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La Vendee: An Historical Romance
A novel in "The Penguin Trollope" series, which contains all of Trollope's novels, short stories and autobiography published in the order in which they were written.
992 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1850
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225 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Trollope
2,294 books1,763 followersAnthony 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_...
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_...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 7, 2017
This is Trollope's only historical novel. Although it was well received, it was written early in his career before he began to enjoy some popularity. It takes place during the Reign of Terror and is one story of Royalists resisting the republicans. There are two other novels of this very resistance: The Chouans by Balzac and Ninety-Three by Hugo. I know the Balzac to be better than La Vendée and I expect the Hugo to be better as well.
It is apparent Trollope had not yet found his voice, though there are glimpses.
I think one needs to be a Trollope devotee to enjoy this or at least have more than a passing interest in the French Revolution. I am that devotee, and reading 19th Century French fiction has captured my interest in the Revolution. As with my WWI reading, I'll keep finding things to add to my knowledge. Only 3 stars for this, but I'll never be sorry I read it.
It is apparent Trollope had not yet found his voice, though there are glimpses.
The landlords of the country were not men of extensive property or expensive habits—they built no costly castles, and gave no sumptuous banquets; but they lived at home, on their incomes, and had always something to spare for the poorer of their neighbours. Farming was their business—the chase their amusement—loyalty their strongest passion, and the prosperity of their tenantry their chief ambition.Trollope's greatest strength is his characterizations, especially those of women. We do not yet see that strength in this, but there is one very fine scene that had the tears streaming down my face. I simply tried to read through them, needing to read through to the end of it.
I think one needs to be a Trollope devotee to enjoy this or at least have more than a passing interest in the French Revolution. I am that devotee, and reading 19th Century French fiction has captured my interest in the Revolution. As with my WWI reading, I'll keep finding things to add to my knowledge. Only 3 stars for this, but I'll never be sorry I read it.
October 28, 2010
I have got to Trollope's third novel in my ongoing Trollope-read, and unfortunately, I can see why it's little-known. It's a historical romance, set during the French revolution, and unfortunately, it's not a good genre for him (I don't think he ever wrote in it again). The characters are rather stereotypical (virtuous rebel aristocrats, evil revolutionaries, simple peasants), not as richly drawn as in later Trollope, though I did like his thoughtful (though short) portrayal of Robespierre.
There are a few exciting bits, but they're few and far between; perhaps reading this right after a lot of Dumas, the master of swashbuckling, wasn't terribly fair to it, but a novel with this much action in it ought to have a rather faster pace. Clearly Trollope was still searching for his voice and style (which he found in his next novel, The Warden).
There are a few exciting bits, but they're few and far between; perhaps reading this right after a lot of Dumas, the master of swashbuckling, wasn't terribly fair to it, but a novel with this much action in it ought to have a rather faster pace. Clearly Trollope was still searching for his voice and style (which he found in his next novel, The Warden).
May 21, 2018
A major change of scene for Trollope, and set in a (fairly recent) historical epoch - the French Revolution. The chapters on Robespierre in the late stages of the novel are very interesting in that they underscore Trollope's own insight (from his autobiography) that he has difficulty making characters - or character types - into out-and-out villains.
I did not find his characters as memorable as in his Irish novels, likely because he was feeling constrained by the fact that most of them were historical. He also wrote himself into a corner by choosing as his main romantic hero Henri de la Rochejacquelein who, history tells us, died at age 22. This makes the ending rather awkward.
The research lies heavy on this one, with many battles detailed at excruciating length. However, the minor characters are lively and the villain, a fictional character named Adolphe Denot, is psychologically quite interesting and gets an affecting death scene.
I did not find his characters as memorable as in his Irish novels, likely because he was feeling constrained by the fact that most of them were historical. He also wrote himself into a corner by choosing as his main romantic hero Henri de la Rochejacquelein who, history tells us, died at age 22. This makes the ending rather awkward.
The research lies heavy on this one, with many battles detailed at excruciating length. However, the minor characters are lively and the villain, a fictional character named Adolphe Denot, is psychologically quite interesting and gets an affecting death scene.
June 22, 2016
I feel really bad about this. This was my very last Trollope, yes, I've read them all, and the others mostly had 5 stars, with just the odd 4. This one? I just couldn't finish it. I had no interest whatever in the cardboard characters, the history seemed distinctly dodgy, and it had none of Trollope's lightness of touch or authorial wisdom.
