I didn’t mean to read ‘The Prime Minister’ quite so soon, or to rush through it quite so quickly, but I had to step back into Trollope’s world because there seemed to be so many old friends I wanted to see again, so many interesting new people to meet, so many intriguing things happening.
Plantagenet Palliser, the Duke of Omnium, was Prime Minister!
He headed a coalition government, and he had risen not so much as the result of his own charisma and ambition, more because there was no other candidate acceptable to all of the parties and willing to do the job. Now to rise to such a position is a great thing, but I feared for the new Prime Minister. He was too honest, too sensitive, and too unwilling to compromise his principles. Wonderful qualities in so many ways, but qualities you would want in a right-hand man, that would make you want to pick him for your team or hold him up as a role model; but not qualities that would make him a great leader of men.
The Duchess of Omnium – the erstwhile Lady Glencora Palliser – on the other hand was in her element. She would entertain, she would socialise, she would intrigue. She would play her part to the full, and she was in so many ways a far better politician that her husband. Never was it clearer that they loved each other but they would never quite understand each other.
It was lovely to watch them and to listen to them. And, maybe even better, were the conversations between the Duchess and her dearest friend Mrs Finn – the erstwhile Madame Max. That friendship is so well balanced and so well drawn.
The stories of the Duke and Duchess are set against – and entangled with – the stories of Ferdinand Lopez and Emily Wharton.
Ferdinand Lopez was a handsome adventurer of Portuguese-Jewish descent. It was clear from the start that he was to be the villain of the piece, and he plotted and schemed to acquire wealth and rise up through society. He was determined to secure the hand of Emily Wharton, the daughter of a wealthy and successful barrister. Mr Wharton was firmly set against the match, and determined that his daughter would only marry the son of an English gentleman. He favoured Emily’s childhood friend Arthur Fletcher, but Lopez had her heart.
The deadlock was broken when Lopez, apparently, saved the life of Emily’s brother, and her father reluctantly consented to the marriage.
It was then that Lopez’s campaign escalated. He used his wife to extract significant sums of money from his father-in-law to fund speculations, he exploited – and cheated his lower class business partner. He has some successes but he had more failures, and put more and more pressure on his wife to extract more funds from her father. His attempt to enter the House of Commons, to established him as an English gentleman, fails and Arthur Fletcher takes the seat. he blames everyone but himself.
That had consequence for the Duchess of Omnium – who had been charmed by Lopez and so gave him her support – and in turn for the Prime Minister, who could not, would not, allow his wife’s name – or his principles – to be compromised.
Mr Wharton realised that when he dismissed Lopez’s suit he had neglected to consider other things that would make him an unsuitable husband for his daughter. He did what he could, Emily knew that she had to accept the consequences of her decision; the arc of the relationship between father and daughter was one of my favourite things about this novel.
As Lopez made his determined rise and when he came tumbling down he did a great deal of damage. When both his business and his marriage collapsed around him he made the most dramatic of exits. The repercussions of his actions though would be felt for a long, long time.
His end was inevitable, but the gap that he left was huge, he was such a fascinating, charismatic character. It took the story a while to re-establish itself without him.
But there is a whole world in this story, and the world continues to turn. I loved watching so much going on, at Westminster, in the town, in the country. The scope of the story is vast, and the author’s command of it is magnificent.
There are themes that are horribly relevant today – the consequences of coalition government, and the role the fourth estate – represented here by Mr Quintus Slide …..
There are many things that can be said about this book. I have come to see that Trollope accepted society’s norms and believed that they would continue to hold sway; that he could draw a good villain but he clearly gave much more time to the great and the good; that he gave consideration to how a gentleman should live and behave, and of the consequences of their social position and above all of marriage for women ……
Above all this is a wonderfully rich human drama.
The world that Trollope has created in the Palliser novels and the people that live in it are so very, very real.
I find it easy to simply accept it for what it is, and I love spending time there.
Fleur in her World 
I do so love the Pallisers and will revisit them one day !
I love them too, and I could quite happily work my way through the books again.
I can’t wait to get started on the Pallisers! 🙂
I can’t make comparisons, because I started my Trollope reading with the Pallisers, but I think you’ll love them. I’m well into The Duke’s Children already, and after that I plan to match a few standalone novels with a few English counties.
Sounds great! I have a copy of this but I haven’t read any of the rest of the series – do you think its OK to read out of order, or should I read chronologically?
You could read out of order, because there’s a standalone element in each book and the drawing of the characters is so good that you’d pick up what you need to know quite easily. But you would have some spoilers for the early book. and there would be some things you wouldn’t pick up on. So I’d say it would be better to read in order, and if you like the first you’re sure to enjoy the rest.
Thanks! I will read in order 🙂
oooh I haven’t read this one yet. I’m working my way slowly through Barsetshire. How lovely to think that this is ahead to be enjoyed.
You will enjoy them, and I’ll miss the Pallisers when I’m done with the next book, even though I have Barsetshire and any number of standalone Trollopes ahead of me.
I’m impressed that you’re getting through the Pallisers so quickly and pleased that you’re still enjoying them! I love Trollope too but find that I need to space his books out. I’m hoping to start The Eustace Diamonds soon so it will be a while before I get to this one, but I’m already looking forward to it.
I didn’t mean to go through the books this quickly, but there’s always something that makes me want to pick up the next book, and I find Trollope so readable
This has been my least favorite of the Pallisers, despite the wonderful Madame Max. But I’ve only read it once, and as usual, you’re making me think that I need to re-read it. I’ll be interested to see which of the stand-alones you choose.
I’d pick the two Phineas novels a little more than this, but I found this so readable and I loved having the Pallisers themselves more to the fore. I have a few stand-alones in mind – more than I have reading hours – but I think Orley Farm (because I used to live in Harrow) and Lady Anna (because I read a great review at the right moment and because I love the cover) are at the front of the queue.
I can’t wait to start the Barsetshires and then the Pallisers. I know I have a huge TBR but I think once I’ve finished one of the two I’m reading at the moment, it will be TIME.
You will love them, Liz. And I’ve found it easier to draw back from book buying and listing knowing that I have so much Trollope still to read, and a Delphi complete works on my Nook,
*Sigh* – Trollope – if only I could drop out for a year and read him! :))))))
Oh, that would be so lovely ….
I’m sticking with the Bshires for now, but you (and the biography I’m reading) have made me long to read the Pallisers too. I read that Lady Glencora makes her debut in The Small House at Allington.
I read that too, but I was already caught up in the world of the Pallisers at the time. I’ll be glad to see her again one day.
You can’t beat a good villain can you? I do need to read some more Trollope as he does family drama so very well.
You can’t, and you must!!
You’ve nearly finished the whole series! I have Phineas Finn next up my list of big fat books (as soon as I finish The Pickwick Papers) and I’m really hoping to finish the whole series this year. And maybe Lady Anna, since I just read a rave review. So much Trollope to love!
And I think I’m going to host a Trollope reading event in April! Hope you’ll join in, unless you’re taking a break from Trollope, of course.
I love Phineas, and I’m sure you will too. And of course I’ll be there in April. I’ll be through with the Pallisers by then, but I have all of his other books to read still.
Oh!! Trollop!! Just finished Can you Forgive her and I am now jumping on to Phineas Finn. He is simply beyond words!!
Exactly – I am quite sure that you will love Phineas.
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