The Small House at Allington

Chronicles of Barsetshire #5

by Anthony Trollope, Julian F. Thompson (Introduction)

The Small House at Allington is the fifth book in Anthony Trollope's Barchester series. As with all of Trollope, it is beautifully written and draws the reader into its many interwoven tales.

Former Prime Minister John Major declared this particular novel to be his favourite book of all time, and in doing so, he was joining the good company of the countless Trollope fans who have ensured this work's lasting fame, and helped to enshrine its place as a literary classic.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Victorian, 19th Century, Historical Fiction, Literature, Romance

695 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1864

About the author

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 have included Sir Alec Guinness (who never travelled without a Trollope novel), former British Prime Ministers Harold Macmillan and Sir John Major, economist John Kenneth Galbraith, American novelists Sue Grafton and Dominick Dunne and soap opera writer Harding Lemay. Trollope's literary reputation dipped somewhat during the last years of his life, but he regained the esteem of critics by the mid-twentieth century.
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_...

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of the few exceptions to Trollope's very enjoyable romances, comedies of manners, or even fairly hard-hitting novels - The Way We Live Now. But this one, well just pass me the sick pail. This was wall-to-wall sentimental romance dressed up with lashings of stupidity, indistinguishable characters (not that I cared about one more than the other) and leavened, as it always is in Trollope's novels, with money. Everyone seems to have their life's ambition to marry for love and money, but if that's not possible, then for money.

This is a real disappointment to me as Trollope is one of my favourite authors.

Recommended for die-hard romance fans who like classics and aren't too fussy about plot or the lack of it, despicable characters and books where nothing really happens.

Read March 2011 rewritten review March 2022, 11 years and even though I didn't like it, it still made a very memorable impression on me.

[Katie Lumsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a marvel. One of my absolute favourites and a real joy to reread.

[K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, me. This is a most lovely series for lovers of English pastoral life and students of human nature. I'm almost done with "The Last Chronicle of Barset" (the sixth and final of the series), just haven't had time to put in a review of this one, the fifth, yet.

This book was the first in the series in which I found myself wondering a couple of times if I liked it as well as the rest. I found the character of Lily Dale maddening at times. I completely sympathized with her creator, who, after completing her story, found her "irritating." (See intro to this edition.) Like all Trollope's other main characters, she has her wonderful qualities, but her perverse attachment to the pain of her loss gets frustrating.

I really can't say exactly what frustrated me so much, as it would be a "spoiler" but I can say that I was completely sobbing in chapter LIV. It could have been pms, but it could have also been most excellent writing. I suspect the latter.

Seriously, Trollope is a master artist in creating characters. Even though Mr. Crosbie made the mistake of his life in his choice of a wife, I ended feeling only pity and sadness for him (more so in the next book as well).

And for Johnny Eames? Johnny is a hero, and the way we see him grow from "hobbledehoy" (immature young hero-in-the-making) to full-fledged knight-in-shining-armour is so well done and it's heartbreaking. I loved the one sentence that described him, after Trollope had taken pains to tell us that Johnny had never been thought of as a being who would ever amount to much: "You will declare that he must have been a fool and a coward. Yet he could read and understand Shakespeare" (148). Does that speak well for him? I think so.

And yet he has his faults as well, and we still adore him and may even love him more for them, which is the genius of Trollope.

I have come to realize that by far my reviews fall short in probably convincing anyone to read these old books because I mainly put things in that I loved purely for my own pleasure and so I, myself, remember what I loved about the book. I never do summaries (I figure you can read that bit on goodreads). But I do find myself wanting people to have a good reason, if they trust me, to read something they might never otherwise pick up. I'm thinking of how best to do that. We'll see what happens. Prepare for the soapbox here, and read no further if you don’t want to hear it!

This book is, in main theme, about misunderstanding, specifically, willful misunderstanding. The characters skirt around each others hearts and blind themselves to true intentions and therefore miss out on much of the true joy in human relationships. It is amazing to me how well these books go with what I'm reading with a summer group ("The Peacegiver", "Leadership and Self-Deception", "The Anatomy of Peace", and "Bonds That Make Us Free." I know it happens when you're studying a certain subject that everything you read seems to speak the same truths, but this has been an enriching series to accompany that reading. Personal tragedies are caused by cold hearts and blind eyes. I love that these so very real characters experience these things and either choose peace or war--and the outcomes those choices bring. That kind of theme is universal and a part of all our lives. We all need help in knowing how to choose peace and unruffle our “wounded” feathers. After I finish this series, I hope to put a longer review on the “complete set of the chronicles” to explain just why it’s so worth reading today when it may seem so arcane. For now, here’s a question, and my answer to it.

Why does one pick up some of these very large, very old-fashioned, little-known-today books?

Well, in my opinion, the great majority of modern popular fiction is written purely to entertain, horrify, titillate, drain-the-brain, satisfy our sick but very human voyeuristic tendencies, relax or arouse, and earn money for the author. Are those always good reasons for spending our precious time with them? Is reading inherently good, just because we’re choosing to read, instead of watch TV? Do we think more of ourselves when we read, purely for that reason? Is the maxim true “at least the kid’s reading?” No matter what it is? (In lieu of TV or video games?) Is “a good story” what it’s all about?

Sure authors need the cash. Sure relaxing and being entertained are wonderful good things. The others I could do without—and sadly they are the main thing now. Have we in general, come so low that we have no other way to find excitement other than in those ways? Have we become so insistent for a great thrill that we never feel anything unless it is from these over-the-top sources? Is this kind of modern fiction our only resource for relaxation? Are the oldies simply too hard and too much for our modern 2-second, TV-commercial attention spans? Or are they just too out-of-date to matter?

What do we get from these old books? Entertainment? For sure! But of a wholly different kind. An uplifting, soul-satisfying, learning experience all wrapped up in a totally beautifully light-giving and rewarding package. We’ve, so many of us, lost the ability or even the desire to go beyond pure entertainment and thrill-factor. And yet they are thrilling, but perhaps we’ve forgotten what a beautiful thrill is as opposed to a horrific thrill.

Some might say that sometimes it’s just nice to be able to relax and “not-use-the-brain” for a while, some need an escape from the reality of their hard lives sometimes. I’ve found myself in those exact spots, many times. I wouldn’t recommend anyone picking up Tolstoy or Eliot and expecting that kind of experience. But I do heartily propose that our relaxing, escaping reading experiences can be found in beautiful books, wonderful things can feel relaxing—even if there’s no princess, no magic, no fairies, no space travel, no vampires, and no grisly murders. This is particularly true of old books. They had more of the real goods. I suggest that the modern voracity for fantasy, thriller, mystery and romance (as found in modern, best-selling fiction) may lead to an undesirable end product--ultimately, a spirit dead to the really beautiful things in life.

I realize it may look as though I’m suggesting that all modern fiction is bad and all old is good. Please, I pray you, don’t think me so simple. It would be such a foolish, and misleading thing for me to say. I merely intend to get thoughts rolling and begin a conversation. I am even aware that these old books I love were the best-selling fiction of their day. But I think sensibilities were different then, and I think we’ve lost something.

[Chrissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The books of this series are now available free for Audible-UK-Plus members. They are read by Timothy West. I don’t hesitate a second in giving his narration five stars. He reads at the perfect speed. His intonations cannot be improved upon. Perfect pacing enhances the humor. West’s narration is the tantalizing, mouthwatering icing on a delicious cake! Timothy West is without question the narrator to pick for this series. There exists a narration by Simon Vance too. I would not recommend that, not by a long shot.

