The Way We Live Now
At first savagely reviewed, The Way We Live Now (1875) has since emerged as Trollope's masterpiece and the most admired of his works. When Trollope returned to England from the colonies in 1872 he was horrified by the immorality and dishonesty he found. In a fever of indignation he sat down to write The Way We Live Now, his longest novel. Nothing escaped the satirist's whi...more
Paperback, 1024 pages
Published
May 15th 2009
by Oxford University Press
(first published 1875)
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A great novel, perhaps Trollope's best. But it's not the one I usually recommend to those who have never read Trollope and want to try him. For one thing, it's very long. For another, it's pretty dark. There are a lot of characters in this novel, and almost every one of them views money as the summum bonum. That, after all, is the way we live now.
At the center of the novel is Augustus Melmotte, an ill-mannered foreigner of undetermined background, with whom in better times, Trollope ...more
At the center of the novel is Augustus Melmotte, an ill-mannered foreigner of undetermined background, with whom in better times, Trollope ...more
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An incredibly long yet remarkably engaging look at the disastrous result of a credit economy gone corrupt with some marriage plots thrown in for good measure (what, after all, is a Victorian novel without a marriage plot?).
Heather
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
patient readers
Shelves:
desert-island-books
I first read this book back in... hmm... 1998? 1999? Loved it, and was inspired to pull it off the shelf for a re-read in light of the unfolding financial collapse/bail-out. Everything I read about Wall Street firms reminds me of the 4 guys gambling in their private club, the "Beargarden" -- crazy web of credits and worthless IOUs, all the players betting money they don't have, each one making his bets based on what the others owe him, and no prospect of them ever being sufficiently s...more
A fascinating perspective on the moral bankruptcy of English society in the late 1800s...with unsettling echoes that carry forward into the present day. Highly recommended -- the Trollope to read, even if you read nothing else by Trollope.
Trollope is wordy, but I didn't mind it because the wordy style is entertaining and clever. This is a satire and I began it not expecting to give a hang about any of the characters the whole way through. But by the end I did care for a few of them, and was suprised to have even been won over by one or two I never would have expected to like even 3/4 of the way through. My favorite theme of his was the choices people make between the honest thing to do and the dishonest, in a variety of contex...more
This is one of the author's greatest work. Among its greatnesss is the irony of the title--it is truly, with a few adjustments for modern technology, the way we live NOW. We have much more in common with the Victorian's than we ever think about--they too were bombarded by the media, attracted by the lure of easy money in an unpredictable stock market, thrilled by the possibilities of travel that had opened to them even as they were ambivalent about foreigners coming into their country and earnin...more
I'm just re-reading this and wow, what a fabulous book. A great big rollicking read, and the BBS version of this with David Suchet (famous as Inspector Poirot on PBS's "Mystery") is amazing as the financial swindler, Melmotte. In fact, the BBS version is one of those rare adaptation that I don't sit through muttering about how they "ruined" the book!
Excellent story about a financial scandal and the high society of London in late 19 century. Great character sketches, although I did not care very much for the main love story between Paul and Hetta.
Compulsive gamblers, wayward heiresses, drunks!!! No, it's not a Paris Hilton bacchanal at The Palms, silly! It's Anthony Trollope. He's hot!
i've read two times and it gets better every time; some of the greatest female heroes around
Phew ! Done. Where to begin?
Overall, the novel was a delicious journey into the desperate, the ego-centric, and the corrupt.
I loved the seeming "Rondo" form of the novel—at first "spinning out" then to "close back in" in the latter part of the book.
Mrs. Hurtle MUST be a unique creation. That was simply wonderful to see a separated American woman in Victorian England on her own; yet, Trollope draws her with sympathy.
...more
Overall, the novel was a delicious journey into the desperate, the ego-centric, and the corrupt.
I loved the seeming "Rondo" form of the novel—at first "spinning out" then to "close back in" in the latter part of the book.
Mrs. Hurtle MUST be a unique creation. That was simply wonderful to see a separated American woman in Victorian England on her own; yet, Trollope draws her with sympathy.
...more
A very nice free audio book reading is available here:
http://www.archive.org/details/waywelive...
I can't say what English aristocracy was really like in the late 19th century, but The Way We Live Now paints an enjoyable picture of titled aristos striving to marry the gauche lesser people who've sullied themselves by getting their hands on some cash (or have they?). Kanye West (creator of the song "Gold Digger") might really get a kick out of this book.
The ...more
http://www.archive.org/details/waywelive...
I can't say what English aristocracy was really like in the late 19th century, but The Way We Live Now paints an enjoyable picture of titled aristos striving to marry the gauche lesser people who've sullied themselves by getting their hands on some cash (or have they?). Kanye West (creator of the song "Gold Digger") might really get a kick out of this book.