Maybe I shouldn't have tried to read it just after Hilary Mantel's 'A Place of Greater Safety'.....
Maybe I shouldn't have tried to read it just after Hilary Mantel's 'A Place of Greater Safety'.....
June 5, 2022
This was Trollope’s third published novel. And the least successful, getting him only 20 pounds. (Whereas Can you forgive her? made him more than 3000.)
And indeed it is not a very good one. At least not compared to his other efforts. It is a historical novel placed in the midst of the French Revolution. And we follow the adventures of the people of the Vendèe who were (apparently) all Royalists and who chose to fight the Republicans. I was, to tell the truth, not aware of this little war, and so I did learn something which is a good thing. But the story of this war Trollope is not really exciting.
There are a couple of historical figures, like General Cathelineau (a postilion in civilian life) and Henri de Larochejaquelin (Trollope’s spelling) along with some made up supporting cast, among them Henri’s sister Agatha who is loved by the poor postilion. Luckily he gets killed early on and so brings up the courage to confess his love in his dying hour. Then there is a friend of Henri who is also in love with the sister, gets rejected and promptly turns traitor to the noble cause. Luckily he lives long enough to see the evil of his ways and in the end manages to die as a hero to the cause.
In fact, I would call the novel a failure if not for three brilliant chapters. In the middle of the book with no connection to the rest of the story at all Trollope inserts two chapters on Robespierre. And these are breathtakingly wonderful. “For fifty years the world has talked of, condemned, and executed Robespierre. Men and women who have barely heard the names of Pitt and Fox, who know not whether Metternich is a man or a river, or one of the United States, speak of Robespierre as of a thing accursed.“ And then: “Yet it is not impossible that some apologist may be found for the blood which this man shed; that some quaint historian, delighting to show the world how wrong has been its most assured opinions, may attempt to vindicate the fame of Robespierre, and strive to wash the blackamoor white.“ And then he goes on to remind us how wrong our established views on Richard III, Henry VIII or Queen Bess are. That was written in 1847 and nothing (fundamentally) has changed since then.
Of course, he continues not to whitewash, but to give a vivid and fair portrait of the Man, including his paranoid reactions to the (presumably) innocent request for the life of the Queen by his lover Eleanor Duplay. Trollope’s sympathies are clearly on the side of the Royalists but he is too intelligent not to able and to be willing to explain exactly in what sense Marie Antoinette deserved death.
The other brilliant chapter, also not really adding to the story, is when Agatha visits the poor mother of Cathelineau to congratulate her on the deeds of her son. And she acts as a mother maybe should. She does not care about politics. She just mourns his death. And she is quite cynic. At least until she finally sort of believes that the daughter of a marquis could have been in love with her son.
And finally, the concluding chapter. People married in the penultimate chapter and looked into a bright future. But that was not what happened in history. And Trollope gives us beautiful scene where one of the heroes of the tale who had become a barber in Paris in the meantime tells us what has happened to the other protagonists.
Fascinating, how the view of the book changes if you concentrate on the good parts. But really, the larger part of the book is not that good at all.
7/10
And indeed it is not a very good one. At least not compared to his other efforts. It is a historical novel placed in the midst of the French Revolution. And we follow the adventures of the people of the Vendèe who were (apparently) all Royalists and who chose to fight the Republicans. I was, to tell the truth, not aware of this little war, and so I did learn something which is a good thing. But the story of this war Trollope is not really exciting.
There are a couple of historical figures, like General Cathelineau (a postilion in civilian life) and Henri de Larochejaquelin (Trollope’s spelling) along with some made up supporting cast, among them Henri’s sister Agatha who is loved by the poor postilion. Luckily he gets killed early on and so brings up the courage to confess his love in his dying hour. Then there is a friend of Henri who is also in love with the sister, gets rejected and promptly turns traitor to the noble cause. Luckily he lives long enough to see the evil of his ways and in the end manages to die as a hero to the cause.