This is my favorite title of the series. At least so far. Why?

I love the humor. There are lines on every page that make you smile. The humor is subtle, the kind that results from recognizing how people behave.

The book isn’t unrealistically cute and happy. It is real. It shows life as it actually is. OK, the setting is England during the 1860s, but in terms of how people behave, it is relevant still today.

Trollope understands people, both women and men. His portrayal of women is top notch, much better than what one would expect from a male author. His women are strong, intelligent and resilient. Not all, of course, that would be unrealistic. It is clear that Trollope had knowledge of how many females think, feel and react.

I like what the book says about love--its importance for a sustainable marriage. It is clear that in Trollope’s view a marriage should be based on love and that there are some who prioritize love over money and social standing.

The characters are extremely well drawn. Some you will love and others you will despise. Regardless of where they stand, they move you, they grab at your emotions. You need to know what will happen to them. I like that the characters are from different classes and have widely varying personalities. I grew to have a great fondness for the gardener Hopkins and the elderly squire Christopher Dale. Their regard for each other as well as the vying of their two wills is entertaining and wonderful to watch. Earl James de Guest is another character that hit a chord within me. I love his whole way of being, his lack of pretension and his kindness. That he is socially inadept makes me smile. Not caring about such, he simply doesn’t give a hoot! There are lots of different characters—giving readers the possibility of finding that character that speaks to them.

I could tell you what the book is about, but that is not the essential. What makes the book special is instead how you come to relate to the characters, the wide assortment of characters. A reader’s own experiences will determine where that spark of recognition will burn brightest.

I have loved this book every step of the way through--the beginning, the middle and the end! Considering the quantity of books I read, I don't give all that many five stars. A fine-star book has to hit me with a punch. It must strike me as being amazing. It must grab at both my heart and my head. It must make me think, smile, worry and rejoice. This book has given all this to me. For me it’s a winner.

*********************

Palliser Series :
1.Can You Forgive Her? 3 stars
2.Phineas Finn 4 stars

Standalones :
*Dr. Wortle's School 3 stars
*Sir Harry Hotspur Of Humblethwaite 2 stars

Chronicles of Barsetshire :
1.The Warden 3 stars
2.Barchester Towers 4 stars
3.Dr. Thorne 4 stars
4.Framley Parsonage 4 stars
5.The Small House at Allington 5 stars
6.The Last Chronicle of Barset TBR

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think that I have ever found two consecutive books in a series as different as ‘Framley Parsonage’ and ‘The Small House at Allington’.

‘Framley Parsonage' was bursting at the seams with everything that Trollope loved and did well – church and parliament, town and country, romance and finance – and it was a wonderfully vibrant book that built a world that I could have happily gone on living in after the final page was turned.

I explained the structure and the appeal of that book like this:

"Consider a Christmas tree. A fir tree in its natural state is lovely, but when it has been adorned with a lovely mixture of old familiar and shiny new ornaments it is something else entirely …"

‘The Small House at Allington’ has a great many of the same things things, but they are a much smaller part of the whole and it has a quite different character.

I might explain it like this.

"Consider the same fir tree, left in its natural state, but its loveliness enhanced by an artist who has captured the beauty of its natural setting and the life that surrounds it …."

Quite lovely of course, but it took me a while to realise that I was in a different kind of environment and to settle into this book.

The Small House at Allington concerns the Dale family, who live in the Small House at Allington, a dower house in the grounds of the Great House. Christopher Dale, the Squire of Allington lived alone in the Great House and he had granted the Small House rent free, to his widowed sister-in-law and her daughters Isabella (“Bell”) and Lilian (“Lily”).

The love affairs of two sisters, and of Lily in particular, are at the centre of this story.

Lily will become engaged to Adolphus Crosbie, a close friend of her cousin Bernard Dale, who is their uncle’s heir. Crosbie knows that Lily’s mother is a poor widow but he hopes that her uncle will provide a dowry to help them establish themselves in the world. He discovers that he won’t just before a visit to Courcy Castle; and when he mixes with high society he sees his future with Lily, living on his small salary as bleak.

The Countess de Courcy hasn’t heard of the engagement and she sees him as Crosbie as a good match for her Alexandrina, her only single daughter still of marriageable age. Crosbie is steered toward making a proposal, and he leaves Courcy Castle with a second fiancée …..

When Lily’s heart is broken there is no weeping and wailing, she does not collapse under the emotional weight of her broken engagement. She carries on playing her part in family life, laughing and teasing, taking joy in others’ happiness, and not allowing a word to be said against the man she says will always be the great love of her life.

Only her mother saw the small signs that showed her daughter’s depth of feeling.

I really don’t know what to make of Lily Dale. On one hand I admired her fortitude, her devotion to her family and friends, and her willingness to plan for a future quite different to the one she had hoped for. But on the other I suspected that she was one of those people who listened to everything you said to her without argument and then did something that showed she hadn’t taken any notice at all. I think that I like her, but I don’t think I came to know her well enough to say that I love her.

I didn’t expect to feel as much sympathy for Aldolphus Crosbie as I did. He was young and ambitious, he was foolish and weak; but he was not a villain and he wished no harm to anyone. He was punished for his foolish marriage to Lady Alexandrina – and into the de Courcy family; and he had seen enough of what love and marriage with Lily could have been to know what a terrible mistake he had made.

There are other stories in the background, and they made me think of this as Trollope’s ‘marriage’ novel as many different aspects of marriage were considered.

I was well entertained by Lily’s other suitor, young Johnny Eames; and by the residents of his London boarding house and his unintended entanglement with his landlady’s daughter. I was delighted to meet the young Plantaganet Palliser, appalled that he was besotted with Lady Dumbello, but pleased to understand him and the Duke of Omnium and the foundations of the Palliser novels a little better. I was happy that Mr Harding and the Grantleys appeared but I was sorry that they were brief. That made me realise that I like the Palliser books a little more that the Barchester books, because they gave me more time with the characters I love most.

That’s not to say that I’m not loving my time and Barchester, and it’s not to say that I didn’t like this book.

I have yet to read a book by Trollope that I haven’t enjoyed, because I feel so at home with that author’s voice, because his prose is always smooth and readable; and because his characters all live and breathe. I loved spending time with the family at the Small House in Allington, and I came to share their concerns and to care a great deal about what would happen to them.

This is not my favourite of his books, and it’s not my favourite of the Barchester books.

I found some of the loveliest and some of the most heart-breaking moments I have found in Trollope’s work, but I also found some of his most dull scenes. That was in some part because the de Courcy family – who I don’t think have any redeeming features – were given a great many pages; and I did wonder if the arrival of Plantagenet Palliser was a sign that the author was thinking of his other great series, or of how he would finish this series in 'The Last Chronicle of Barset'.

I can understand that. I’m eager to move on to The Last Chronicle and I wish there were enough reading hours in the day for me to revisit the Pallisers ….

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a Great House at Allington, occupied by Squire Dale, a bachelor lord, and there is a Small House at Allington, that he has given to the use of his brother’s widow and her two girls. I very much like Squire Dale, who tries to do well and be fair to everyone and gets too little credit for it, particularly from those for whom he has so provided. He is awkward and insecure when it comes to expressing his emotions toward his nieces, as might be expected from a man who is a confirmed bachelor and has no children of his own, but this awkwardness leads sometimes to a very unfortunate misunderstanding of the man.

