Lady Anna

by Anthony Trollope

When it appeared in 1874 "Lady Anna" met with little success, and positively outraged readers, but Trollope staunchly defended the novel. It is a tightly constructed and passionate study of enforced marriage in the world of Radical politics and social inequality. "Lady Anna" records the lifelong attempt of Countess Lovel to justify her claim to her title, and her daughter Anna's legitimacy, after her husband announces that he already has a wife. Anna falls in love with the journeyman tailor and young Radical Daniel Thwaite, but her mother wishes her to marry her cousin, heir to her father's title. Can Anna be allowed - can she allow herself - to change her mind? Though the conclusion is a foregone one, Trollope's ambivalence on the question is profound, and the novel both intense and powerful.

Excerpt from Lady Anna:
Of course She told her father. Of course she invoked every Murray in and out of Scotland. Of course there were many threats. A duel was fought up near London, in which Lord Lovel consented to be shot at twice, - declaring that after that he did not think that the circumstances of the case required that he Should be shot at any more. In the midst of this a daughter was born to her and her father died, - during which time She was still allowed to live at Lovel Grange. But what was it expedient that she should do? He declared that he had a former wife when he married her, and that therefore she was not and could not be his wife. Should she institute a prosecution against him for bigamy, thereby acknowledging that She was herself no wife and that her Child was illegitimate? From such evidence as she could get, She believed that the Italian woman whom the earl in former years had married had died before her own marriage. The earl declared that the countess, the real countess, had not paid her debt to nature, till some months after the little ceremony which had taken place in Apple thwaite Church. In a moment of weakness Josephine fell at his feet and asked him to renew the ceremony. He stooped over her, kissed her, and smiled. My pretty child, he said, Why should I do that? He never kissed her again.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Victorian, 19th Century, British Literature, Literature, Literary Fiction

560 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1874

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

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trollope's personal favourite from his body of work is a powerful and intense drama set-up with Lady Lovell fighting for the legitimacy of her class-climbing marriage to Count Lovell (already married!) and their daughter; and the main story about her daughter Lady Anna's internal and external conflict between duty and class and the man, a tailor, that she fell in love with. Two things Trollope seems to do a lot better than his peers is telling a story and making it readable! 7 out of 12, Three Star jam, for me :)

2009 read

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
Oh dear Mr Trollope; what did you do with this one. I loved the Palliser and Barsetshire novels, but, well let me explain.
The plot is typical Trollope. Young woman marries dashing and handsome Earl against the advice of her family and becomes pregnant. The Earl turns out to be evil and lecherous and soon after the marriage he announces that he was already married and the marriage is therefore null and void; thus raising the spectre of illegitimacy. The Earl disappears off to be wicked in warmer climes. Wife and daughter are left penniless. They are taken in by a local tailor, Thomas Thwaite who provides support and financial assistance with the legal claim against the earl. Anna is brought up with the tailor’s son Daniel. In due time the Earl returns to the ancestral home and dies intestate. The Earl has a nephew who inherits the title. He also has considerable wealth which is now in dispute. If the late Earl’s marriage to Anna’s mother was legitimate she inherits. If it was not, although she is his daughter, her cousin the new Earl gets the dosh. Hence a court case ensues and Trollope makes the outcome unclear. As the smart money moves towards Anna a plot is devised by some of the lawyers. Why not marry the new Earl to Anna and problem solved; money and title in one place. Anna’s mother is taken with the idea. However Anna and the tailor’s son Daniel have managed to fall in love; much to her mother’s intense horror. Trollope has added arranged marriage and love vs “duty” to the mix and also marriage between classes. Anna is now a countess to be as she is likely to win the court case and Daniel is a journeyman tailor. Trollope also does not make the mistake of making the Earl unattractive or evil/malicious; he is charming and rather humble. As the tale plays out there is also an examination of the onset of mental illness.
The plot is very typical of Trollope as are the subjects, As usual the female characters are strong and more unusually the lead males are not completely self-absorbed and shallow. So what irritated me?
1) Daniel Thwaite is alleged to be a political radical. Although he is honest and true-hearted, does he really have to have such a large chip on his shoulder? His radicalism is also limited and doesn’t extend to darning his own socks; he expects his wife do that.
2) Ok; where did you find the phrase “hymenal altar” and why on earth would you consider sticking it in the novel?
3) The Earl reminded me way too much of Hugh Grant; I think much more could have been made of his character.
4) What happened to the usual side plots and meandering minor characters; they’re missing.
5) The depiction of Anna’s mother is problematic. Trollope gave himself a lot to work with. Her marriage to an abusive, titled husband and years of penury, relieved by a tailor and his son. Then there is the possibility of title and wealth and the possibility of a good marriage for her daughter. There is excellent tension created between mother and daughter. The problem is that Trollope has created a situation with interesting possibilities; he just doesn’t use it effectively and although he resists a traditional happy ending I was left thinking that this was an opportunity wasted. I will admit that the portrayal of the Countess at the end was probably shocking at the time, but I do wonder what a Bronte or Eliot would have made of it.
6) Why use a court case as a pivotal plot point then just leave it.
I could probably go on and I may be being a little harsh. Trollope wrote this on a ship to Australia and I wonder if it might have been better dropped over the side! However there are good points and Trollope does make his usual points about love conquering all, arranged marriages being a social evil and the invidiousness of class.

[Katie Lumsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really brilliant Anthony Trollope – compelling, powerful, very readable, with brilliant characterisation and a great premise. I loved it.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Lady Anna’ was published in 1874 after, quite remarkably, Trollope wrote it from start to finish on a voyage to Australia.

He said:

“‘Lady Anna’ is the best thing I ever wrote! Very much! Quite far away above all others!”

I’m not sure that I agree with him, but I do understand why he thought that it was special, and I did like it very much.