In fact, I would call the novel a failure if not for three brilliant chapters. In the middle of the book with no connection to the rest of the story at all Trollope inserts two chapters on Robespierre. And these are breathtakingly wonderful. “For fifty years the world has talked of, condemned, and executed Robespierre. Men and women who have barely heard the names of Pitt and Fox, who know not whether Metternich is a man or a river, or one of the United States, speak of Robespierre as of a thing accursed.“ And then: “Yet it is not impossible that some apologist may be found for the blood which this man shed; that some quaint historian, delighting to show the world how wrong has been its most assured opinions, may attempt to vindicate the fame of Robespierre, and strive to wash the blackamoor white.“ And then he goes on to remind us how wrong our established views on Richard III, Henry VIII or Queen Bess are. That was written in 1847 and nothing (fundamentally) has changed since then.
Of course, he continues not to whitewash, but to give a vivid and fair portrait of the Man, including his paranoid reactions to the (presumably) innocent request for the life of the Queen by his lover Eleanor Duplay. Trollope’s sympathies are clearly on the side of the Royalists but he is too intelligent not to able and to be willing to explain exactly in what sense Marie Antoinette deserved death.
The other brilliant chapter, also not really adding to the story, is when Agatha visits the poor mother of Cathelineau to congratulate her on the deeds of her son. And she acts as a mother maybe should. She does not care about politics. She just mourns his death. And she is quite cynic. At least until she finally sort of believes that the daughter of a marquis could have been in love with her son.
And finally, the concluding chapter. People married in the penultimate chapter and looked into a bright future. But that was not what happened in history. And Trollope gives us beautiful scene where one of the heroes of the tale who had become a barber in Paris in the meantime tells us what has happened to the other protagonists.
Fascinating, how the view of the book changes if you concentrate on the good parts. But really, the larger part of the book is not that good at all.
7/10
March 6, 2022
Every author has a "worst" book that he or she ever wote. For Shakesepare, this is "Timon of Athens," which is essentially 2+ hours of dialog that rarely rises above "no, you eat shit."). For Trollope, the worst prize goes to La Vendee his third novel, a historical tale that deals with an uprising during the French Revolution. Many years after its publication, Trollope wrote in his autobiography that its lack of success was due to the fact that "he knew, in truth, nothing of life in the La Vendée country, and also because the facts of the present time came more within the limits of my powers of story-telling than those of past years." For his efforts he received 20 pounds. He would have received 30 more pounds if the book had sold more than 350 copies, which it clearly didn't.
The book fails primarily because the characters are so unmemorable. They are thinly drawn and scarcely have any defining characteristic other than being "good guys" and "bad guys." Trollope had no idea how to write about the ebb and flow of the conflict. The story arc is confused and disjointed. One wonders if Trollope had ever read any adventure stories.
Trollope soon found his voice with the Palliser novels, drawing-room novels about the upper-echelons of British society. The characters were mostly memorable, or at the very least, interesting. The stakes generally weren't about life or death, but about marriage, which many have argued is the central point in most novels.
The only reason to read La Vendee is to say, "I've read all of the Trollope novels!" (Yay, me.) If you must read it, I highly recommend the Oxford University Press edition (1994 ISBN 0-19-282838-X), which is out of print, but can be picked up used at any number of used book sites. It contains a long introduction that is somewhat helpful, and numerous footnotes that, on occasion, are delightfully snarky, particularly when Trollope has his French characters spout off English idioms.
The book fails primarily because the characters are so unmemorable. They are thinly drawn and scarcely have any defining characteristic other than being "good guys" and "bad guys." Trollope had no idea how to write about the ebb and flow of the conflict. The story arc is confused and disjointed. One wonders if Trollope had ever read any adventure stories.
Trollope soon found his voice with the Palliser novels, drawing-room novels about the upper-echelons of British society. The characters were mostly memorable, or at the very least, interesting. The stakes generally weren't about life or death, but about marriage, which many have argued is the central point in most novels.
The only reason to read La Vendee is to say, "I've read all of the Trollope novels!" (Yay, me.) If you must read it, I highly recommend the Oxford University Press edition (1994 ISBN 0-19-282838-X), which is out of print, but can be picked up used at any number of used book sites. It contains a long introduction that is somewhat helpful, and numerous footnotes that, on occasion, are delightfully snarky, particularly when Trollope has his French characters spout off English idioms.
January 21, 2015
I wish I could give this book a higher rating. I love Trollope, and I am a fervent admirer of the French counter-revolutionaries. His hero, the incredibly handsome and dashing aristo Henri de la Rochejacquelain, is a hero of mine too ("If I advance, follow me! If I retreat, shoot me! If I fall, avenge me!"). But this novel never really takes wing; it creaks under the effort of its own construction. All of Trollope's other novels are better - alas. But a valiant effort nonetheless. Vive le roi!
