. They always get their comeuppance.)

Warning: Some very mild spoilers follow. Nothing that you wouldn't find on the dust jacket, but if you would like to approach this book with an absolutely clean slate, stop reading now.

While delightful, this, the fourth volume of six, was not my favorite so far. Phineas Finn started to bug me a bit here. His character is so fickle and changeable - he is constantly falling in and out of love, and flirting with all of his lovely women friends. He is prone to fits of self-indulgent depression. He is dense as a rock (and about as self-aware). I got a little sick of his self-righteous whining and his uncompromising political values, blah blah blah. (Don't get me wrong, I love Trollope's portrayal of parliamentary politics, lawyers, courts, etc. Delightful and hilarious. But Phineas puts himself on a bit of a high horse.)

His women friends, on the other hand, are generally steadfast and loyal. But they are not allowed to be changeable, and if rejected, like poor Lady Laura, must resign themselves to a lonely old maid's life. I don't see why Phineas gets to flit from one woman to another (and yet, still be the hero of the novel), while his girlfriends are given one chance at love - basically, if you screw it up, you die alone. Victorian gender politics!

Also, antisemitic themes repeatedly crop up. Sad to say, there is nothing here that is out of the ordinary in Victorian fiction, where "the Jew" is pretty much synonymous with "the villain," but I found these references to be very unfortunate and distracting, to say the least. I simply did not enjoy the book as much, once I found out that "the Jew" (a converted pastor Jew, no less!) was "the villain." It was a minor part of the plot, but still. Not good. I'm making a mental note to bump George Eliot's Daniel Deronda (supposedly a rare example of a pro-Jewish Victorian novel) up on my reading list.

But while this was not my favorite of the series, I still enjoyed it a lot, and I am looking forward to tackling the next volume in 2010. (less)

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Jul 19, 2008 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics

I definitely think contemporary readers have to approach Victorian novels with the right mindset---particularly Dickens or Trollope. These books were serials, and entertained their readers much like The Sopranos or All My Children do today.

If you accept that premise, the characters in Phineas Finn and Phineas Redux would be the hot topical conversation around our office coffee pots every Monday morning. I've read the Phineas books several times and with each reading I am more impressed with the...more

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Apr 09, 2007 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trollope

This is the fourth novel in Trollope's Palliser series. At the end of Phineas Finn, Phineas was back in Ireland, his political career apparently at an end. But Trollope brings him back here.

Between the time he wrote Phineas Finn and the time he wrote Phineas Redux, Trollope had himself run (I suppose I should say "stood") for a Parliamentary seat, and lost. In his campaign, Trollope witnessed firsthand voter indifference and bribery and other political corruption. That experience informs his dep...more

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Aug 21, 2011 James Axtell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My second Trollope having previously read Phineas Finn (this copy was originally sent by Amazon in error!). Once again, after a couple of chapters getting reacquainted with the Victorian language, it became increasingly clear why Trollope's novels are considered classics. Having read Phineas Finn I found the characters familiar and the political sections more palatable. Indeed, Trollope's insights into the workings of the parliamentary process are as relevant today as ever. Whilst some of the ch...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Robin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This novel is a very well done discussion/criticism of government, society, courtship, the justice system, and marriage in Victorian times. Oh and I forgot hunting. If I were to recommend one novel to really get an accurate snapshot of those times, this would be it. The name of the novel is unfortunate as it sells itself as a sequel to the former novel about Phineas, however it stands alone rather well.

My biggest criticism is that the reader is reminded of many things from the former and current...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Marge rated it 4 of 5 stars

Although it's much too long for my taste, the book cast a clear eye on political and legal shenanigans, which, really, do not change, unfortunately. Phineas's women rally around him, and Trollope is, as ever, a wonderful social and political commentator, and funny. The lawyer in the second half of the book was beautifully drawn.

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Nov 18, 2011 Dona rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, 2011-books-read

I loved the book and I loved the audiobook just as much.

What a superb job Timothy West does of reading Trollope. The perfect Trollope narrator, he sheds light on Trollope's dry humor and brings each character to life. I always hate to reach the end of one of his audiobooks.

A continuation of Phineas Finn, this novel is probably Trollope's darkest work, although it is not a dark novel. There are moments of despair and sadness as some characters' lives seem to unravel, and moments of joy and quiet...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Sarah Bringhurst Familia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: britain, classic-literature

I loved this book, and I really love Phineas. The weird thing about the Palliser novels is that the main characters in one book become minor supporting characters in the next. So I was happy Phineas got a second book all about him, even if I had to suffer through a whole book about Lizzie Eustace to get here. I've also always liked Madame Goesler, so it was great to see her get the limelight as well.

And I am slowly unbending in my opinion about Anthony Trollope. He's no feminist, but he's a good...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Julianna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I like Phineas, and the second book about him in this series was a good continuation of his story. The new realities of political life that he faces once the original bloom has rubbed off the rose is interesting, especially when contrasted with the other political figure you get close to in this series: Plantagenet Palliser. The two men are quite alike in many ways, but Phineas has a great passion for politics, while Palliser feels a greater duty to be involved in leadership when he would prefer...more

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Dec 15, 2010 K. rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm struggling a little more through this series than others of Trollopes. The super long political chaptes get me feeling a little sleepy :) This did have some really good points about how vitriolic the offended newspaper man can be, and how damaging to one's political career it can be if one doesn't vote exactly with his party on every issue.

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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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“But she knew this,—that it was necessary for her happiness that she should devote herself to some one. All the elegancies and outward charms of life were delightful, if only they could be used as the means to some end. As an end themselves they were nothing. ” — 10 people liked it

“But then the pastors and men of God can only be human,--cannot altogether be men of God; and so they have oppressed us, and burned us, and tortured us, and hence come to love palaces, and fine linen, and purple, and, alas, sometimes, mere luxury and idleness.” — 5 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/374360.Phineas_Redux?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1174265629l/374360.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/374360.Phineas_Redux?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Phineas Redux by Anthony Trollope[/url]

Phineas Redux (Palliser #4)

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