The girls in question, Lily and Bell Dale, are privileged in many ways and poverty stricken in others. They are proud, but also quite naive, particularly when it comes to love and marriage. Enter a group of young men, Adolphus Crosbie, Bernard Dale, Johnny Eames and John Crofts. To say the path of true love never did run smooth is an understatement. No one gets a smooth ride in this novel. There are also the worldly considerations of position and career and the practice of maintaining appearance at whatever cost, themes that Trollope always addresses so beautifully.

Trollope is a witty writer, often making me pause to laugh; and he is an astute writer, often making me stop to think. He reminds me that the more things change the more they remain the same, for his Victorian characters, in the way they feel, could be easily found today.

I could give you the names of some of these people:

Oh, deliver us from the poverty of those who, with small means, affect a show of wealth!

And, heavens I hope this is true, for it often appears that people get away with the unkindness and evil they sow.:

Those who offend us are generally punished for the offence they give; but we so frequently miss the satisfaction of knowing that we are avenged!

And bits of wisdom regarding how the heart works:

It is the view which the mind takes of a thing which creates the sorrow that arises from it. If the heart were always malleable and the feelings could be controlled, who would permit himself to be tormented by any of the reverses which affection meets? Death would create no sorrow, ingratitude would lose its sting; and the betrayal of love would do no injury beyond that which it might entail upon worldly circumstances. But the heart is not malleable; nor will the feelings admit of such control.

This is one of Trollope’s best, although I cannot find fault with a single one of the books in this series. I have the final installment to read and I am hoping that Trollope will have something to say about the future of a few of the characters in this book.

[Proustitute (on hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speeding through Trollope is never wise: all of his books are long, drawn-out performances, where the various threads he weaves throughout eventually come together in the end—the characters of different social stations and statuses; the bickering families, neighbors, and parish members; and also the young men and women (typically, the latter) who defy gender norms and conventions, but who, by the novels’ ends, adhere to a Victorian readership’s expectations and satisfy their sense of closure, of right made wrong, of good triumphing over evil.

But this is to overlook Trollope’s greatest strength as a novelist: he never condemns those who have transgressed against social norms; he doesn’t join the neighbors who gossip, spread rumor, and cast stones. In each of Trollope’s characters—both the worthy and the unworthy—we see facets of human nature, and, in turn, we see shimmer of ourselves, to be examined and never judged. In short, Trollope recognizes that all of us are as capable of evil as well as of good, and he explores the thin line that divides what society and culture would view as extremes, and which he views as humanity merely toeing the line.

As the fifth book in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series, The Small House at Allington casts a much smaller net than its predecessors, and, from what I recall, from the finale that follows. Whereas The Warden began the series on a somewhat tentative note, almost unsure of itself or where it stood (standalone book or part of a series?), Trollope’s ventures from Barchester Towers —the most widely-read of Trollope’s novels, perhaps, and not a good indication of his scope, as I wrote in my linked review—to Doctor Thorne, and from Framley Parsonage (perhaps the most successful thus far of the series; see my review there) to this title show a steady progress toward the world-building of the fictional Barsetshire: to be sure, the reader who tackles these books in order will be a much happier reader for the dipping in and out of myriad characters from previous volumes, many of whose backstories Trollope takes for granted that one knows.

While the second through the fourth books highlight how skilled Trollope is at assembling a wide range of characters and having plots, subplots, and even sub-subplots abound, all of which intersect around a certain character or a problem (usually money or marriage), The Small House at Allington is much smaller in scope, dealing almost solely with the same group of characters before, during, and after the young, beautiful, but immensely annoying Lily Dale is jilted by Adolphous Crosbie for a woman of rank and, so he thinks, money: the Lady Alexandrina de Courcy. In her introduction to the lovely new Oxford editions of the series, Dinah Birch notes that this was the most popular of the Barsetshire books for Victorian readers (it was even viewed by Trollope as such: “I do not think that I have ever done better work,” he wrote in An Autobiography), but she does note that today the novel “divides its readers, and the character of Lily Dale has always been the central point of contention.”

Allington's world is a much bleaker world than we see in the other Barsetshire novels: characters don’t change much here; they don’t learn much in their toils or troubles; they don’t succeed, triumph, or mature in ways that readers of Trollope expect from his always psychologically-astute characters. And, in some ways, that is this book’s strength: it categorically refuses to give readers what they expect from a novel, what they have grown accustomed to expect from a certain author, and, as such, Trollope can take liberties that he has not before. While Lily Dale’s jilting is the central concern around which numerous characters revolve, some of the more interesting characters get a bit more room in the spotlight, largely because they at least set plot points in motion or slowly begin to develop and mature: the “hobbledehoy” John Eames, who is trying to make his way in the London world of business and busyness, longing all the while for his childhood sweetheart, Lily Dale; Crosbie, who has won Lily’s heart but who has his own selfish desire for power and wealth in mind when he jilts her; Mrs. Dale, who is a fascinating study of motherhood and female power (as well as restraint) in dealing with widowhood, bringing up two daughters alone, and being forced to live off the “generosity” of her dead husband’s family; Mrs. Roper, who runs a boarding house in London with some questionable tenants (one of whom is her own daughter); and earls, squires, ladies, and lords galore. Unlike the previous books in the series, though, Trollope fails here to fully unite these refracted characters’ experiences; and, as a result, the novel does not read as well thought-out or as well-plotted as his others. Indeed, there are even three or four chapters on Plantagenet Palliser’s dangerous liaison with Lady Griselda Dumbello (whom one will recall from earlier Barsetshire novels) which seem to add nothing to the main plot here at all; Trollope was working on the Palliser series’ first book, Can You Forgive Her?, as he was writing Allington, and appears to have got some of his signals crossed.

I do still strongly recommend that those new to Trollope begin with his lesser-known, but wonderfully executed, The Claverings (you can read my review there).

Still… yet still… ah, still, still… There is nothing quite like spending a month immersed in a 600-or-more page Trollope. It is very much like a holiday, getting acquainted and reacquainted with characters; getting close to them, seeing them flaws and all and being almost as nonjudgmental as the narrator/author is about their deeds and misdeeds. It opens one’s eyes to human nature in microcosm, and forces one to see things in oneself that one might prefer to keep buried or cloaked in shadow. Allington is very much the bridge to the finale of the series, and I look forward to revisiting that before the year’s end, before I take my leave of Barsetshire for the world of the Pallisers.

[Sherwood Smith]

One of the most maddening books I've ever read.

I thoroughly enjoy Trollope . . . except when he's on his hobby-horse about women who dared to love the wrong fellow being forever afterward spoiled goods, and who should not taint another good man.

The heroine of this book is one of the most annoying EVER as she rides this hobbyhorse to death. And if Trollope hadn't been such a good writer, I never would have finished the thing.

So . . . A for Trollope's usual vivid writing and scene setting, and F for the ew factor.