“Lovel Grange is a small house, surrounded by a small domain,—small as being the residence of a rich nobleman, lying among the mountains which separate Cumberland from Westmoreland, about ten miles from Keswick, very lovely, from the brightness of its own green sward and the luxuriance of its wild woodland, from the contiguity of overhanging mountains, and from the beauty of Lovel Tarn, a small lake belonging to the property, studded with little islands, each of which is covered with its own thicket of hollies, birch, and dwarfed oaks. The house itself is poor, ill built, with straggling passages and low rooms, and is a sombre, ill-omened looking place. When Josephine Murray was brought there as a bride she thought it to be very sombre and ill-omened; but she loved the lakes and mountains, and dreamed of some vague mysterious joy of life which was to come to her from the wildness of her domicile.“

Lady Anna’s mother, Countess Lovel, the former Josephine Murrayhad risen in the world when she married the dissolute Lord Lovel, but it wasn’t long before she tumbled down again:

“She had not lived with him six months before he told her that the marriage was no marriage, and that she was—his mistress. There was an audacity about the man which threw aside all fear of the law, and which was impervious to threats and interference. He assured her that he loved her, and that she was welcome to live with him; but that she was not his wife, and that the child which she bore could not be the heir to his title, and could claim no heirship to his property. He did love her,—having found her to be a woman of whose company he had not tired in six months. He was going back to Italy, and he offered to take her with him,—but he could not, he said, permit the farce of her remaining at Lovel Grange and calling herself the Countess Lovel. If she chose to go with him to Palermo, where he had a castle, and to remain with him in his yacht, she might for the present travel under the name of his wife. But she must know that she was not his wife. She was only his mistress.”

The countess – who anticipated the birth of a heir – was not going to accept that!

Now you might think that a lady who had been seen to marry in church and who had been cast off like that would have the sympathy and support of her family, friends and neighbours. Not this lady. The world saw her as someone who had been too ambitious, too proud; someone who had got her just desserts.

And so Countess Lovel and her daughter were left with nothing. Her one friend was Thomas Thwaite, a tailor. He gave her sympathy, he gave her respect for her station, and he gave her practical and financial support as she pursued her husband through the courts of justice.

Anna, the Countess’s daughter, and Daniel, the tailor’s son, became playfellows; and as they grew up they fell on love.

All of this is set out, quite beautifully in the opening chapters, before the event that will set the plot proper into motion.

The Earl dies, and he leaves no will. His title and his estate are entailed of course, and they are inherited by Frederick Lovel, a distant cousin. But who inherits his personal property, his vast fortune. Well, if the Countess can prove the validity of her marriage it will come to Lady Anna, the Earl’s legitimate daughter; if she can’t, well then the new Earl takes everything.

It seemed that the legal battle would continue, but a very simple solution presented itself: a marriage between Lady Anna and the new Earl could unite that title, the estate and the property to the satisfaction of all!

The Countess was delighted with the idea; the Earl’s family was horrified; the Earl was himself was willing though; he saw the sense of the plan and he had become very fond of his cousin.

Lady Anna was not willing, because she had become secretly engaged to the tailor’s son.

“It was all very well that lawyers should look upon her as an instrument, as a piece of goods that might now, from the accident of her ascertained birth, be made of great service to the Lovel family. Let her be the lord’s wife, and everything would be right for everybody. It had been very easy to say that! But she had a heart of her own, — a heart to be touched, and won, and given away, — and lost. The man who had been so good to them had sought for his reward, and had got it, and could not now be defrauded. Had she been dishonest she would not have dared to defraud him; he she dared, she would not have been so dishonest.”

And so Trollope spins a wonderful story around the court cases, around the people involved in those court cases, and most of all around the escalating battle between mother and daughter.

The telling of the story and the drawing of the characters was simpler than I have come to expect from Trollope, but I was pulled right into the heart of the story.

I was very taken with the two young lovers. She was a young woman with principles, true to herself, but sensitive to the feeling of others. He had similar qualities, and he wad both respectful of others and prepared to stand his ground. I liked them both and I understood why they loved each other, and why there relationship would – given the chance – work.

The star of the story though was the Countess, who, when she found herself unable to set her daughter on the path she wanted, became obsessive and unbalanced, and in the end is driven to a desperate act. It’s a measure of Trollope’s skill with characters that even when I knew she was wrong I understood why she felt and acted as she did, and felt for her.

I would have liked to see a little more of some of the other characters, especially the new Earl. I would have liked a little more shape to the plot. I would have liked to spend a little more time in this world.

But I found much to enjoy, in what Trollope had to say about money, family and class, and in the very human story he had to tell

[Ettore1207 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dopo aver letto e apprezzato i tre romanzi che compongono la trilogia di Barchester, mi sono avvicinato a questo Lady Anna, il romanzo che egli riteneva il migliore.
Il tema principale di questa opera è la differenza di rango tra le persone. Il contrasto fra il sarto, un gentiluomo che aspira alla mano di Lady Anna e la famiglia nobile di quest'ultima viene disegnato con gran rilievo ed è sicuramente la parte più interessante, insieme al curioso mondo degli avvocati dell'epoca. Ho apprezzato lo schema costruttivo e la minuziosa delineazione psicologica dei personaggi, elementi cui Trollope mi ha abituato. Male non fa, ogni tanto, leggere la prosa dei grandi scrittori di un tempo, e Trollope è sicuramente fra questi, anche se meno noto. Dovendo proprio trovare un difetto, posso dire che la vicenda narrata è forse fin troppo semplice per le 400 e passa pagine (ebook) e, qua e là affiora qualche ripetizione.

[Entre Libros (Rocío) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brillante, como siempre lo es Trollope

[Tristram Shandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“But the Love of Which We Poets Sing Is Not the Love of Outer World.

It is more ecstatic, but far less serviceable. It is the picture of that which exists, but grand with imaginary attributes, as are the portraits of ladies painted by artists who have thought rather of their art than of their models.” This is, at least, what the unnamed poet who is asked for advice in the course of the novel has to say about the difference of love as sung about by poets and as experienced by people in the real world. And while we should not forget that we are in one of Trollope’s novels here, namely in Lady Anna (published in 1874), and thus in a piece of fiction, we might also rest aware of the fact that Trollope, unlike most of his contemporaries, with the probable exception of Thackeray, was a very sober kind of novelist, giving us detailed information about his characters’ income, their settlements (marriage and otherwise), the entailments on their property, thus rooting them firmly in mundane ground. If Dickens, in point of romanticism and the out-of-the-ordinary, was a pomegranate, then Trollope was a potato. This is not meant in a disrespectful way, mind you!

In Lady Anna, Trollope develops a conflict that could well have arisen in the 19th century. A young woman gives herself in marriage to a middle-aged and lecherous earl – just because he is an earl and she is ambitious – only to find her husband sneer at her after a few months and tell her that, in fact, they are not married at all since he is already married to an Italian lady. Instead of being the Countess Lovel, she is, so he says, simply Miss Josephine Murray, and the child she is about to give birth to, is a bastard. The Countess Lovel – so we will keep on calling her – is of stern stuff, however, and never gives up the fight to prove the legitimacy of their marriage, doing this with a view to establishing her own rank without a doubt but also to securing to her daughter, the Lady Anna, her proper rank. In her litigations, she is supported by an old tailor, Mr. Thwaite, who lays down all his money – thousands of pounds, by the way – so that the Countess can go on fighting. Meantime, the tailor’s son, Daniel Thwaite, falls in love with Anna, and the young lass, unbefriended by anyone else around her, returns his love, and eventually there is a promise of marriage.