The ...more
This really is Trollope's best (so far, anyway... I'm not even close to finishing all 30 some novels). He takes all the elements that make his other books so great and balances them perfectly against one another. There are a lot of similarities between characters in this one and in the Pallisers-- Mostly between Melmotte, Paul Montague and Ferdinand Lopez-- that I found really interesting to think about.
I think that what sets Trollope from many other "classic" 19th century...more
I think that what sets Trollope from many other "classic" 19th century...more
Amazing book - one of my new favourites. Trollope is a master at characterization. This particular work of his depicts the sordid beginnings of the railroad, or rather, the beginnings of railroad speculation. The main villain of the piece, Melmotte lives a life of luxury, splendor and adoration despite the whisperings of his nefarious dealings in order to accumulate his wealth. Money and fame are everything in mid-19th century Britain.
The book is spookily prophetic as to the way WE ...more
The book is spookily prophetic as to the way WE ...more
One of my favorite novels. Although Trollope was clearly a man of his time, with his belief in the manly man and the womanly woman, this novel is true the way the North Star is true. I wish he (and Dickens) were alive today to capture this same greed and villainy and hope. (The book also has some pretty funny descriptions of certain kinds of writers and publishers, an extra enjoyment for those in the business like me.)
Trollope is such an underrated writer, and I've never been able ...more
Trollope is such an underrated writer, and I've never been able ...more
At the heart of this novel is mysterious, charismatic Melmotte, the 'Great Financier'. His origins are unknown, his dealings felt (and, in time, known) to be shady to the point of illegality. The other central character is Felix Carbury, an unpleasant, idle young man who attempts to marry Melmotte's daughter, Marie, for her money. Melmotte, though, wants his only child to marry someone with a title.[return][return]Felix, his mother's treasure, loves no one. Marie loves him. No one loves Melmotte...more
This is a very very big book with a few very very little stories. The quality of the writing, however, is as good as exists in the English language. Therefore 5 stars for the writing and 1 star for the story gives you an average of 3 stars for the work as a whole.
The main characters of interest are two of the vilest scoundrels to be found in the fiction of any language that I know of. The interest of the story is to find out what happens to them.
The remainder of the characters are ...more
The main characters of interest are two of the vilest scoundrels to be found in the fiction of any language that I know of. The interest of the story is to find out what happens to them.
The remainder of the characters are ...more
Augustus Melmotte, about whose past little was known, established himself in London, bought a large house on Grosvenor Square and soon gained a reputation as "a great financier." With him were his wife and a daughter, Marie, whom he launched on the matrimonial market at a grandiose ball for which, in hope of favors to come, he secured the patronage of several duchesses and other titled personages.
A San Francisco stockjobber induced Melmotte to organize a London company for ...more
A San Francisco stockjobber induced Melmotte to organize a London company for ...more
Last summer, I read a NEWSWEEK article which recommended a variety of books. THE WAY WE LIVE NOW was the NUMBER ONE recommendation. Having seen a portion of the story in a Masterpiece Theatre film on PBS, I was more than intrigued.
Still, my finite mind could not wrap around the reason this, of all books, would be touted as THE book the modern human being could not miss.
And then, I read it.
OH...MY...GOODNESS.
Entertaining: it was.
Effective Prose: certainly. ...more
Still, my finite mind could not wrap around the reason this, of all books, would be touted as THE book the modern human being could not miss.
And then, I read it.
OH...MY...GOODNESS.
Entertaining: it was.
Effective Prose: certainly. ...more
As with others here, this was a book club selection spurred
by Newsweek's nod of "The Way We Live Now" as top 50 nomination.
While people point to the Madoff-Melmotte connection, I like
the idea that some distant Trollope heir somehow got the ear
and/or illicit photos of a Newsweek staffer, and voila, more
readership.
The novel remains eminently readable, 130+ after its serialized
debut...but then won't TV soap opera "Dallas" by rather...more
by Newsweek's nod of "The Way We Live Now" as top 50 nomination.
While people point to the Madoff-Melmotte connection, I like
the idea that some distant Trollope heir somehow got the ear
and/or illicit photos of a Newsweek staffer, and voila, more
readership.
The novel remains eminently readable, 130+ after its serialized
debut...but then won't TV soap opera "Dallas" by rather...more
Read this one for book club. ....Perhaps Trollope self-identifies with his initial main character, Lady Carbury, who writes for a living rather than for art. The 100-odd chapters were published bit-by-bit, as a serial. Maybe this was profitable (maybe more so because it meant not hiring an editor?). In the very long space between a slow start and a rushed finish, important characters got sidelined and plot twists evaporated.
