Book review: The way we live now

[birdienl]

In 1870's London, Mr. Melmotte, a financier with a mysterious past is rising the ranks of society. The gentry, among them the Longestaffe family, abhor him and want nothing to do with him. But their own financial troubles will force them to seek Mr. Melmotte's help. Mr. Melmotte's daughter, Marie, is flaunted before all the bachelors in London, but loses her heart to the dissolute young baronet Felix Carbury. Carbury's sister Hetta is trapped between two men: her kind and dependable cousin Roger whom she does not love and the young businessman Paul Montague, who seems to be keeping secrets from her.

The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope is a satirical novel, inspired by the financial scandals of the 1870s which shocked Trollope. It dramatizes how greed and dishonesty influenced society and politics at the time. It is Trollope's longest novel with a large host of characters and quite a few subplots.

After reading and enjoying my first Trollope novel He Knew He Was Right last year, I decided this year to read the other Trollope novel whose story I already knew (thank you, BBC...) I must say, it was quite a chore to get through this 'brick' and if not for some audiobook help, I don't know if I'd have finished it. This might say more about my busy and slightly chaotic life then about this book though.

Anyway, I'm glad that I finished it, though it will not be among my favourite classics. The Way We Live Now is quite a dreary book and I found it even downright boring at times. This might have to do with the main theme: money and how it influences society. Not a theme I'm awfully interested in, even though it was fascinating to see how Victorian society was busy with money All-The-Time. It also didn't really help that none of the main characters were truly sympathetic or easy to identify with. They were almost all greedy and looking out only for their own interest, some were downright awful (Mr. Melmotte, Felix Carbury). Trollope undoubtedly is a master in creating life-like characters, but the characters in this novel are just no fun to follow.

I must say something about the female characters though, something I also already alluded to in my review of He Knew He Was Right. I feel like Trollope writes more 'real' female characters than any other Victorian novelist I know so far. His leading ladies are less stereotypically bad or good then those in books of for example Dickens and Gaskell and can often surprise you. For example Marie Melmotte, who at first seems a victim of her father, but turns out to be very intelligent and shrewd.

Unfortunately the only really sympathetic female character in the book, Hetta Carbury is a bit of a 'wet rag' and I wasn't too fond of her romance story either. That might also be one reason why I couldn't like this book more, the fact that a romance you could root for was missing.

All in all, though The Way We Live Now is no doubt well-plotted and well-written, it wasn't a great book for me. I will keep reading other Trollope novels though!

Comments

[mattiescottage.livejournal.com]

I appreciated reading your thoughts. I somewhat enjoyed The Warden in my late teen years, but this was spurred by a BBC rendition, and at that time just exploring the historical context and new-to-me complexities of character motivations provided some charm and interest for me. Since then my copy of the sequel Barchester Towers has been sitting (for decades now) in my bookshelf collection, taken down and perused a couple times, but I have since read too much about Trollope's works, such that I expect to find one or two somewhat sympathetic characters surrounded by a broken world of hopelessness.

Trollope presented so much depth and perception and a sort of appreciation and sorrow for the humanity in his characters, that somehow my teenage heart keeps hoping I will one day pick up the book of the shelf and see redemption for them written there. From what I read, I think Trollope was good at showing the mess and falseness of the world, but I am not sure that he ever quite got to much hope or redemption?

There are a works that are well-written--and that portray the brokenness of the world quite well--but my time is too short to be stuck in a world of hopelessness with them. (I think I am in sympathy with you there.) Praised be that we have other sources to teach us things of hope. :-)

Not that I want to ruin you on other Trollope novels you may wish to try. Do let me know if you find some strings of hope and peace woven in somewhere. It would bring closure to my inner teen self! ;-)

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for your long and thoughtful comment, I love those!

I definitely agree with you that Trollope writes very perceptively about the 'human condition' and is less interested in showing characters change and redeem themselves. Though I've only read two Trollope novels so far, I must say there was more hope and peace woven into He Knew He Was Right compared to The Way We Live Now and though there was quite some sadness, I still finished that first book with a smile on my face.

[msantimacassar.livejournal.com]

Congrats on finishing this! Interesting review! I'm glad to hear what you think about it! I only made it partway through the BBC miniseries before letting it slide... I suppose someday I would like to read this, now I can be more prepared! :)

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, if you couldn't get through the miniseries.... And you're so good with reading big classics!

[msantimacassar.livejournal.com]

It was more a matter of poor timing and just not being interested by it! I tried watching it a really long time ago though. I might enjoy it more now! :) Haha, thanks!

[ever-maedhros.livejournal.com]

Nice review! Your words make me feel like I trudged through the book myself, without actually having to make the effort. I haven't really tried reading any Trollope stories yet, I think. I know I saw a mini-series of Barchester Chronicles (almost solely because Alan Rickman was notoriously slimy as a villain), but I can't remember if I read the book as well. The clergyman in that story, though, was one of the kindest, most inspiring examples of what a Christian should be that I've ever seen.

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Your words make me feel like I trudged through the book myself, without actually having to make the effort.

Haha, thanks!

That sounds really interesting of that clergyman! I love those portrayals of real Christians in classic fiction. Like Mr and Mrs Benson in Elizabeth Gaskell's Ruth, which are my 'favourite Christians' in the literary world!