The lawsuit over the late earl’s property, both personal and real, has been going on for nearly two decades, mainly between the Countess and the new earl, Lord Frederic Lovel, when the Solicitor General, who is arguing the new earl’s case in court, suggests that since the evidence against the Countess’s marriage being valid is rather shaky, Lord Lovel might want to marry Lady Anna, thus uniting the interests of the two opposing parties against any potential claimant from Italy. This, of course, leads Lady Anna into a serious moral conflict: On the one hand, Lord Lovel strikes her as beautiful, pleasant and god-like and she also enjoys the amenities her new life would hold in store for her, but then there is still the promise she has given, and Daniel Thwaite himself.

Trollope does not make the mistake of presenting one side as morally questionable, although, of course, Daniel Thwaite would apply more to most modern readers, for example when he says,

”[…] There are earls and countesses as there used to be mastodons and other senseless, overgrown brutes roaming miserable and hungry through the undrained woods, — cold, comfortless, unwieldy things, which have perished in the general progress. The big things have all to give way to the intellect of those which are more finely made”,

or when he extols the merits of honest labour over inherited luxury. I could not help thinking his self-important rhetoric and his one-sided fault-finding with social distinctions rather tiring, and soon found myself rooting for Lord Lovel, and had I been Lady Anna’s advisor, I would have told her to choose her noble cousin, the earl, because this way she would have the best of two worlds, enjoying wealth and the exemption from material worries as belonging to the materialistic world, and saving for herself the luxury of the idealistic world, of hankering after her true love and wondering what life would have been like, had she only listened to her heart. This is probably the best bargain she could have struck in her situation.

And maybe she did strike that bargain? What the solution is that Trollope was going to find, I will surely not tell you, but maybe it will not wholly satisfy you, as there is something of the potato smell of common sense about it. Trollope’s merit lies in finding a realistic solution to the seemingly irresolvable conflict, and also in creating believable characters, such as the strong-minded and also gentle Lady Anna, her ambitious mother, who is nearly growing insane under the threat of her plans being thwarted, Lord Lovel, who is torn between his prejudice and his common sense and good nature, and Daniel Thwaite, who is actually quite full of himself and who is finally set straight as to his radicalism by the solicitor general in words like these:

”[…] All that is said and all that is done among people that have emancipated themselves from the thraldom of individual aggrandizement, serve to diminish in some degree the distance between the high and the low. But could you establish absolute equality in England tomorrow, as it was to have been established in France some half century ago, the inequality of men’s minds and character would re-establish an aristocracy within twenty years. The energetic, the talented, the honest, and the unselfish will always be moving towards an aristocratic side of society, because their virtues will beget esteem, and esteem will beget wealth, — and wealth gives power for good offices.”

Words that, like those of the poet quoted above, might also have come from the author himself – however ludicrous the idea of virtue being the root of wealth may seem to us. But that’s neither here nor there.

If there is one fault this densely-written novel has, it is that there are passages that are a bit lengthy – but then Trollope was writing it on board a ship bound to Australia, and it’s a long, long way to Australia; the voyage actually took him nearly two months. And since the author himself regarded it as one of his best novels, who are we to contradict him? Which means that it’s probably not his best novel, but high-ranking among them.

[Gwynplaine26th · Rating 4 out of 5]

Credo di riuscire un po' a immaginarmi Trollope, annoiato dalla vita monotona di impiegato delle poste, scrivere virtuosamente lunghissimi romanzi caratterizzati da una sottile vena umoristica ed un misurato verismo. Lady Anna è così, divertente poutpourri di vicissitudini e peripezie di ogni tipo dietro il quale in realtà si muove una più seriosa contesa ideologica tra i ben delineati personaggi che popolano la vicenda. Brillante come sempre.

4.5/5

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I'm beginning to think there are two types of Trollope novels; those he put his heart and soul into like the Barsetshire series, the Palliser series, The Way we Live Now etc. and those he simply dialed in because he needed the cash. If so, Lady Anna falls squarely into the latter camp. The story is about the Lovell family and whether the wife of the late Earl is truly a Countess or was her husband a bigamist and her daughter subsequently a bastard. Does his vast wealth belong to them or to the new Earl? The only friends the Countess and her daughter have in the world are a tailor and his son and as the trial to decide the validity of her claims is soon to begin, lawyers on both sides are trying to find a resolution. Can an alliance be formed to make all the problems disappear?

A relatively flimsy plot means that the novel is padded with numerous repetitions as to what is happening, there is little humor and none of Trollope's sparkling female characters - several who could have had potential remain in the background- while the Countess borders on histrionic and Anna insipid. Only Sir William, the Solicitor General says much that's worth listening to and a mildly exciting last few chapters cannot truly relieve the boredom that often sets in. A disappointment but luckily there are many more Trollope novels to cleanse the palate with!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my favourite Trollope. It is unusual, and at times a little slow. But it ends very strongly and has great complexity of character and theme. I ended it (as I invariably do when reading Trollope) very glad I had read it.

[Natalie Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Lady Anna is the best novel I ever wrote! Very much! Quite far away above all others!!!" - Anthony Trollope

I haven't read all your novels Mr Trollope, but I loved this!

[Fátima Embark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Menuda sorpresa me he llevado con este libro. A simple vista estamos ante la típica novela victoriana que habla sobre lo que supone un matrimonio entre distintas clases sociales, pero va más allá de eso. Para mí ha sido sumamente rompedora, pues se aleja de los tópicos y malentendidos y en cambio nos regala a personajes con convicciones y sentimientos férreos, (quizá demasiado a veces).

Trollope narra con una ironía muy fina e inteligente, exponiendo temas complejos como lo son el patrimonio hereditario, los títulos nobiliarios, el honor, la libertad y las convicciones sociales con suma sencillez y destreza, haciendo que no solo disfrutes de la lectura sino que también aprendas y te traslades a la época. Y es que a pesar de soltarte muchísima información lo hace de una manera que necesitas leer de forma frenética para conocer el desenlace.
Me encanta cómo juega con los personajes, cómo se ríe de todos ellos y les hace tragarse sus propias palabras. Cierto es que peca al darle demasiadas vueltas a lo mismo, pero se le perdona por la narración y lo bien construidos que están los personajes.
Es una pena que el autor esté tan olvidado en nuestro país.