January 9, 2011
As usual with Trollope it was an easy read put lacked the subtlety and nuance of his later novels.
This is the book Trollope wrote before The Warden and one has to say the improvement from this to that is significant to say the least. The Vendee is an historical novel set in revolutionary France. The characters are either good or bad, or in one case good bad and then good again, and as a modern reader I found difficulty in feeling any real sympathy for any of them.
This is the book Trollope wrote before The Warden and one has to say the improvement from this to that is significant to say the least. The Vendee is an historical novel set in revolutionary France. The characters are either good or bad, or in one case good bad and then good again, and as a modern reader I found difficulty in feeling any real sympathy for any of them.
March 15, 2018
An early novel by Trollope, and an interesting account of a period of French history I was not aware of: royalists who actively resisted the French Revolution. Many of the upper-class characters are one-dimensional and some of the dialogue is painfully moralistic and sappy, portraying the royalists as fully justified in the nobility of their cause. Trollope does better with the working class characters, who are allowed to be funny and flawed without being caricatures.
January 13, 2024
Vendée, terres de souvenirs depuis mon enfance du fait de sa qualité de station balnéaire et de ses merveilleux paysages et autres activités réalisables mais également terres d’un passé riche et souvent violent que j’ai toujours voulu approfondir. En ce sens et appréciant le célèbre romancier pour ses œuvres classiques, j’ai eu envie de découvrir une autre des facettes du savoureux talent d’Anthony Trollope. Bien qu’exercice différent, cette lecture n’en a pas été moins intéressante et encore moins passionnante.
En effet, ce dernier retrace l’un des épisodes majeurs de l’Histoire de notre pays, celui de la Révolution et le réalise avec soin et détails. Tout est apporté au lecteur pour se plonger au sein d’un conflit des plus violents mais également parfois des plus romantique. J’ai été sensible à se mélange des genres, entre classique et historique, faisant de Vendée une lecture pertinente et des plus atypique. Bien entendu et genre oblige, le style d’Anthony Trollope se révèle, parfois, certes moins aérien et lyrique qu’à l’accoutumé mais ne manque nullement de charme ni d’intérêt. Avec ses pas moins de plus de 800 pages dans sa version poche, ce roman se dévore avec avidité et je ne me suis que trop peu ennuyé tant chaque chapitre renferme son lot action et de violence mais aussi une grand part de romantisme, contrastant avec le ton donné. Véritable récit de guerre, j’ai adoré suivre l’élaboration et la stratégie tenue par l’ensemble de la résistance ou celle du camp adverse. En ce sens j’ai apprécié retrouver certaines figures de cet épisode mais également celles d’autres personnages fictifs, tout simplement plaisant à rencontrer.
Bien qu’habitué à ce que l’auteur dresse de magnifiques et établies portraits, j’ai apprécier découvrir ces derniers débordant de finesse et de profondeur. Ainsi, je me suis régalé autant que le romancier semble s’être amusé à décortiquer et analyser cette période pour y dresser un authentique et immersif récit. Sans être aussi dramatique que ses précédents portraits, ces derniers n’en restent pas moins parfaits dans leurs différents rôles et le rendu est des plus éloquent. Cependant et malgré mon intérêt pour l’importante panoplie de protagoniste, il est vrai que je regrette un manque d’attachement et qu’aucun d’entre eux ne soit parvenu à se démarquer comme d’autres avant eux. Peu importe cette légère amertume quant à mes habitudes vis à vis de ce que l’auteur m’avait habitué, j’ai été tout de même des mieux accompagné et je suis plus que ravi d’avoir pu découvrir une autre facette des talents de conteur de celui-ci.
Enfin, entre historisme et romantisme, Vendée s’est révélée une pertinente et excellente lecture. Loin des classiques de l’auteur, ce roman n’en est pas moins percutant à se mettre sous la main. J’ai été plus que passionné par ce violent conflit, épisode majeur du territoire vendéen que nous connaissons actuellement.