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I finish a book by Anthony Trollope I have mixed feelings. Like Dickens he writes of Victorian times, like Dickens the man is wordy, unlike Dickens he is highly readable (not that Dickens isn't but Trollope has a much more down to earth style). And, like when I finish Dickens I feel that I have completed a Herculean task, but am looking forward to the next time we meet.
Here we are with the 5th book in his Barsetshire Chronicles and he takes us into the world of how the upper classes of society work in England when it comes to love, courtship, etc. I must admit, Trollope has given us a host of unlikeable characters led by a few selfish sisters who just exude a high and mighty attitude and totally unbelievable actions and reactions. This book revolved primarily around the people who live in the small house at Allington and are the sister-in-law and nieces of the squire who owns the land. Everyone we come in contact with loves these young ladies (ages 19 & 21) and many want to marry them. One cousin (male), wants to marry his other cousin (Bell - female) and she turns him down. A friend of the male cousin proposes to the younger sister (Jill) and then she accepts, but after that he now has reservations as to how this will crimp his style in London because he is not rich. He quickly leaves and visits some aristocratic family in another area and within days he proposes to Lady Alexandrina and she accepts - yep, Mr. Crosbie is now engaged to two women. So we have this situation going on, all the while family friend Johnny Eames (he who is called Hobbledehooded throughout) loves Jill and keeps asking for her hand in marriage and she keeps refusing even after her 2-week engagement ended.
Lots to write about for all these characters and Trollope is never one to skimp on words! It is both a fascinating, as well as frustrating book for me in that everyone really is unhappy until the very end when 2 of the characters seem to have found happiness. One can only wonder, that if Trollope had todays computers how much he could write! The man can spin a tale and while this is not my favorite book in the series, it is still a quality effort that is worthy of the time and patience it takes to finish the book.

[Irena Pasvinter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fifth instalment in the Chronicles of Barsetshire. I wouldn't have believed I could blunder that far into the Barsetshire world, but here I am.

I was reluctant to continue after "The Warden" and "Barsetshire Towers" but followed a dear friend on her reading journey, and now I'm bogged down deep in Barsetshire swamp with no hope of escape. Anthony Trollope spanned his long yarn all over me, and considering how "The Small House" ends, I've got no choice but to read the next and last novel in the series.

While reading "The Small House", I've been thinking about this equation which accurately describes my impression:

Anthony Trollope's novel = Jane Austen's novel * (from 3 to 5 in length) + a good pinch of boredom.

Somehow the yarn becomes longer and more naively melodramatic with each next novel in Barsetshire Chronicles. As I read this one, I had to suppress an urge to knock some characters on the head and shout at them "Enough already! Stop behaving like a melodramatic idiot" -- I usually tend to be sentimental and melodramatic myself, but everything has its limits.

But I can't deny it's a pretty good yarn. It feels good while you are wrapped in it, and for the most part the question "What the hell am I doing here?" is suppressed at the faraway corner of your consciousness.

Some of the characters who took the central stage in the previous novels reappear as secondary in the next ones, and this adds a lot to the appeal of the series -- it's like meeting your old acquaintances. And of course, there is a lot of satire and comic relief -- otherwise Barsetshire reading journey would be quite unbearable.

And last but not least, "The Small House" allowed me to add excellent new trophies to my growing collection of Trollope's charming character names: Major Fiasco, Mr Butterwell, Lord de Guest, Sir Raffle Buffle. Nothing beats Major Fiasco, well, maybe except Dr Fillgrave.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favourite of all the Barsetshire books (so far; there's still one more to go) for a number of reasons.

It was just as engaging and witty as I've come to expect Trollope to be and, in this one, he's not quite as condescending about the 'regular folks' (basically anybody who isn't independently wealthy) and even has them getting the upper hand on occasion, which was nice.

The main themes here are social aspiration (obviously, this being Trollope) and thwarted love. I'm a sucker for the latter, so I enjoyed that aspect a great deal. There are no obvious heroes or heroines here; all the characters have their flaws and a lot of them are pretty major, which I liked a lot. True to its themes, not everybody gets a happy ending and not everything is wrapped up tidily as the credits roll (so to speak). I can totally understand how some readers might find this ending frustrating but I found it rather fitting.

This book was touching, funny, human and even has a couple of honest-to-goodness action scenes! It ticked all my boxes for this kind of novel. If I had one criticism it might be that the book is slightly overlong but that's a minor quibble at best and certainly not worth docking a star for.

[Cecily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 5th Barchester novel. Lovely (but too good to be true?) Lily Dale, vacuous Augustus Crosbie (the "swell"), hobbledehoy Jonnie Eames. It just stops, with very few threads resolved, and most of the characters unfulfilled, if not actually unhappy. Is such an ending clever or frustrating?

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the heroine Lily Dale, who cannot see the flowers beneath her feet, deserves the biggest trout-slap of all time, this is a wonderfully warm and charming novel, that I thoroughly recommend to anyone who loves 19th c novels, and to anyone who hasn't yet tried one.

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - Still enjoyable because it's Trollope, but this is my least favorite in the series so far. Lily was kind of a drip, and there's just a lot of bro-ing around London in the middle. I felt the serialization aspect of this one more than any of the other books

[Beth Bonini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will begin this review with a bit of dithering about whether or not it deserves 4 or 5 stars. Clearly, it is a 4.5 starred novel in my mind - with that last little bit withheld because there was something just not quite as emotionally satisfying (both with the romances and their finales) as I would wish. Still, what an absolutely enjoyable Trollope. Despite the different manners and morals of the mid-19th century world he portrays, I always come away from a Trollope novel with the sense that he truly understood human nature - and portrayed it accurately, sometimes waspishly, but always lovingly. His novels are studded with such wonderful observations, and I love his wry/sharp understated sense of humour.

There are actually a large number of characters in this novel, but Trollope focuses the reader's interest primarily on a mother (Mrs. Dale) and her two young adult daughters (Isabella 'Bell' and Lily). The three female Dales are the inhabitants of the 'Small House' at Allington, which gives the novel its title. The 'Big House' is owned by the Squire - and brother-in-law to the widowed Mrs. Dale. Although the Squire is generous to his sister-in-law and nieces in some ways, they are never entirely convinced of his regard - especially in the case of Mrs. Dale. This withholding of affection causes some strain and distance between the two houses, and will become one of plot lines in the novel. At the very beginning, the authorial voice (narrator, or Trollope himself, depending on how you look at it) warns the reader that there will not be one hero in the piece - but rather a collection (bits and pieces, as the English say) of male characters that have to add up as a hero between them. In truth, the four 'heroes' are all fairly unsatisfactory - and most attention is given to the least admirable of them. Bernard Dale is the girls' first cousin, and the Squire is determined that Bernard and Bell marry in order to keep the estate together. Dr. Crofts is the poor but kindly local doctor who Bell has actually favoured for several years. Lily, too, has two possible suitors: Johnny Eames is the local boy and childhood friend of Lily, while Adolphus Crosbie is the far more glamorous suitor from London who comes to Barsetshire as Bernard's friend.

One one hand, you can definitely talk about this novel in terms of the 'marriage plot'. Neither of the Dale girls have any money of their own, despite being connected to it, and they are at an age in which marriage is both desirable and inevitable. Contrasting with the Dale girls - who are lovely and kind, with appealing manners - are the De Courcy girls. Despite their aristocratic status and assets, the De Courcy family are also short of 'ready money' - and none of the many unmarried De Courcy daughters has much to recommend her, either in face, fortune or personality. Although the Dales are the major characters in the novel, the De Courcy family have an important secondary storyline.

Money may not be everything in the Trollope world, but it cannot be ignored. Not all of his characters make decisions with the financial bottom line uppermost in their calculations, but neither the characters (nor the reader) can ever forget entirely about life's practicalities. I'll try and not spoil much of the plot, but when Crosbie - a fashionable man about town in London - falls in love with Lily, he is not so much in love that he can bring himself to disregard more material satisfactions. Throughout the novel, Trollope refers - quite precisely - to sums of money: mostly how much someone earns, and how much so-and-so 'has' a year to live on. As in Jane Austen's novels, annual income is openly stated and of supreme significance.

