Russ's review
The Small House at Allington (Pengin Classics) by Anthony Trollope
This is one of those books where 1-5 stars doesn't do it. On a 100 point scale, it's in the high 80s. There are moments that are really wonderful, comic and insightful. Like many triple-deckers, there are moments where it drags. Trollope is clearly setting up future books; not only The Last Chronicle of Barsetshire, but also the Palliser novels that are to come. The latter case is interesting from the perspective of his career, but in this book it adds a little-developed sub-plot with no connection to the main action of the book. Still, the sisters Lily and Belle Dale are interesting contrasts in how marriage and love effect young women. It isn't quite as good as The Warden, but it measures up to the others very well.
My only Trollope has been The Way We Live Now, which I completely loved. How does this compare?
Well, I'm only 100 pages in, and I haven't read The Way We Live Now, so I'm not sure. However, I have read the 3 preceding novels in the Barsetshire series, and I've enjoyed all of them (I'd put them in the site, but I'm not sure I could say anything about them). If I continue to find them enjoyable, I'm sure I'll read TWWLN and the Paliser novels. Of course, at the rate I'm going, I'll be reading this one until Halloween...