En effet, ce dernier retrace l’un des épisodes majeurs de l’Histoire de notre pays, celui de la Révolution et le réalise avec soin et détails. Tout est apporté au lecteur pour se plonger au sein d’un conflit des plus violents mais également parfois des plus romantique. J’ai été sensible à se mélange des genres, entre classique et historique, faisant de Vendée une lecture pertinente et des plus atypique. Bien entendu et genre oblige, le style d’Anthony Trollope se révèle, parfois, certes moins aérien et lyrique qu’à l’accoutumé mais ne manque nullement de charme ni d’intérêt. Avec ses pas moins de plus de 800 pages dans sa version poche, ce roman se dévore avec avidité et je ne me suis que trop peu ennuyé tant chaque chapitre renferme son lot action et de violence mais aussi une grand part de romantisme, contrastant avec le ton donné. Véritable récit de guerre, j’ai adoré suivre l’élaboration et la stratégie tenue par l’ensemble de la résistance ou celle du camp adverse. En ce sens j’ai apprécié retrouver certaines figures de cet épisode mais également celles d’autres personnages fictifs, tout simplement plaisant à rencontrer.
Bien qu’habitué à ce que l’auteur dresse de magnifiques et établies portraits, j’ai apprécier découvrir ces derniers débordant de finesse et de profondeur. Ainsi, je me suis régalé autant que le romancier semble s’être amusé à décortiquer et analyser cette période pour y dresser un authentique et immersif récit. Sans être aussi dramatique que ses précédents portraits, ces derniers n’en restent pas moins parfaits dans leurs différents rôles et le rendu est des plus éloquent. Cependant et malgré mon intérêt pour l’importante panoplie de protagoniste, il est vrai que je regrette un manque d’attachement et qu’aucun d’entre eux ne soit parvenu à se démarquer comme d’autres avant eux. Peu importe cette légère amertume quant à mes habitudes vis à vis de ce que l’auteur m’avait habitué, j’ai été tout de même des mieux accompagné et je suis plus que ravi d’avoir pu découvrir une autre facette des talents de conteur de celui-ci.
Enfin, entre historisme et romantisme, Vendée s’est révélée une pertinente et excellente lecture. Loin des classiques de l’auteur, ce roman n’en est pas moins percutant à se mettre sous la main. J’ai été plus que passionné par ce violent conflit, épisode majeur du territoire vendéen que nous connaissons actuellement.
December 27, 2024
This is hardly the most obvious route into Trollope, and I know some have found this early work an effort, but I found plenty to enjoy here. I know the geography of the Vendee very well, being lucky enough to have a farmhouse there, but my knowledge of its historical complexities was woefully patchy. A Tale of Two Cities and a couple of nonfiction tomes are the extent of my history here.
This part of France played a fascinating and tragic role in the events of the late 18th century and in the hands of Trollope a rather fabulous cast of characters bring colour and psychological depth to the events. I picked up the book to improve my understanding of a particularly brutal period of local history…and had the pleasure of meeting one of the most devilish villains I’ve ever encountered in print. I shan’t spoil it - enjoy!
This part of France played a fascinating and tragic role in the events of the late 18th century and in the hands of Trollope a rather fabulous cast of characters bring colour and psychological depth to the events. I picked up the book to improve my understanding of a particularly brutal period of local history…and had the pleasure of meeting one of the most devilish villains I’ve ever encountered in print. I shan’t spoil it - enjoy!
April 22, 2023
A really pleasant surprise! Much better than when I read the book 30 years ago or so. Now I realized that the melodramatic language and action is purposeful and masterfully done, not just unsubtle inexperienced-author limitations. The battle scenes crackle (even though I hate battle scenes), and some of the characterizations (Robespierre in particular) are superb.
Still, there are some dull patches, especially in the beginning. There are also some awkward set pieces that don't quite work. But on the whole, definitely worth reading.
Still, there are some dull patches, especially in the beginning. There are also some awkward set pieces that don't quite work. But on the whole, definitely worth reading.
December 22, 2025
Read with the great narration of Terrance Callan on Librivox.
Kind of disappointed in where Trollope decided to end this novel, not getting to the real melodramatic stuff of the later years that Carrier was up to. Was anticipating that part the whole way through so quite a bummer.
Otherwise it’s pretty standard solid Trollope which I can still appreciate. It’s definitely got some of that humanism and consideration of many viewpoints (open-mindedness I guess is the word) that I like about Trollope
Kind of disappointed in where Trollope decided to end this novel, not getting to the real melodramatic stuff of the later years that Carrier was up to. Was anticipating that part the whole way through so quite a bummer.