De la historia diré que Josephine Murray se casa con el depravado conde Lovel, quién al aburrirse de ella le confiesa que ya estaba casado con una italina y que, por tanto, ella no es condesa y la hija que esperan será ilegítima. Desde entonces comienza una lucha judicial encarnizada por demostrar sus derechos y los de lady Anna, incluso después de la muerte del conde. Repudiadas por la sociedad, solo encuentran el apoyo de un sastre y su hijo, que les ceden todo su dinero en la lucha por sus derechos, amistad que será objeto de habladurías entre la aristocracia.

La traducción es de Miguel Ángel Pérez Pérez, quien amaba al autor y a quién le doy las gracias por tan maravilloso descubrimiento.

[Howard Olsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lady Anna

This is yet another novel by Anthony Trollope about a young woman of marrying age who is pressured to marry for wealth, while yearning for the love of a simpler man. Truth be told this is middling Trollope. There are about 20 of his books that are better than this. On the other hand, there are about 20 that are not as good, so if you are a Trollope devotee, this is still worth your while.

The basic story is dramatic. The countess Lovel married a sleazy earl for his title. After giving birth to a daughter, the titular Lady Anna, the earl announces that he is already married to a woman in Italy, that the marriage to Lovel is a fraud, and Anna is illegitimate. Anna and her mother are cast out of their mansion and must make their way in the world helped by the kindness of a humble tailor and his son Daniel. Humiliated, the countess dedicates her life to validating her marriage and securing her daughter’s birthright as the heiress to the earl’s fortune. Her efforts are centered on an interminable lawsuit in Chancery court. The other side is the earl’s family, headed by the earl’s nephew, who will inherit the title, but not the wealth, if the countess’ lawsuit succeeds. By the time Anna is 18, the countess’ claim looks strong, so strong that she and the earl’s heirs hatch a scheme, where the new earl and Anna marry, thus uniting the wealth and the title that comprise the earldom. The drama in the novel arises from Anna’s refusal to go along with this. Anna, you see, is already in love with Daniel, who is a tailor and (worse!) a “Radical.” Much Victorian-style tut-tutting ensues.

The reason to read this book is Trollope’s portrayal of Countess Lovel. Despite his reputation as a Victorian moralist, Trollope was at his best when did character studies of people of ambiguous morality. The countess begins as a sympathetic character. Her abandonment by the earl was a public humiliation (and Trollope subtly puts across that the humiliation was sexual, as well as social) that left her to fend for herself as a single mother to a daughter that much of her society considered illegitimate. But, her humiliation, as well as the memory of her lost wealth and position, slowly eats away at her soul. Trollope conveys this change so slowly and carefully that the reader does not often realize it is happening. Sometimes a change in her clothing, or hair, is a cue that something has shifted inside her. Eventually, she succumbs to a shocking moment of emotional violence that fairly leaps off of the page. Women fascinated Trollope, and the countess is one of his great creations. In fact, an actress in her mid-40’s (the countess’ age) could do well to figure out how to bring this character to life.

This book also has significant weaknesses. First is Lady Anna herself, who is a real drip. Her dialogue is full of “Oh, Daniel you are so good and kind!” and “Oh, Mamma, how can you be so cruel?” Yuck. At one point she gets the vapors (or something) and is bed-ridden, hovering dramatically between life and death. But, just when the reader gets his hopes up, she recovers and is back to pouting her way lethargically through another 100 pages.

The other big problem is Trollope’s approach to his story. In a lot of ways, he lets the drama inherent in Anna’s dilemma dissipate. For example, he spends the first half of the book building up the lawsuit between the countess and the heirs. Trollope sets out the legal issues in great detail (if you’re a probate attorney, this book is for you!). But, when the trial comes, it’s a complete anti-climax with the parties reaching a ridiculously amicable settlement.

He also doesn’t do all that much with the character of the young earl who courts Anna. Trollope presents him as a nice, well-spoken lad with curly hair and a Hugh Grant-ish stammer. One can only imagine the kind of sinister, cynical closet-case George Eliot would have made of him if she had five minutes to work with this material! As it stands, Trollope ensures that everybody comports themselves with dignity and discretion. The courtship never really gets going, the earl doesn’t try very hard, and then it’s handshakes all around. Ho-hum.

The book ends in a flurry of signed legal documents, marriage ceremonies, and charitable giving. No one throws themselves off a cliff or into a river in a fit of overwrought pique. It’s all very ordinary. Of course, that is usually the way things work out in Trollope’s books. He is a master at depicting the dramas and profundities of everyday life, not the sturm and drang of literary emoters. This book is a worthy title in his oeuvre. Still, this is just good Trollope, but not great Trollope.

[Bette · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is about the 12th Trollope novel I've read and it was the least impressive of them. While the basic idea is an interesting one, I was amazed at how repetitive the book was. The legal ins and outs of the law suit at the center of the book were repeated over and over, as were the arguments of the Countess, who tries to convince her daughter not to marry beneath her. I wonder if this repetition was due to the fact that Trollope serialized the novel. Maybe he worried readers might have missed previous installments. Whatever the reason, I ended up skimming large chunks of the second half because I got fed up with being told the same thing for the umpteenth time. I love Trollope, so this was a disappointment. But I suppose there's bound to be a clunker when someone has written 47 novels. And I still enjoyed parts of it.

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems I always enjoy Trollope novels more on re-reading. This is not my favourite, but there are so many levels of looking at human interactions I stayed intrigued and fascinated throughout.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is good and interesting enough to deserve those three stars, even though I'll admit I was disappointed. I went into this book expecting more since I've been reading a lot of positive reviews about Anthony Trollope and have an amazing love for many 19th century classics in general. The author considered himself that Lady Anna was the best thing he ever wrote, so when I had to pick my first Trollope read, I went with this one.

This was obviously a mistake, even though it wasn't bad since I'm still giving it three stars. Now that I finished the novel and read a few reviews, I understand that most Trollope readers don't really agree with the author's opinion and would recommend another novel, especially for someone who never read Trollope before.

The main issue with this novel is that it doesn't live up to its potential. The idea is a classic one, yes, but the author could have made it far more interesting. I found it quite messy at some times: the lawsuit, for example, was incredibly well written and really interesting. It was a really big part of the story, but I felt let down by the conclusion. Lady Anna was annoying, it seemed like she spent most of the book complaining and Daniel was quite a shallow love interest. The only character who lives up to her potential is Countess Lovel: if there's a good reason to like this book, it's her amazing portrayal. It's unfortunate that the author couldn't make the others characters at least half as interesting considering the fact he's obviously talented at delivering amazing portrayal.

