Author Description
'She loved him much, and admired him even more than she loved him...Would that he had some faults!' Alice Vavasor is torn between a risky marriage with her ambitious cousin George and the safer prospect of a union with the formidably correct John Grey. Her indecision is reflected in the dilemmas of her friend Lady Glencora, confined in the proprieties of her life with Plantagenet Palliser but tempted to escape with her penniless lover Burgo Fitzgerald, and of her aunt, the irreverent widow Mrs Greenow, who must choose between a solid farmer and an untrustworthy soldier as her next husband. Each woman finds her choice bound up with the cold realities of money, and the tension between public expectation and private inclination. Can You Forgive Her? is the first of Trollope's six Palliser novels, and its focus on the exercise of power, whether in the masculine world of parliament and the professions, or within the domesticities of friendship, courtship, and marriage, signals a new breadth and diversity of interest in his fiction. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
Alice Vavasor faces a critical impasse as she struggles to choose between two disparate suitors, setting off a chain of social and personal consequences. Alice navigates the rigid expectations of Victorian society while weighing the security of a conventional marriage against the allure of a volatile, ambitious cousin. Her internal conflict mirrors the broader societal pressures placed upon women to balance personal desire with financial and familial duty. The narrative employs a third-person omniscient perspective to examine the intersecting lives of three women, each grappling with the constraints of their respective romantic and economic circumstances.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- Exploration of Victorian marriage markets and financial dependency
- Parallel narrative arcs involving three distinct female protagonists
- Satirical commentary on the social and political elite
- Detailed examination of domestic power dynamics
- Contrast between public reputation and private inclination
- Focus on the psychological motivations behind romantic indecision
- Integration of parliamentary politics with personal life
- Use of irony to critique rigid social proprieties
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
Discussion often centers on Trollope's nuanced portrayal of female agency within the restrictive framework of the nineteenth-century marriage market. Readers frequently highlight the effectiveness of the parallel plot lines, which allow for a comprehensive view of how different social classes navigate the tension between duty and desire. Critics often point to the author's ability to maintain a balanced, observational tone while critiquing the hypocrisy of the era's social norms. The pacing is noted for its deliberate, character-driven approach, which prioritizes psychological depth over rapid plot progression. Many readers appreciate the subtle humor and the intricate way the author weaves political ambition into the fabric of domestic life.
Page Count:
740
Publication Date:
2012-01-01
ISBN-10:
0191623830
ISBN-13:
9780191623837
Romance
Political fiction
Victorian
Classic Literature
Social Satire
English
English & College Success
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