There are some noticeable parallels between the sisters in Austen's Sense and Sensibility and the Dale sisters. They are too similar, I think, for Trollope to have been unaware of them. The very big difference though is the way he treats the cad of the novel. While Willoughby more or less disappears from the scene, Crosbie is in some senses the most important character in the novel. His choices, and the consequences of them, are given the most detailed attention.

There are a few side-plots which seem unnecessary - particularly the one between Lady Dumbello (nee Griselda Grantley) and Plantagenet Palliser - but then one of the particular satisfactions of reading the entire series of the Barchester Chronicles is seeing the recurrence of old characters. All in all, Trollope 'manages' his large Barsetshire canvas - peopled by so many humanly imperfect and yet endearing characters - with great skill.

[aPriL does feral sometimes · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘The Small House at Allington’ does not quite the follow the pattern of the previous novels in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series. Author Anthony Trollope always takes care of his characters - most are safely housed by the end of his books, and most have found a way to a financial security of a sort, even if life plans have gone awry and any dreams of rising up in class or a job went sideways. Whatever the hopes and plans of his characters, whether resolved satisfactorily to them or not by the end of the novel, usually there is some personal growth for every protagonist as well as a happy ending of some sort, and every antagonist is usually wiser if sadder, even if scuffed up socially (unless they are idiots - which Trollope takes care to show, not tell). But in this book many of the main characters are left in the middle of their personal story by the last chapter. On one hand, being in the middle of the story is true to life, but on the other, it is unsatisfying on many levels for a reader of a novel, especially for this kind of novel - a proto-domestic cozy (imho, many of today’s domestic cozies are incredibly full of generic stereotypical pablum, even if entertaining, while Trollope tries to include a ‘ship of fools’ cast from all social classes of his 19th-century world, even as he resorts to hinting obliquely at darker lifestyles).

I believe this book can be read without having read the previous novels, and it is a mild entertainment good for many a quiet afternoon of reading to pass the time gently. Trollope is an expert writer. His plot is an interesting one of young women who are hoping to find satisfying husbands, and of young men who are hoping to find satisfying wives. Some hope to climb upwards in class by marriage, while others hope to find true love. Richer older relatives have their say about whom their younger family members should marry, and some of them interfere trying to use their wealth or power. Trollope utilizes interior dialogues a great deal for each character so we readers become invested in watching the developments and misunderstandings between characters, as well as feeling sympathy or anxiety, or even some self-recognition - people care about things much the same way whether we live in the 21st century or the 19th. However, for me, despite that I found the novel interesting enough, that is all it was - interesting enough to continue with it every few days or so, kind of like occasionally tasting a different side dish while I was actually enjoying a more solid repast in the meantime.

The Chronicles of Barsetshire series is about a very Victorian world of mostly country middle-class and some upper-class people, so manners prevail over every social circumstance and financial embarrassment. However, the tone of each book in the series has been more and more of a generic cozy with less and less politics and fewer instances of humor. Trollope’s characters are still true to life, but I sense a growing boredom by the author. Trollope, I think, wanted to move on from this series. The first novel, The Warden, was full of biting irony in comparison to the later novels. As I have read further in the series, Trollope not only departs from the pattern of following in depth peripheral characters introduced in the previous book, he has been dropping entirely any political themes and he appears less interested in actually developing in-depth an interesting person to engage his reader. In ‘The Small House at Arlington’, not only have we seen these character types in earlier Barsetshire books before, they are much duller and more sketched out.

Ah well. Trollope has written one more in this series, and I feel engaged enough to continue, or maybe it is simply because I own it although I have never found the time before to read it.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope is a gem. Of course, it helps to already love Trollope. I confess I've gotten out of the habit of reading the 19th century and it took a while for me to recapture that rhythm-so different than the contemporary works I have been reading--but once I was back, I remembered why I loved Trollope.

The prose is measured, smooth, and very calming. The characters are full and practically walk off the pages, carrying their shawls and tea with them. I grew to care about what happened to the Dale family, to Lily and her sister Bell and their mother, as well as to their friends. And I did not need to like a character to be fascinated by their life and habits.

It was interesting to go back again to the 19th century. Trollope is the kind of writer that brings out the romantic in me and my beloved, unrealistic version of the Victorian era.

I used to say that I went to Trollope for sanity. I discovered that I can still go to him to find balance and comfort.

As I said, if you like Trollope and have the patience for leisurely storytelling and an escape into another time (although not an escape from the human condition), this is a book you should read.

[Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Trollope's terrific novel, Doctor Thorne, there's a lot of Jane Austen in The Small House at Allington. A quiet and pleasant and pastoral novel that slowly enfolds you in its embrace. This is the story of the rhymes and reasons and the will and passions that guide a small group of young women and men as they endeavor to find love, and it is ever so entertaining. It can be frustrating at times too, as I found myself wanting to scream at Miss Lily Dale to get her pretty head out of her own *ss and realize that a very good life was well within her grasp. Oh well, it'd have not been much of plot if she'd done that early on. In short, this is a very satisfying novel and a Trollope that I am glad that I read and unhesitatingly recommend.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a different way of life which if someone from this century went back in time would feel like a fish out of water. I enjoyed this novel albeit the martyrdom of Lily was annoying. Crosbie an unlikely villain and basically just a weak willed idiot who got what he deserved.

The bull story with the Earl was entertaining and the outcome for Johnny Eames well deserved. The Squire is someone we all know in grumpy on the outside and a lovely person on the inside. I am glad I have read the preceding novels and look forward to the final one.

[Justin Pickett · Rating 4 out of 5]

“But was he a man who ought to throw the world away for love?”

People differ starkly in how they value love and rank its importance relative to wealth, status, entertainment, and carousing. This novel is about those differences, with the story following the relationships of several men—some confident, others insecure (“Faint heart never won fair lady”), some brave, others cowardly, some “ungenerous, worldly, inconstant,” others not—to the various young women who they might marry, either because of affection, ambition, or manipulation.

“Had it come to that with the world, that a man must be bribed into keeping his engagement with a lady? Was there no romance left among mankind—no feeling of chivalry?”

“I suppose I shall marry her, and there’ll be an end of me.”

The story is set around a small rural house where Mrs. Mary Dale, who has been widowed for 15 years and is the sister-in-law of a squire, Christopher Dale, lives with her two daughters (his nieces), Lilian and Isabella Dale. The squire and another rich old man, the Lord De Guest, who both failed at love in their own lives, make attempts throughout the story to arrange family matters for others. Lily and Bell are at the center of those attempted arrangements and have multiple suitors, some deserving of their love and others not. The questions motivating the story are: will Lily and Bell fall for the deserving suitors, and, if not, can they endure the consequences?

“The little sacrifices of society are all made by women, as are also the great sacrifices of life.”

“Love does not follow worth, and is not given to excellence; nor is it destroyed by ill-usage, nor killed by blows and mutilation.”

It bears noting that this is an intersection novel between Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire and Palliser series, and several central characters (e.g., Septimus Harding, Plantagenet Palliser) from the authors’ other books make appearances. In terms of the new, story-specific characters (e.g., Lily and Bell Dale), they are of course well drawn and memorable, but they are not lightning rods for emotional investment, as many of the characters in Trollope’s other books are. Other than John Eames, the hobbledehoy who becomes man through suffering and bravery (watch out bulls and blackguards!), I cannot say that I felt a strong connection to anyone in this book. John’s character arc is, in my opinion, the most interesting and informative in the novel.