Now, I have other books from this author on my tbr list: Dr. Wortle's School, Orley Farm, The Warden and I hope to see this author living up to his potential in those.

[Pgchuis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear, this was dreadful. It pains me to give a Trollope novel 2 stars, but, had it not been a Trollope novel, I don't think I could have brought myself to finish it.

Lady Anna's father, the wicked Earl Lovel, dies and her mother fights (as she has been doing for years) to prove the legitimacy of her marriage to him (and hence the legitimacy of Anna's birth and right to inherit the fortune). In the run up to the final court case Anna's mother and the new Earl's family hatch a plan to marry Anna to the Earl so they can share the fortune and avert the litigation. Unfortunately Anna has become engaged to Daniel, the son of the tailor who has supported her and her mother, both financially and with friendship and a home, through 20 years of poverty and disgrace.

Unique amongst all the Trollope novels I have read, there were no sub-plots, no humorous minor characters to provide contrast and relief. It read as if Trollope had devised the plot as an interesting commentary on class and created characters to give the various voices. None of the characters came alive for me: Anna's mother was described as loving, but commits not a single loving act throughout the novel. Daniel is a "radical", but has no other characteristics apart from a tendency to be a bully. The young earl had no personality whatsoever. Anna's mother acts in an entirely bizarre manner at the end, like a character from some sort of melodrama.

There was endless, unrelenting repetition, not just chapter to chapter, but even from paragraph to paragraph. The length of the text could have been cut by 75% without losing any of the plot.

Very disappointing.

[Emiliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

"¡Amor y romanticismo, hasta ahí podíamos llegar! ¿Qué era el amor de un individuo y el romanticismo de una joven infantil en comparación con el honor y bienestar de una familia antigua y noble?"

Han pasado más de cincuenta años desde mi primer Dickens, mi primera Brontë, o Stevenson, o Scott; curioso es que este autor no haya caído en mis manos antes. Me agrada su escritura morosa, espléndidamente traducida aquí por el llorado Miguel Ángel Pérez, con esas endiabladas frases con doble o triple negación a las que tanto tendían los ingleses victorianos; me parece un modo de expresión elegante, contenido, sin lirismo ni tonito jocoso alguno, sin frialdad y con un ocasional metaliterario recurso al lector que resulta de lo más sutil y preciso que podamos recordar. Un reposado placer lector.

El argumento, la acción, es nimio y concentrado: salvo un par de capítulos introductorios se desarrolla en un año en el que la tenaz heroína que da nombre a la novela ve cambiar su vida y pugna por ser fiel a sí misma, a sus creencias y querencias. La acción propiamente dicha se limita a dos escenas bien disímiles, de las que recordaremos el paso sobre el Wharfe (ese encandilamiento) y la más dramática que conduce al desenlace. La historia (según parece escrita en un largo viaje a Australia, y que Trollope no descarta continuar en un futuro: ¡lástima que no lo hiciese!) se centra en un enrevesado hasta casi parecer ridículo a nuestros ojos del s. XXI –aun cuando poco hemos avanzado en esa dirección salvo en lo tecnológico– proceso familiar que nos es expuesto una y otra vez desde los cambiantes puntos de vista de cuantos intervienen, hasta del público chismoso desinformado hasta el hilarante delirio. Hay un fiscal jefe, Sir William, que encarna la voz de la razón y de modo transparente el juicio del propio escritor, matizado por una brevísima aportación de uno de los poetas que a la sazón vivían en Cumberland como ejemplo del conservadurismo senil: el tema se las trae, pues nos hallamos (no quiero ser explícito) ante la pervivencia del antiguo ¿? régimen y las injusticias de la herencia.

En suma: un tema de lo más interesante expuesto de un modo exhaustivo alrededor de una sencilla anécdota, casi un apólogo sobredimensionado por un novelista de pulso firme.

"Luchó para mantenerse honrada y fuerte, y se salvó por poco de caer en la olla de melaza."

"Para ella ese resplandeciente momento pasajero fue como el de un joven trabajador que, mientras una noche de verano vaga con desgana entre las casas de los ricos y se detiene un momento en la acera, oye las melodías que salen de los balcones abiertos de encima de él. Le sobreviene una vaga y desconocida sensación de dulzura, mezclada con otra de irritación y envidia porque algún hijo favorito de la Fortuna pueda estar inclinado sobre los hombros de la sirena que canta, mientras que él sólo puede escuchar como un intruso desde la calle de abajo. Y permanece ahí, envidioso, y por un momento maldice su suerte, sin saber lo harto que tal vez esté el joven que se encuentra al lado del piano y lo falsa que tal vez sea la joven que canta. Sin embargo, no se le ocurre pensar que su vida vaya a cambiar porque ha oído por casualidad a la hija de una duquesa haciendo gorgoritos por una ventana, y lo mismo le ocurría a lady Anna. El joven conde había estado muy dulce con ella, sumamente dulce cuando le había dicho que sería como un hermano, peligrosamente dulce cuando le había pedido que no le negara un beso. Pero ella sabía que no era como él; que ya había perdido el derecho, de haberlo tenido alguna vez, a vivir la vida de él, a beber de su copa y a apoyarse en su pecho. Así que siguió adelante, como hace el joven trabajador en la calle, y se consoló pensando que, después de todo, tal vez la fuerza fuese preferible a la dulzura."

"La estaban acosando; y del mismo modo que la pisada del caminante extrae el dulce aroma de la hierba que chafa con el tacón, el acoso al que se sentía sometida le extrajo la fuerza de carácter que hasta entonces había estado latente."