Otherwise it’s pretty standard solid Trollope which I can still appreciate. It’s definitely got some of that humanism and consideration of many viewpoints (open-mindedness I guess is the word) that I like about Trollope
November 17, 2021
Wonderful! Unbelievable! Fabulous!
What an adventure Mr Trollope took us on!
I love that is was based on so much fact
I love the creativity he inserted to give us a feel of being right there with the Vendéens.
Theirs is a story that should be told and told and told!
It has been hidden long enough, the veil is removed.
History set right! For anyone that thinks they are Catholic read of these warriors for Christ and see if any of us measure up.
Dieu et Roi
What an adventure Mr Trollope took us on!
I love that is was based on so much fact
I love the creativity he inserted to give us a feel of being right there with the Vendéens.
Theirs is a story that should be told and told and told!
It has been hidden long enough, the veil is removed.
History set right! For anyone that thinks they are Catholic read of these warriors for Christ and see if any of us measure up.
Dieu et Roi
June 3, 2022
If anyone thought Trollope only wrote stories about British Society, this is a wake-up. A great education in the French counter-revolution, he brings French characters alive in context as readily as he does their English counterparts. It's a great read although the story doesn't really disclose any twist or meaning - but in a very understated way it does make clear the pointless brutality and tragedy of war.
March 30, 2023
Probably three and a half stars.
It is second rate Trollope, but even second rate Trollope has its good points.
It is a romantic historical drama set during the French Revolution. The historical aspects, and the fact that it is based on real characters, made it interesting. It also has some very engaging moments. Overall, though, a bit patchy.
It is second rate Trollope, but even second rate Trollope has its good points.
It is a romantic historical drama set during the French Revolution. The historical aspects, and the fact that it is based on real characters, made it interesting. It also has some very engaging moments. Overall, though, a bit patchy.
September 7, 2024
Truly, a Trollope is always good. This was not so much a dud as a slog, especially at first. I was unfamiliar with this portion of French history and it took a bit of time and no little amount of energy to get it all sorted out. I am glad I read it, though I believe this puts me at the end of all of his fiction.
July 26, 2018
I was particularly interested in this as I have a home in the Vendée département. An obscure ‘early Trollope’ and slightly clunky - but fascinating nonetheless. Trollope also shows great insight into human nature in giving positive traits to even the most villainous characters.
March 29, 2023
This was about an area in France outside of Paris and how it was affected by the Revolution. It was interesting to learn about it as this is an Historical Fiction. I read it with the AT group on Facebook.
May 23, 2018
Sorry this just did not come alive and we ended up giving up on it...which I hate doing but found it very lifeless and dull
May 15, 2019
Not the best Trollope book but perfectly readable and a good story.
May 24, 2020
3 1//2 stars
Better than many; but not as good as other Trollope's.
Better than many; but not as good as other Trollope's.
August 30, 2021
Not at all like either the Barchester or Palliser series, but interesting for illustrating a part of French history that I was unfamiliar with.
April 2, 2022
An early Trollope novel with all the thoughtful character study and masterful storyelling of his maturer works. This may be an overlooked early effort but don't pass it up.
May 25, 2022
Interesting - long-winded
March 20, 2007
Trollope's third novel and his only attempt at historical fiction. It is set principally in la Vendee, in west central France on the Bay of Biscay, where a pro-royalty, pro-church revolt took place in response to the revolution. As Trollope notes in his introduction, the book is based in large point on the Memoirs of Madame de la Rochejaquelein. Like his first two novels, La Vendee met with no success to speak of, but Trollope will soon turn to his native England as a setting, where he will find literary success.
January 17, 2016
I wouldn't have finished this if I hadn't decided to read my way all the way through Trollope. The best thing I can say for it is I learned a little about the history of this region of France. It's nice to have Wikipedia to be able to fill out some of the historical details and determine which characters are actual historical figures.
November 8, 2015
Unusual for Trollope, but still recognizably him. I didn't like all the romance and excitement of war stuff, but there were a few sensible characters who didn't like it either. As usual, interesting male/female conflicts, and sympathy for the bad guy.
July 12, 2016
French History Buffs Novel
I'm sure this story would have been much easier for me not to get distracted while reading, if less wordy in description. The flow between character and details was exhausting at times. Sorry. Not one of my favorites.
I'm sure this story would have been much easier for me not to get distracted while reading, if less wordy in description. The flow between character and details was exhausting at times. Sorry. Not one of my favorites.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews