The Eustace Diamonds: Background information and resources

[Frances, Moderator]

This is our background and resources folder for The Eustace Diamonds. This is the section for anyone who has information to share about the political, cultural and social climate of the time, or any information which might assist other readers to understand the novel in context.

Please do not post spoilers about this or any of the remaining books in this series. You can however share information about the first 2 Palliser novels that we've already read.

[LiLi]

Thanks for setting this up.

[Madge UK]

From The Victorian Web:

"I have long known, Mr Trollope, your churchmen and churchwomen. May I congratulate you on the same happy lightness of touch in the portrait of your new adventuress? said Disraeli (not a great reader of other men's novels), on meeting Trollope at Lord Stanhope's dinner table. The sparkling book referred to earned the author an advance of £1,250. The publisher had a bargain. It secured for him one of the most entertaining, worthless, attractive women in the history of the novel: the totally amoral Lizzie Eustace. With her came one of Trollope's best plots: and some of his most devastatingly ironic portraits. For instance, Lord Fawn: the impoverished politician with an impregnable estimate of his own (and his dreadful family's) worth: but with none of the resources of wit or wealth to back it — truly a Wet before his time. Trollope's ingenious story revolves around the immensely valuable and spectacular necklace Lizzie inherited from the rich, ailing baronet she married for his money, and quickly killed with her indifference
.....'

[Frances, Moderator]

Thanks, Madge, I love the "blurb" from Disraeli!

[LiLi]

Great :D