"Hay una gran diferencia en la calidad del conocimiento que se tiene sobre tales cuestiones. En los asuntos de interés público a menudo sabemos, o creemos saber, hasta el último detalle exacto de cómo se ha hecho algo:"

"Para ella ese resplandeciente momento pasajero fue como el de un joven trabajador que, mientras una noche de verano vaga con desgana entre las casas de los ricos y se detiene un momento en la acera, oye las melodías que salen de los balcones abiertos de encima de él. Le sobreviene una vaga y desconocida sensación de dulzura, mezclada con otra de irritación y envidia porque algún hijo favorito de la Fortuna pueda estar inclinado sobre los hombros de la sirena que canta, mientras que él sólo puede escuchar como un intruso desde la calle de abajo. Y permanece ahí, envidioso, y por un momento maldice su suerte, sin saber lo harto que tal vez esté el joven que se encuentra al lado del piano y lo falsa que tal vez sea la joven que canta. Sin embargo, no se le ocurre pensar que su vida vaya a cambiar porque ha oído por casualidad a la hija de una duquesa haciendo gorgoritos por una ventana, y lo mismo le ocurría a lady Anna. El joven conde había estado muy dulce con ella, sumamente dulce cuando le había dicho que sería como un hermano, peligrosamente dulce cuando le había pedido que no le negara un beso. Pero ella sabía que no era como él; que ya había perdido el derecho, de haberlo tenido alguna vez, a vivir la vida de él, a beber de su copa y a apoyarse en su pecho. Así que siguió adelante, como hace el joven trabajador en la calle, y se consoló pensando que, después de todo, tal vez la fuerza fuese preferible a la dulzura."

"Toda la escena había tenido un encanto con el que le gustaba soñar, imaginándose que la podría recordar siempre como un momento feliz de su vida; pero podría recordarla mejor de ese modo teniendo la certeza de que no lo iba a ver nunca más. Y, sin embargo, estaba a punto de volver a verlo, y, o se renovaba el encanto, o el sueño tendría que desvanecerse para siempre. Ay, sabía que debía ser lo segundo. Sabía que el encanto tenía que desvanecerse para siempre."

[Maan Kawas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this engaging page-turner read! I love Trollope's writing so much and planning on reading more of his works. The novel addresses number of themes and points, such as gender, class, marriage, filial obedience, gratitude, friendship, ambition, and faithfulness. I highly recommend it!

[(P)Ila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al nostro secondo incontro non posso che confermare quanto Trollope fosse un ottimo scrittore nonché un grande intrattenitore. I suoi intrecci hanno una costante nell'aspetto giudiziario, forse nell'immaginario collettivo possono risultare ostici e spaventare il lettore ma non c'è niente di più lontano dalla verità perchè le trame create dall'autore inglese sono sempre verosimilmente originali e fresche.

Dicevo, un grande intrattenitore, certamente. Forse è l'aspetto che più apprezzo di Trollope perchè con le sue sempre tante pagine non annoia mai, intrattiene e fa sorridere, non ci scordiamo infatti che un'altra costante è la sua vena ironica. Con questo però non voglio far intendere che sia un autore superficiale tutt'altro perchè tra le sue parole, in questo romanzo, si cela una dura critica alla società vittoriana rivolta in particolare a quelle classi sociali che peccavano di superbia, punto focale infatti è proprio la differenza, diciamo anche la lotta, tra l'aristocrazia, quella classe sociale che nasce ricca e non fa nulla per meritarsi la propria nobiltà, e la nuova borghesia, quegli uomini che se la guadagnano con il lavoro.
Perchè questo è il vero motivo del raccontare una vicenda come questa: un'intricata vicenda giudiziaria che vede protagonista (la contessa Lovel) Josephine Murrey che si batte per più di vent'anni per una causa giusta, il riconoscimento del titolo nobiliare per se stessa e per la figlia (lady) Anna e la conseguente eredità. Ma le cose non saranno semplici perchè a battersi contro di loro ci saranno la famiglia del vecchio Conte con il giovane cugino Conte Lovel; la questione che all'inizio sembrava semplice per i Lovel subirà delle brusche frenate ma ci sarà ancora speranza, la luce in fondo al tunnel sembra essere un possibile matrimonio, quello tra il giovane Conte e lady Anna...cosa potrebbe andare storto ora?!Forse il fatto che Anna celi un segreto inconfessabile, è già promessa al figlio di un sarto...
Questa è, in parole poverissime, la vicenda che muove i fili, i risvolti li lascio preda della vostra curiosità.

Quando all'inizio ho detto ottimo scrittore dicevo il vero perchè un altro aspetto che apprezzo di Trollope sono i suoi ritratti, sa tratteggiare in maniera splendida ogni personaggio di rilievo delle sue opere, la sua indagine psicologica non è mai superficiale anzi sempre molto accurata.
Anna è una ragazza che mi ha resa compassionevole: è cresciuta sotto l'ala protettrice della madre, ad eccezione del vecchio sarto e del di lui figlio non ha mai ricevuto e dato amore, presa in giro da tutti gli altri bambini perchè doveva essere chiamata "lady", è così succube di una madre dal carattere forte mentre lei si fa abbindolare o influenzare facilmente tanto quanto è risoluta nel voler mantenere la parola data. Non sono riuscita a capire bene del tutto il vero pensiero e i veri desideri di questa ragazza fino a praticamente le ultime pagine, è piena di pregi ma bisogna ammettere che è anche vittima di innamoramenti facili.
Non ne ho ancora parlato fino ad adesso ma Daniel Thwaite è colui che rappresenta la pietra dello scandalo: è il figlio del sarto che per vent'anni ha aiutato madre e figlia, economicamente e non, a vivere una vita semplice ma dignitosa ed è colui che si è conquistato l'amore della povera Anna. A dispetto di tutte le cattiverie che verranno dette dalla famiglia Lovel e dalla contessa, Daniel è un ragazzo colto, a modo e volenteroso, con principi e valori morali ben saldi però di certo non è l'uomo perfetto; è spesso duro e diffidente per non parlare dei pregiudizi che rivolge alla classe sociale avversa che reputa fannullona ma il su amore disinteressato per lady Anna è sicuramente l'aspetto che più convince.
In tema di pregiudizi non si può scordare la contessa Josephine: nonostante parta con tutte le buone intenzioni e, bisogna renderglielo, per amore della figlia, con il passare del tempo si trasforma in una persona sgradevole. E' una donna dura e ambiziosa, ma l'aspetto che più colpisce è la profonda ingratitudine che dimostra nei confronti di Thomas Thwaite, il sarto che per vent'anni l'ha aiutata, che l'ha ospitata e difesa contro il suo stesso interesse, che ha sperperato tutti i propri risparmi per finanziare la vicenda legale e la cui colpa, secondo l'amabile donna, è quella di avere un figlio che si è approfittato della debole fanciulla e che ne vuole ricavare un guadagno. Perchè purtroppo per la cara Anna non c'è persona al mondo che la contessa odi più di Daniel, un odio spropositato e ingiustificato, un sentimento tra l'altro che la porterà alla deriva.
Se questi sono i personaggi principali, devo dire perfetti personaggi vittoriani, però non si possono scordare altre figure secondarie su cui l'ironia dello scrittore si accentua, sto parlando di Sir William, l'avvocato che invece di cercare ogni possibile soluzione per il proprio cliente sembra sempre pronto a risolvere i guai delle due clienti avversarie, per non parlare del fatto che comprenda e reputi giusto il comportamento di Daniel e alla fine faccia il tifo per la coppia portatrice di scandalo, e come scordare il caro rettore Lovel sempre burbero e scontroso che non cede mai davanti all'indubbia gentilezza di Anna.