“And, above all things, never think that you’re not good enough yourself. A man should never think that. My belief is that in life people will take you very much at your own reckoning.”

Other Memorable Quotes:

“It is very hard, that necessity of listening to a man who says nothing.”

“A sermon is not to tell you what you are, but what you ought to be, and a novel should tell you not what you are to get, but what you’d like to get.”

“You must like the soft twilight, and the long evenings when we shall be alone; and you must read to me the books I love, and you must not teach me to think that the world is hard, and dry, and cruel—not yet.”

“But the world, and all those nearest to him in the world, had judged him always by his words rather than by his heart.”

“My love, you are free—from this moment. And even my heart shall not blame you for accepting your freedom.”

“But, nevertheless, deeds of prowess, are still deer to the female heart, and a woman, be she ever so old and discreet, understands and appreciates the summary justice which may be done by means of a thrashing.”

“When the unfortunate moth in his semi-blindness whisks himself and his wings within the flame of the candle, and finds himself mutilated and tortured, he even then will not take the lesson, but returns again and again till he is destroyed … Oh! My friends, if you will but think of it, how many of you have been moths, and are now going about ungracefully with wings more or less burnt off, and with bodies sadly scored!”

“It has sometimes seemed to me as though the young doctors and the old doctors had agreed to divide between them the different results of their profession—the doctors doing all the work and the old doctors taking all the money.”

“The man who goes about declaring himself to be miserable will be not only miserable, but contemptible as well.”

“He had been building those pernicious castles in the air during more than half the time; not castles in the building of which he could make himself happy, as he had done in the old days, but black castles, with cruel dungeons, into which hardly a ray of light could find its way.”

[Lori Keeton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed the Barsetshire series so much and am now looking at finishing it up next year after having read Book #5. In The Small House at Allington we meet the Dale family and become engaged in their day to day lives, their romantic pursuits, courtships and engagements. The beautiful and humble Dale sisters, Lily and Bell, are nieces to the Squire Dale who has provided a home (the small house) on his estate for his sister-in-law and her daughters to live. Trollope dives into topics that center around genuine love versus social status (wealth and power). The idea of a “good match” is looked at and we see both sides of the coin when it comes to romantic pairings in this novel.

I must say that I did not enjoy Lily Dale’s character very much. She was stubborn but it was really very difficult to pinpoint who she really was. Her ideas of marriage were skewed in my modern view. Yet, I bet that Victorian readers were much more engaged with her character. I don’t want to give anything away so will leave it at that. The four would-be suitors for the two sisters are quite different. John Eames (my favorite) was devoted and earnest yet insecure. Adolphus Crosbie is ambitious but foolish yet sympathetic. Dr. John Crofts was steady and kind. Bernard Dale did his best to please his uncle the squire. All of these men deal with the setbacks or advancements of careers and positions.

Trollope has also introduced a character that I believe is central in the next series I am interested in reading – the Palliser series. His character makes a huge mistake in love and gets us ready for that series to come. While this wasn’t my favorite, I still love reading Trollope and will keep it up as long as there are books left on my list.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read most of this book while on vacation, sitting in a lawn chair or on a sun-warmed rock by a lake shore with friendly ducks waddling around me—and far from social media. But if I'd been posting Goodreads updates during the course of my reading, they would have looked something like this:

Chapter III: Mrs. Dale needs to get a happy ending, if no one else does.

Chapter V: Johnny Eames, you idiot!

Chapters VI-V: The awkward part about this book is that I keep getting the mournful Victorian popular song "Lilly Dale" stuck in my head. I can't help wondering whether Trollope had never heard the song and named his heroine in complete innocence, or if it was meant to signify something that I haven't figured out yet.

Chapter XXIII: They ought to hang out a sign at Courcy Castle: "Engagements Made and Broken Here."

Chapter XXXVII: The relationships between the Squire of Allington and his relatives are some of the most interesting and moving parts of the story to me.

Chapter XLV: It's pretty bad when the Honorable George displays the most proper sense and feeling out of the whole de Courcy family.

Chapter LIV: Lady Julia has unexpectedly turned out to be one of the nicest people in the book—so unexpectedly that I wonder if Trollope himself changed his mind about her character, say about the time she departed from Courcy Castle.

Chapter LVII: I don't know. I don't know—I agree that it's much too soon to ask Lily to care for someone else, but I don't think her ideas are wholly correct, and that time will eventually change them. Perhaps the question is whether Trollope is right in ending the story here, instead of giving us a few more years of his characters' lives. On the other hand, perhaps this book is a bit of a healthy antidote to the amount of novels where characters disappointed in love are quickly and neatly consoled with a new love before the end. I don't know.

Chapter LIX: By this time I've realized that John Eames' "engagement" is meant to be a sort of foil for Crosbie's plotline, but I really can't see what point of Eames' behavior is supposed to be more meritorious. Does the difference lie in that he wasn't in love with Amelia at all, and was obviously entrapped into the engagement? In that case, is his real fault getting into it in the first place, or his cowardice in failing to get out of it before even thinking about proposing to someone else? It's a bit annoying, because the business with Amelia is all that keeps him from being a not perfect but thoroughly lovable character.

Chapter LX: At this point I'm torn between wanting to rush off and read The Last Chronicle of Barset and find out what happens to everybody, and wanting to save it for just the right moment, like a particularly delicious morsel of dessert, because it is the last.

[Eddie Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such an odd book: most peculiar! I wonder if anyone has written about its bizarre flouting of all good Victorian novelist rules? Despite that, it’s clearly been tremendously popular since it was written.

I’m reading my way through Trollope’s Barchester Chronicles (this is book 5 of 6). The thing is, he definitely did not set out to write a series in advance and the whole enterprise is rather contingent and organic. You can see him setting himself technical challenges in each book - ‘Framley Parsonage’ (4) is a virtual re-run of the plot of ‘Doctor Thorne’ (3), the preceding novel, with a couple of elements altered and some characters inverted. So when he got to ‘Small House’ (5) I assume he was rebelling against the tyranny of the Victorian marriage plot and instead wanted to write a thwarted romance, which we get here.

A thwarted romance gives him lots of new narrative elements to play around with. Our heroine, Lily Dale, spirited and loving but perhaps a little too rigid in her mindset for her own good, is jilted by her fashionable fiancé Adolphus Crosbie - a ‘swell’ and an ambitious civil servant on the make - who instead marries into the aristocracy. A great deal of the joy of this novel is watching Trollope invent ever more imaginative ways of humiliating him in punishment. In one of the novel’s major set pieces, he is thrashed on the platform of Paddington station (in front of the WH Smith kiosk) by his (ex) rival for Lily’s hand, lowly civil service clerk Johnny Eames. But his major punishment comes via his new aristocratic in-laws and wife, a veritable horror show explored in excruciating comic detail. It’s really interesting how Trollope clearly telegraphs the marriage has sexual problems too, despite carefully respecting all the Victorian literary taboos.

The whole eager young new Londoner setting out on their career in the metropolis is another novel area for Trollope to explore in the context of this series, and perhaps signals Trollope is growing bored of writing about clergy and the committed rural types of Barsetshire.

In this respect, I was very struck by how much of the social analysis of this novel is so relevant to today’s London. ‘A Small House’ is in the title, and Trollope pays sharp attention to issues surrounding the mid-Victorian property market. His decent young countrymen starting their careers in town are forced by high rents into dubious lodging houses in marginal areas crowded with all kinds of moral hazards. Even the relatively more financially secure Crosbie and his new wife Lady Alexandrina end up in an unsatisfactory, badly built and cramped abode - albeit in an achingly fashionable area just off Hyde Park: the Victorian equivalent of today’s property-speculator built “luxury apartments”. One can laugh at Crosbie’s pretensions, except Trollope shows it’s no joke - when Lily Dale and her mother at one point decide to move from the socially supreme ‘Small House’ at Allington into a village cottage, it is painfully clear from their own and their neighbours’ points of view they are falling catastrophically down the social scale, despite suffering no commensurate financial setback.

Lots to think about and enjoy in this novel, but one should always remember Henry James said Trollope’s novels were “big baggy monsters” and as big baggy monsters go this is one of the biggest and baggiest. Huge fun though.

[Rick Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Small House at Allington" is the fifth volume of the six-part "Chronicles of Barsetshire," and, in my opinion, it may just be the best book of the whole series. In this novel, Trollope presents us with several characters who are both likable and noble in some ways... and also flawed and reprehensible in other ways. In other words, these characters are very much human... and the book examines how the consequences of selfishness, shortsightedness, pride, and immaturity can follow us for a lifetime; and also how those characteristics can sometimes be overcome. It is a brilliant exposition of the power and heroism of the so-called "common" life, and the shallowness and misery of the so-called "privileged" life.

As in all of his novels, in "Small House" Trollope demonstrates a tremendous understanding of human nature; and he uses that understanding to point us in the direction of a life that is truly meaningful, joyous, and ultimately well-grounded. I highly recommend this book!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Can't believe I had never heard of Trollope before.

It took me a long time to put my finger on what it was that drew me in so much about his stories, and in the end I think one scholar put it best when they said that Trollope views his characters very neutrally. He paints their qualities and their faults with the same brush, and while he might say "Oh, Johnny!" at them, his narrator doesn't judge them without also pointing out other possible outcomes. And Trollope himself didn't like the words "hero" and "heroine", because they implied that the characters must do something heroic, while his characters simply live.

No great, over-arching passions, no lack of sense. Very down to earth, very human. Despite the passage of nearly two centuries the people are easy to relate to.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The man who goes about declaring himself to be miserable will be not only miserable but contemptible as well.” -Anthony Trollope, The Small House at Allington

Trollope is so important to me. He is a good judge of character and did an amazing job demonstrating true life sketches from fictional characters. The Small House at Allington was especially dear to me as a parent of adult children. There is much to ponder and learn as one delves into his great works.

[Dafne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sin dalle prime pagine di questo quinto volume del ciclo del Barset, Trollope ci avverte del carattere dei membri della famiglia Dale: sia negli affetti sia nelle avversioni, i Dale sono ostinati, costanti e severi nei loro giudizi. Mai descrizione fu più azzeccata.
Al centro de La casetta ad Allington, come in altri libri del ciclo, vi è una mera questione di denaro su cui si avvicendano le vite dei vari personaggi; tutti loro, chi più chi meno, discutono di denaro; quasi tutti hanno difficoltà a far quadrare i conti o vedono la loro esistenza influenzata dalla scarsità di averi. Oltre a questo argomento il romanzo racconta le vicende sentimentali di due sorelle: Isabel (Bell) e Lilian (Lily) Dale, che vivono con la madre vedova nella casetta ad Allington, di proprietà del loro zio paterno, Christopher Dale, il possidente di Allington. Lo zio ha come desiderio che la maggiore delle due sposi il nipote nonché futuro erede della sua proprietà, Bernard Dale. Poco tempo dopo Bernard si reca a far visita allo zio insieme ad un suo amico Adolphus Crosbie, un fatuo arrivista, che mette gli occhi su Lily. Pochi giorni dopo i due si fidanzano, ma il fidanzamento ha vita breve. Quasi un mese dopo Crosbie scopre che Lily non avrà nessuna dote da parte dello zio. Questa scoperta inquieta Crosbie, che si sente incastrato e ha paura di non riuscire, con una moglie ed un eventuale famiglia a carico che dovrà mantenere esclusivamente con il proprio lavoro, a continuare la bella vita alla moda che conduce a Londra e sarà così costretto a vivere una vita avvilente. Il desiderio di far parte del bel mondo lo porta ad accettare l'invito al castello della nobile famiglia De Courcy, che lo hanno adocchiato come possibile candidato alla mano della loro figlia Alexandrina. Crosbie accetta l'invito e si allontana da Lily senza una spiegazione. Arrivato dai De Courcy, Crosbie capisce che per amore di una ragazza squattrinata non vuole rinunciare al suo stile di vita; tenore di vita che potrebbe continuare solo se sposa Alexandrina, ma questa scelta potrebbe non rivelarsi poi così ragionevole.

La casetta ad Allington è l'ennesimo bel romanzo scritto da Trollope appartenente al ciclo del Barset. Questo romanzo è forse quello più amaro e con l'atmosfera più cupa rispetto a quelli che ho letto finora che appartengono al ciclo. Leggere un romanzo di Trollope, comunque, è sempre un piacere, una coccola, perché riesce sempre a coinvolgermi nella vicenda narrata; ci riesce grazie al suo garbo e all'uso di uno stile colloquiale, ironico e arguto; e anche alle sue divertenti, affettuose ma allo stesso tempo pungenti e invadenti interferenze.
Trollope ancora una volta si conferma un grande narratore dei vizi, delle virtù, delle meschinità e delle falsità della società vittoriana. A smuovere i destini e la vita delle varie figure del romanzo è il denaro che influenza, condiziona e dirige le azioni di ciascuno di essi. La peculiarità dello scrittore inglese, e suo vero punto di forza, è come sempre la descrizione e la creazione dei personaggi. Quelli presenti nel romanzo sono tanti e provengono da ogni stato sociale. Tutti sono tratteggiati magistralmente, ognuno di loro ha un carattere sfaccettato, complesso e tremendamente umano in cui il lettore può riconoscere sé stesso o qualche conoscente. Lo scrittore inglese è un vero maestro nell'analizzare e nel descrivere i pensieri, le emozioni, le paure e le speranze dei personaggi; ognuno riesce a suscitare nel lettore vari sentimenti, quali: odio, comprensione, irritazione, compassione, stima, o rassegnazione, facendoglieli amare, odiare o ammirare. È soprattutto nella realizzazione dei personaggi femminili la cui descrizione è sempre impeccabile, accurata, attenta e partecipativa che lo scrittore inglese si rivela una penna eccellente.
Le due sorelle protagoniste mi hanno ricordato molto le due sorelle Dashwood di “Ragione e sentimento”, a cui somigliano molto sia nel carattere che nel comportamento. Entrambe sono giovani, belle, affascinanti, intelligenti e dotate di grande umanità ma sono indigenti e ciò le rende un po' indifese. Hanno entrambe un bellissimo rapporto, schietto, scherzoso e affettuoso con la loro madre.
Lilian detta Lily, la protagonista principale, è la minore delle due. La sua sfortuna è stata quella di innamorarsi di un vero e proprio mascalzone. È una giovane ragazza devota ma davvero irritante che durante la narrazione rivelerà il suo vero carattere. È ostinata, ottusa, cocciuta, impulsiva, priva di autostima, troppo orgogliosa, tremendamente testarda e anche masochista soprattutto quando impedisce ai suoi familiari di dirle quello che realmente pensano del suo “grande amore”. La sua scelta di continuare imperterrita a tessere le lodi di Crosbie nonostante il male che lui le ha inflitto, di augurargli ogni bene, di vederlo come l'essere umano più perfetto mai apparso sulla Terra è stato veramente snervante ed esasperante tanto che, durante la lettura, le avrei volentieri mollato un bel paio di ceffoni più di una volta. Ammiro la sua forza d'animo, la sua coerenza e posso comprendere che “voltare pagina” dopo appena sei mesi da questa rottura può essere presto, ma la sua scelta di aggrapparsi imperterrita ad un uomo che l'ha tradita e continuare ad esserle fedele è ridicola ed esagerata. La sua testardaggine e cocciutaggine le impedisce di aprire gli occhi e vedere che troverebbe un uomo più devoto, più meritevole del suo cuore e più innamorato di lei nella persona di John Eames. Quando conosciamo John, detto Johnny è un giovane ragazzo ancora adolescente. Frequenta fin da ragazzo la casetta della famiglia Dale, è da sempre innamorato di Lily e ora lavora come impiegato nell'ufficio delle tasse nella capitale inglese. È timido, solitario, goffo, impacciato, un po' imbranato, ma anche coraggioso; coraggio che dimostrerà salvando Lord De Guest (un generoso aristocratico locale e uno dei personaggi più belli e divertenti) da un incidente con un toro. Questa sua azione altruista gli farà guadagnare la stima del vecchio aristocratico che lo aiuterà in varie situazioni e campi della vita.
Durante la narrazione assistiamo alla sua crescita personale ed è forse il personaggio che mi è piaciuto, emozionato e commosso di più nel romanzo.
La palma per il personaggio più odioso va, invece, ad Adolphus Crosbie, una delle figure più odiose che mi sia mai capitato di incontrare in un romanzo. Impiegato governativo anche lui, è il classico arrampicatore sociale, ambizioso, vanesio, egoista, egocentrico, pieno di sé, borioso, menefreghista, falso e ipocrita, che con la sua parlantina riesce ad affascinare tutti, sia nel campo lavorativo sia in quello sentimentale. Le sue decisioni egoistiche influenzeranno la sua vita e quella di parecchie persone.
Come non ricordare poi la laboriosa e ragionevole Bell Dale, la maggiore delle due sorelle, che rifiuta decisa il cugino (nonostante la possibilità di una vita agiata) perché non lo ama; il dottor Crofts, innamorato di Bell Dale, che ha come pazienti solo persone povere, e questa scelta non gli permette di mantenere decentemente una famiglia; Christopher Dale, malinconico possidente di Allington, il cui personaggio subirà una crescita molto bella. Ritornano anche i terribili De Courcy, sempre più spocchiosi, altezzosi e naturalmente avari; dei veri e propri sepolcri imbiancati, che vogliono e continuano a far mostra della loro ricchezza anche se non ne hanno i mezzi.