I think Trollope was better than this book (although Amazon...more
I think Trollope was better than this book (although Amazon...more
It's so eerie how much this book describes the way WE live TODAY, that is in 2009. There is the same cast of characters we endure in our present. Of course the details are very different but it's the similarities that fascinate me. There are swindlers and shady bankers just like today. There are young men gambling and drinking to excess (still a lot of that going on). There is the older generation decrying the rudeness and lack of respect for tradition by the young. So many similarities.
...more
...more
I read this as a result of reading the recent Newsweek list of the 100 books everyone must read. Here's Newsweek's introduction to the list:
We know it's insane. We know people will ask why on earth we think that an 1875 British satirical novel is the book you need to read right now—or, for that matter, why it even made the cut. The fact is, no one needs another best-of list telling you how great The Great Gatsby is. What we do need, in a world with precious little time to read (and...more
While not my favorite Trollope, this was a lovely read, and quite apposite to our own financial crisis. The account of the railway bubble and the cynical financiers behind it is as relevant today as it was then.
I love the range of Trollope's characters: the audacious swindler with his feckless, compliant board of directors, the penniless scapegrace nobleman who can hardly bestir himself to pursue the swindler's gradually awakening daughter, the female author (homage to Trollope's o...more
I love the range of Trollope's characters: the audacious swindler with his feckless, compliant board of directors, the penniless scapegrace nobleman who can hardly bestir himself to pursue the swindler's gradually awakening daughter, the female author (homage to Trollope's o...more
http://bookcents.blogspot.com/2010/12/wa...
The Way We Live Now provides Trollope’s satiric look on the modernizing world of his day and the inability of many individuals to retain a moral compass amid the changes. Throughout the novel, Trollope provides criticism of and sympathy for his characters. Despite many dark portraits and sections, Trollope also provides a lot of humor.
One central theme looks at pervasive dishonesty, located in financial, political, and moral aspe...more
The Way We Live Now provides Trollope’s satiric look on the modernizing world of his day and the inability of many individuals to retain a moral compass amid the changes. Throughout the novel, Trollope provides criticism of and sympathy for his characters. Despite many dark portraits and sections, Trollope also provides a lot of humor.
One central theme looks at pervasive dishonesty, located in financial, political, and moral aspe...more
hahahaha - we didn't like this either. What we want is some more Downton Abbey and nothing else is suiting!
From IMDB - At the center of the story is Augustus Melmotte, a European-born city financier, whose origins are as mysterious as his business dealings. Trollope describes him as 'something in the city', but the "something" part is not always clear. Within weeks of arriving in London, he announces a new company and promises instant fortune to those who ...more
A great book for our times. The nineteenth century did a great job with novels about scoundrels and money schemes. For some reason, I wasn't familiar with this Trollope book. I love Trollope, but he wrote so many novels, it's difficult to know where to land. This book was recommended in the top 40 by Susan Hill in another book I'm currently reading (listened on audiobook over a long, lazy weekend with lots of driving thrown in). One interesting story line in this sprawling novel is its Amer...more
Melmotte - an unscrupulous foreign financier - arrives in London where he creates a large dubious scheme which ropes in various members of the English aristocracy. Along the way he is elected a Member of Parliament, until eventually his corruption catches up with him and he falls.
So that's financial irregularities and unscrupulous MPs - clearly not much has changed in the last 130+ years.
Although Melmotte is the driver of this book, it really focuses on the aristocracy a...more
So that's financial irregularities and unscrupulous MPs - clearly not much has changed in the last 130+ years.
Although Melmotte is the driver of this book, it really focuses on the aristocracy a...more
Such a treat to read. Many characters. Many predicaments. But all brought together so deftly. And I never once got that compensatory urge to pitch the book against a wall in lieu of smacking the whiny little mouths within. This book also explained the recent financial crisis to me as Trollope deftly mapped out the workings of invisible money in many invisible hands.
Anthony Trollope was well-known for his cheerful and optimistic novels in the mid 1800’s. But after a long trip through the British colonies, he returned to London and saw the city with a new light. He saw moral degeneracy everywhere he looked, and his characteristically positive view of human nature was caught off-guard. He reacted by writing The Way We Live Now.
But while the book is teeming with ‘false knaves’, those very same characters are so human that the majority of them are ...more
But while the book is teeming with ‘false knaves’, those very same characters are so human that the majority of them are ...more
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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. N...more
More about Anthony Trollope...
Trollope has always been a popular novelist. N...more
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“There was but one thing for him;- to persevere till he got her, or till he had finally lost her. And should the latter be his fate, as he began to fear that it would be, then, he would live, but live only, like a crippled man.”
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