Lady Anna, personalmente, mi è piaciuto ancora di più de L'amministratore, il primo libro che lessi di questo autore.
Se la mole in questo caso è quello che più spaventa, per quello che mi riguarda il numero delle pagine mai si è fatto sentire: lo stile di Trollope coinvolge il lettore, spesso rivolgendosi proprio allo stesso, e la storia scorre piacevolmente, la solita accurata indagine psicologica e la stessa analisi della società rendono il romanzo ottimo dal punto di vista letterario, l'ironia poi non fa che rendere più piacevole e divertente la lettura e la vicenda, nonostante un intreccio semplice, ordinario e non esime da ripetizioni, cattura il lettore dalla prima all'ultima pagina.

[Madeline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m sorry to say that I did not much enjoy my first foray into Trollope, although starting with a little-known novel of his may not have been the right place to start.

I found the characters very two-dimensional with not much more to their characters than one main goal or desire, and I didn’t care very much what happened to them. The plot was drawn out and had more detail in the most boring areas than there needed to be.

[Alison Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Anna had some serious strength of character to be raised by this ABSOLUTE TRASHPILE of a mother and still turn out to be a decent person.

Damn. I'm assuming Trollope meant for us to dislike Countess Lovel and he succeeded, I'll tell you what. This woman literally wanted her daughter to die--actually and completely DIE--rather than marry a tailor. Literally also contemplated killing herself and literally TRIED TO KILL THE DUDE just to avoid the absolute horror of seeing her daughter happily married to a decent man who she loved dearly and loved her back, all because the guy wasn't fancy enough.

There are many other reasons why shit sucked back then, but shit really sucked back then.

While I did think this was overly long and had no business being over 500 pages when nothing whatsoever is happening on many of those pages, I did overall enjoy this story, mainly because you know the Countess is gonna end up pissed and alone by the end and it's a true joy to watch it come about. I also really appreciated that while Anna is a bit meek and passive at times (understandably so, given the time period), she sticks to her guns and doesn't let her mother and all these other people persuade her to give up the man she loves and marry a man she doesn't wish to. (Her cousin, I must mention. Why were people so into marrying their cousins in the old days???? I know the population was smaller, but good Lord, there were enough people for you to tiptoe out of the gene pool when looking for a mate.) Everyone around her is like "That tailor sucks, marry your cousin so your mom will be happy because she's a snotty bitch and she wants her title and money and whatever the fuck" and Anna is like "Hmmmmmmm lemme think about it how about NO" and fucks off to her room. She was standing by her man and somehow made that feminist. Kudos, Lady Anna.

Also I love how Daniel is labeled a "radical" when he does pretty much nothing that seems radical even for the 1870s. I guess thinking you should be allowed to marry a woman who is a couple rungs above you on the Ladder of Society was a radical act. What a bad boy, what a rebel! I was glad they got their HEA and it's just too bad they didn't have smartphones back then so they could send Anna's mom a shit ton of photos from the beach in Australia being like "Having a great time, feeling cute, might try to make a baby later, see ya never" and then block her number.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

May be my favorite Trollope ever!

[Raquel B. R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si me hubieran preguntado, seguro que hubiera sabido decir al menos un libro escrito por los grandes autores británicos de la literatura victoriana (Dickens, Stocker, hermanas Brontë…), pero si hubiera tenido que enumerar alguno de Anthony Trollope, no se me hubiera ocurrido ninguno, así de injusta ha sido la historia con este autor.

Por suerte le he puesto remedio con esta brillante obra, “Lady Anna”, que me ha resultado de lo más entretenida y adictiva, y que está a la altura de muchas de las obras de los genios que acabo de nombrar.

Un libro que lleva como título el nombre de la protagonista, pero que es mucho más que la historia de esta joven; una trama llena de intriga, crítica y reflexiva, que no pierde el ritmo aunque se extienda un poco hablando de leyes y aspectos judiciales, y que gira de principio a fin en torno a un mismo tema, único y soberano, lo que utiliza Trollope para, lejos de aburrirnos, sorprendernos mostrando su maravillosa capacidad narrativa creando una historia completa, intensa y pasional, bien elaborada y compleja dentro de su aparente simplicidad.

Una narración realista, neutra, en la que deja al lector la responsabilidad de posicionarse, de juzgar a cada personaje según sus pensamientos o inclinaciones, y la de sacar conclusiones de esta trama tan dramática y a la vez esperanzadora, intensa y sorprendente.

Más allá de la trama y el desarrollo de la historia, que es fantástico, si algo me ha sorprendido ha sido el elenco tan maravilloso de personajes: partiendo de esta dulce y aparentemente sometida chica, perfecta protagonista a través de la cual plasmar la situación legal de la mujer del siglo XIX, continuando por la vertiente masculina del elenco y acabando por la, para mí, protagonista real de la historia, su madre, Josephine. Un personaje de lo más pasional y con una clara idea fija, complejo y visceral, que hace empequeñecer a todos los demás cada vez que sale a escena.

Un fantástico descubrimiento que no me cansaré de recomendar, pues “Lady Anna” ha sido mucho mejor de lo que pensaba, y Trollope mucho más brillante de lo que cabría esperar.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a good novel, refreshing after reading Dickens. When Daniel left Lady Anna's house at some point Dickens would have written, "Daniel, at this time in his existence, felt the draw of desire to vacate the premises, although the beseechings of little Molly Jo whose tugging on his arm forced him to reconsider how the proclivities of Man, nay Woman does at some times alter the inalienable function of the universe to preclude such doings that are, if not excluded, are indeed included in the conclusions that lead a moral person to examine the loftier planes of a well lived life. Seeing little Molly Jo's tear stained face through a view blurred by weeping as the little girl held in her arms the skeletal remains of her younger brother who had died of boredom, he almost broke down. However Daniel, by means of oracular determination, had espyed the door knob, and grasping the latter and giving it a twist in an anticlockwise manner, had by dint of brute force gained the land of the pavement and was erstwhile amazed and confused and yet grateful that he had apprised such a fundiment that would, if the Lord preserved him, lead him to a location that was apart from the location that he had just left."
Instead Trollope wrote,'Daniel rose, and left the house'.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not his best - far too much repetition of the legal stuff, it's as if he had to remake the point in every chapter. And there's only one story - I think Trollope is at his best when he's got a couple of sub-plots going as well. But the hero is a grand chap, and the mad Countess is superb. Not a perfect novel, but well worth reading.

