At first, I felt that this book was completely unnecessary. It novelizes the scripts to the TV series "The Pallisers" - but those scripts were based on existing novels by Anthony Trollope. What need was there for - effectively - an abridged version of the books? But once I started to read this book, I found it rich and engrossing, and an enjoyable tale on its own account. It skims a good deal over the plots, of course, but it holds together very well. An enjoyable and rewarding read.