La casetta ad Allington è un romanzo lungo che ti coinvolge sin da subito e ti fa girare le pagine sino alla fine senza che tu neanche te ne accorga, tanto sei impegnato e curioso di capire come si evolveranno le vicende narrate dall'autore inglese. Un romanzo in cui non mancano le scene idilliache e bucoliche della campagna inglese, ma anche l'umorismo rappresentato dai personaggi secondari come il giardiniere Hopkins o tutta la “ciurma” che abita a Burton Crescent, a Londra, nella pensione della signora Roper insieme a John Eames.
Un romanzo che racconta una storia interessante e avvincente, scritto in maniera impeccabile ed elegante, in cui vengono narrate con grande abilità e sagacia, ma con un tono più amaro e pacato rispetto ai precedenti volumi del ciclo, le vicende quotidiane di un gran numero di persone. Al suo interno troviamo amori travolti dalla precarietà e dall'indigenza, persone deluse negli affetti, famiglie o giovani uomini in difficoltà economiche, innamorati che continuano ad amare o rimangono fedeli all'amata/o anche se sono stati respinti.
Un libro splendido che esamina come le conseguenze dell'egoismo, della cecità, dell'orgoglio e dell'immaturità possono seguirci anche tutta la vita.

Sono le donne a fare tutti i piccoli sacrifici della vita di società, così come pure i grandi sacrifici della vita.

[booklady]

November 21, 2018: Finished this on our drive to visit family for Thanksgiving. Immediately started the next in the series, Last Chronicle of Barset, which I highly recommend doing, as they really should be read as one book, many of the same characters and their continuing saga are told. As such, I am glad I did not write my review for this yet, knowing what I now I know. Review pending.


November 12, 2018: I enjoyed the prequel so much, I could not bear to leave Barsetshire, though I know rushing to this book only hastens the end of my stay here. Sniff, sniff.

Trollope has created a little world of such ... oh, I do not know even know what the word is, but I do so like the people here. Well some of them anyway. Back to reading...

[Classic reverie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am thoroughly enjoying "Chronicles of Barsetshire" which I started reading this year in order and have one more from this series left to read. Like, I said before you can go in any reading order but you miss out in other happenings which set the scene with past characters come to life, again. You get a closer view of the workings of The de Courcy's clan of nobility which in "Doctor Thorne"( book 3) seemed to be "all that" which is grand but is it really so? Is it a case of the grass is always greener or is something finally lost which pales in comparison to the past that is not really distant.

When I was finished reading I wanted another ending because even though Trollope stayed true to his characters, I was sad for a certain obstinate feeling of Lily Dale. I am hoping for a more of a closure to that storyline and was happy to learn that book 6 might help. I am dying to know but refuse to spoil my read by finding out beforehand, I will just have to wait until June to unravel that mystery! How can I stand it!!!😯😊. The spice of life keeps one wondering.

The two opposite male characters are interesting in their likeness but yet very differences and at several points each seemed to switch but at different vantage points and in opposition to one another; self assured young man and to hobbledehoy, of sorts and vice versa.

The story, take a widowed mother of 2 pretty girls and an overbearing uncle set in his ways, a "swell" and the awkward childhood friend and mix things up so that almost everything is not as one hopes but what is so. Sounds confusing, not really as you read this, you have a feeling you just finished reading a "soap opera" of sort and I might add a wonderfully compelling one at that! 💕💕


I am reading a different edition; Delphi Complete Works of Anthony Trollope.

"The Small House,” says Bryan, breaking it. “Wait a minute—I know—Anthony Trollope lived here, of course. I’ve been trying to think where I had heard about it.” “It isn’t old enough,” Betty objects. “I mean Anthony Trollope was long, long ago, wasn’t he?” “He didn’t live in The Small House, he wrote about it,” declares Perry. "

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I absolutely loved nearly every page of this book. There was one subplot I didn't love, which took place not in the country, but in London, and involved a few unlikeable characters. So it loses half a star.

However, I can highly recommend this series and this author. He is becoming a favorite, and I'm ready to move on to the last book in the series. He excels at characterization. I know these people so well, I could pick them out in a crowd. I always want more, more, more because they are so interesting.

This is 665 pages, but it never felt long. I didn't want it to ever end. The audio performance by Simon Vance was 23 hours long, and once again, I found myself reading the paper pages I had listened to on audio to ensure I didn't miss even one word. So much humor in this! So many reasons to enjoy it, especially because, being written in the Victorian era, it brings me back to a simpler time.

I can highly recommend this book and series. Feel free to check out the YouTube channel of Katie Lumsden, without whom I may never have read all of these wonderful books. There is a reason she has over 11,000 subscribers. Her enthusiasm regarding all kinds of Victorian and modern literature is contagious! https://www.youtube.com/user/thesilve...