[Brian E Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is about a romantic triangle with concomitant estate, royal title and class conflict issues. Josephine and Anna Murray/Lovel are seeking recognition as the legitimate wife and daughter of a recently deceased and profligate Lord Lovel. The mother covets the title, mainly for the legacy of her daughter being recognized as Lady Anna Lovel. A fortune comes with that recognition. Their claim is resisted by the profligate Lord’s successor, Lord Fred.
The daughter Anna could care less about the title or money. She is engaged to a childhood friend Daniel who is a tailor and a political radical. The major suspense involves whether Anna will choose to marry Daniel, a fairly coarse, hard-headed fellow who loves her or, as every other person advises, marry young Lord Fred, a choice that will also settle the lawsuit. The story is set at the time of the 1832 Reform act and Daniel is a radical, but the political aspects of the story turn out to be fairly inconsequential.
This romantic triangle is a fine premise but an insufficient one to sustain a 500-page novel by itself. Scenes and event steps seemed stretched out at times redundant. The novel needed to be shorter or contain the side plots that Trollope often adds to a main plot.
The characterization also was not strong. I never thought well enough of the characters to invest in their fate. The key flaw is the failure to convince me that Lady Anna was a heroine worthy of the sympathy needed to make this a compelling story.
The climax of the story was a bit over-the-top but perhaps needed to be so to save the story from being too dull. After the climax, Trollope unveiled a very satisfying denouement, but the story improvement at the end did not sufficiently counter the prior mediocre characterization and storytelling. I do like Trollope’s writing especially for his sharp personal and societal commentary sprinkled throughout his books. This novel did contain many such comments and they did elicit some needed smiles.
I’ve enjoyed all the Trollope novels I read. So, while I enjoyed this novel, it was one of, if not the, least estimable of the 23 Trollope novels I have read. Despite Trollope’s pleasing denouement and always enjoyable commentary, the storytelling and characterization weaknesses make this a 3-star rather than a 4-star novel.

The following is how I have rated Trollope stand-alones, listed in order of their overall GR rating.
--MY *----—--GR -----
RATING------RATING------------ NOVEL
--5----------4.06 ---------- The Way We Live Now
--4----------4.04 ---------- The Vicar of Bullhampton
--4----------4.00 ---------- The Claverings
--4----------3.97 ---------- Ayala's Angel
--4----------3.94 ---------- Orley Farm
--4----------3.91 ---------- Miss Mackenzie
--3----------3.88 ---------- He Knew He Was Right
--3----------3.84 ---------- Dr. Wortle's School
--3----------3.81 ---------- Rachel Ray
--3----------3.69 ---------- Lady Anna
--4----------3.06 ---------- The Fixed Period

[Dana Loo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un Trollope un po' insolito in questo stand-alone, dove manca quasi del tutto la sua vena ironica, le sue incursioni nel bel mezzo della narrazione, il punto di vista personale e, in generale, un tono più lieve. Il romanzo verte intorno ad un processo che coinvolge una vedova e una giovane figlia che lottano, soprattutto la madre, perché i loro diritti vengano riconosciuti, diritti di eredità, di attribuzione di titolo e quindi di rango, che il defunto e perfido Conte Lovel aveva messo in dubbio affermando di aver contratto in Italia un matrimonio precedente a quello celebrato in Inghilterra con l'allor giovane Josephine, personaggio poderoso e molto ben costruito, e quindi invalidando questa unione. La storia coinvolgerà l'intera famiglia Lovel, Frederick il legittimo erede, uno stuolo di avvocati che, in questo caso, faranno quasi squadra per garantire i diritti di tutti, e i benefattori delle due donne, un vecchio sarto e il figlio, di tendenze radicali, a sua volta coinvolto sentimentalmente con la giovinetta che in passato gli promise la sua mano.
Ma c'è ben altro in questo “dramma dell'ostinazione” come si potrebbe subtitolare questo intrigato caso, narrato molto bene, anche se a tratti un po' ripetitivo e un filino estenuante appunto per l'ostinazione e la caparbietà di lady Anna, che vuol tener fede alla parola data a Daniel malgrado tutti cerchino di convincerla ad accettare la mano del giovane Lord Lovel, nn si sa quanto attratto dalla giovane fanciulla o dal patrimonio, che nel frattempo si era proposto, tanto da mettere in crisi il suo rapporto con la madre che diventerà a dir poco conflittuale, un muro contro muro che, ad un certo punto della storia, sfocerà in un atto estremo. E' sicuramente un romanzo sociale in cui Trollope coglie l'occasione per disquisire sul concetto di distinzione di classe, così rigido in epoca vittoriana, di cosa faccia di un uomo un gentiluomo, se basti un titolo nobiliare e il rango per determinare questa distinzione o piuttosto le qualità umane intrinseche in un individuo. Un argomento di grande importanza in epoca vittoriana e molto ben trattato da Trollope che sceglie di mantenere una posizione neutrale durante tutta la travagliata vicenda...

[Caro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Está muy bien escrito, la trama no me ha resultado muy atractiva, quizá lo único la crítica que lleva implícita a la posición de las mujeres jóvenes en la época, sumisión, aceptación de los deseos de sus tutores, pero poco más. No he empatizado con ninguno de los personajes ni con su forma de ser, ni su actitud, seguramente es lo que pretende el autor ya que no es en absoluto maniqueo, los presenta tal cual son con sus luces y sus sombras, sus opiniones y sus opiniones ante los hechos que narra. También me ha parecido un poco repetitivo, puede ser por narrar los distintos puntos de vista de cada uno y a veces se solapan.

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

A better name for this book would be "Lady Anna's Mother" since most of the book is about her desire to see her daughter recognized as the legitimate heir to Earl Lovel's estate. The reader often wonders if she is doing it for her daughter or for herself. By the end, her desire for the title has so twisted her thinking that she'd rather see her daughter dead than penniless. It is astonishing how much understated drama Trollope can inject into his domestic novels.

Very little action and copious dialogue require patience and perseverance on the part of the reader. I'm not sure I would have stuck with this if it had not been for the finely narrated audiobook.