The Claverings [Paperback]

Anthony Trollope (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1977

The gardens of Clavering Park were removed some three hundred yards from the large square sombre looking stone mansion which was the country house of Sir Hugh Clavering.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Anthony Trollope (1815-1882) started his writing career while working in Ireland as a postal surveyor. Travelling around the country, Trollope gained knowledge of the country and its people which proved to be useful material for his first two novels, The Macdermots of Ballycloran (1847) and The Kellys and the O'Kellys (1848). Trollope soon started writing fiercely, producing a series entitled Chronicles of Barsetshire. The Warden, the first in the series, was published in 1855. Barchester Towers (1857), the comic masterpiece, Doctor Thorne (1858), Framley Parsonage (1861), The Small House at Allington (1864) and The Last Chronicle of Barset (1867) followed, portraying events in an imaginary English county of Barsetshire. In 1867, Trollope left the Post Office to run as a candidate for the Parliament. Having lost at the elections, Trollope focused on his writing. A satire from his later writing, The Way We Live Now (1875) is often viewed as Trollope's major work, however, his popularity and writing reputation diminished at the later stage of his life. Anthony Trollope died in London in 1882. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 412 pages
• Publisher: Dover Pubns (March 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486234649
• ISBN-13: 978-0486234649
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,097,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So, you think you've read everything Trollope has to offer..., September 24, 2005

By 

Matthew Asay (Salt Lake City, Utah) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Claverings (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

...I know I did. After being set onto Phineas Finn a year or two ago, I have been unable to stop a frantic Trollope binge-reading. I thought, however, that I had (unfortunately) read everything Trollope had written, but stumbled across this one.

It is absolutely wonderful. I'm not sure anyone does love triangles as well as Trollope, and The Claverings offers one of his best yet (Harry, Julia, and Florence). Trollope sets it up such that the reader isn't quite sure where Harry's heart should lie in the end (I, for one, wanted Trollope to pull a Phineas Redux and have Harry end up with "Madame Max." But he doesn't, for many good reasons, none of which will make you feel that it couldn't have ended up well with...well, I won't give away the story.)

Needless to say, The Claverings is more than a love story, in classic Trollope fashion. At its most profound, it's a difficult soul-searching of what matters most in life, and how best to get there. And, unlike many of Trollope's other works, he doesn't leave a clear safety net under his characters - you really aren't sure things are going to work out, after all.

I would heartily recommend this to anyone who is either an old Trollope pro or someone wanting to get a taste of Trollope for the first time. Perhaps you, like me, will find the world of Trollope to be rich and worthy of a year or two of your free time.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Male, Victorian Version of Austen's Emma, January 19, 2005

By 

Catherine Decker (Riverside, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Claverings (Paperback)

If you enjoy seeing good, but fundamentally human and weak, characters involve themselves in rather funny, socially embarrassing positions, this is a great novel for you. I'm too feminist to rate this novel a five-Trollope's accurate portrayal of the vulnerable position of women in Victorian society unsettled me. There is no powerful, outrageous woman figure like Mrs. Proudie of "Barchester Towers"-Mrs. Proudie does get a one-line mention in the novel, however! There are some wonderful minor characters here-Archie, Sophie, and Boodles are wickedly fun. If you are a Trollope addict not yet familiar with this novel, I'd say this is a sort of happy "Small House at Allington." If you are familiar with Rousseau, you will recognize the main character Julie is Trollope's variation on "Julie ou La Nouvelle Heloise" sans the premarital or adulterous sex. If all this is mumbo-jumbo to you, the book is a wonderful depiction of Victorian life featuring a love triangle.

30 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST FOR TROLLOPE FANS, July 29, 2001

By 

LINDA LEVEN - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Claverings (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

IF YOU ARE A FAN OF ANTHONY TROLLOPE, DO NOT OVERLOOK "THE CLAVERINGS".

"THE CLAVERINGS" MAIN PLOT CONCERNS A YOUNG WOMAN WHO GIVES UP THE MAN SHE LOVES - AND WHO LOVES HER - TO MARRY AN OLD, VERY RICH, UPPER CLASS GENTLEMAN. THE MARRIAGE IS A MISERABLE FAILURE, BUT LUCKILY THE OLD GENTLEMAN DIES, LEAVING ALL OF HIS FORTUNE AND PROPERTY TO HIS YOUNG WIFE. IN THIS MARRIAGE, THE WIFE'S REPUTATION IS ALSO SULLIED BY RUMORS THAT SHE IS HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH ANOTHER MAN.

WHEN THE YOUNG WOMAN FINDS HERSELF A WEALTHY WIDOW, SHE DISCOVERS THAT SHE IS UNABLE TO ENJOY HER WEALTH AND TITLE DUE TO THE SLANDEROUS RUMORS THAT BESMIRCH HER CHARACTER. HER WEALTH BRINGS HER NO JOY AS SHE IS ALONE AND SOCIALLY RUINED. SHE THUS BEGINS A CAMPAIGN TO WIN BACK HER FIRST LOVE WHOM SHE WISHES TO SHOWER WITH HER RICHES.PERHAPS THEN SHE WILL FIND HAPPINESS AND RESTORE HER TARNISHED REPUTATION.

IN THE MEANTIME, HER YOUNG MAN WHO TRULY LOVED HER HAS BECOME ENGAGED TO ANOTHER FAR LESS HANDSOME AND QUITE POOR WOMAN.

THE MAIN ACTION OF THE BOOK REVOLVES AROUND THE RELATIONSHIP THAT DEVELOPS BETWEEN THE ENGAGED YOUNG MAN WHO CANNOT TELL HIS PAST LOVE THAT HE IS NOW ENGAGED, AND THE NEWLY WIDOWED WOMEN WHO IS UNAWARE OF HIS ENGAGEMENT AND ATTEMPTING TO WIN HIM BACK.

AS IN ALL OF TROLLOPE'S BOOKS, THERE ARE MANY SIDE PLOTS THAT ARE EQUALLY AS PSYCHOLOGICALLY INTERESTING.

ANTHONY TROLLOP DELVES INTO THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ALL HIS CHARACTERS. IT IS NOT AN 'ACTION' BOOK BUT A STUDY OF LOVE AND GREED AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES.

I IMMENSELY ENJOYED THIS BOOK.