Customer Reviews

The Bertrams (A Novel)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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Trollope wrote "The Bertrams" fairly early in his writing career and to me it felt different from his usual fare. Of course there was his theme of boy meets girl, he/they fall in love, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy eventually wins girl. The emotion seemed more raw though. In "Bertrams" Trollope also threw in some exotic locales such as Jerusalem and Egypt. On the surface this can seem boring but Trollope was always so good at looking under his character's skin to their psychology, their emotions, and motivations. His writing never gets old for me and compared to some of today's harsher literature and even harsher current political/financial/emotional climate reading Trollope feels like a conversation with a trusted friend. He never lets you down.

THE STORY IS ESSENTIALLY A LOVE STORY -- ABOUT 2 MAIN COUPLES. THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER PSYCHOLOGICAL SUBPLOTS, ALSO. THE STORY INVOLVES TWO YOUNG MEN WHO ARE EACH IN LOVE, ONE GEORGE BERTRAM AND ONE ARTHUR W. GEORGE DENOUNCES HIS UNCLES MONEY AND WILL NOT BE MOVED TO ANY SORT OF ACTION BY IT -- THUS CAUSING THE WOMAN HE LOVES TO POSTPONE THEIR MARRIAGE. SHE WANTS TO LIVE WELL WITH LOTS OF MONEY. ON THE OTHER HAND, ARTHUR DOES THE SAME, FEELING HE CANNOT MARRY HIS LOVE SINCE HE HAS NO MONEY. THE EFFECT THAT MONEY OR THE LACK THEREOF HAS ON THESE 4 PEOPLE AND THE OTHER CHARACTERS IN THE STORY IS THE CENTRAL THEME. THE BOOK IS SO BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND EXAMINES DEEPLY THE PSYCHE OF ALL THE CHARACTERS. I LOVED IT!

"The Bertrams is one of Trollope's more remarkable novels, drawing on his experiences in Egypt and the Holy Land, and has an unusually exotic flavour, particularly for readers familiar only with the English rural world of his Barsetshire series."

Books by Trollope that are not part of the two series (Palliser, Barsetshire) tend to be neglected. This one deserves far more attention. It is Trollope at his best. The structure is intricate, the characters superb, the pace brisk. the wit and satire sharp . No dry spells, no simpereing Victorian maidens. This has a Balzacian flavour to it; there are a number of characters looking for the main chance. Caroline is one of his most interesting creations. There are three plots which are both parallel and contrasting: George and Caroline, Adela and Arthur, and Sir Lionel's search for a rich heiress. I would say the major theme of the book is the limits of prudence. The scenes in Cairo and Jerusalem add color, an exotic quality, to the story. A delightful read.

In the lengthy passages about Palestine and Egypt in this work, Trollope tends to come off as a frustrated travel writer. Besides these strange interludes, this is really a classic Trollope work in the raw, emotionally painful vein. If you've read a good deal of Trollope before getting to this novel, you'll find distinct echoes of plots from He Knew He Was Right, The Way We Live Now, and other works. (I notice Trollope has a preferred method of dispensing with unworthy but problematic men). But there are some lively and original characters in this somber novel, making it well worth the read.

Trollope delivers his usual good story with good characters but adds something new here--an Englishman's view of Jerusalem in the 1800s. It's fascinating, and he reveals his own Christian beliefs in this book very clearly. The two romances are also a little different from his usual ones--very satisfying, I thought. And, again, he does not neglect humor. Having read many Trollope novels, I rate this one among the best.