«‘Never mind love. After all, what is it? The dream of a few weeks. That is all its joy. The disappointment of a life is its Nemesis. Who was ever successful in true love? Success in love argues that the love is false. True love is always despondent or tragical.’ . . . ‘There is no happiness in love, except at the end of an English novel.’» (Volume Two, Chapter VIII: A Love Scene) ~ «Till we can become divine, we must be content to be human, lest in our hurry for a change we sink to something lower.» (Vol. Three, Chapter IX: Mr. and Mrs. Quiverful Are Made Happy...) ~ #Finished: #BarchesterTowers by #AnthonyTrollope Rating: 10/10 ~ • The topic of this #novel may not be for everyone, but honestly I couldn't find anything I did not like in it, unlike its prequel The Warden. Power plays, manoeuvres, strategies of the clerical community in and around #Barchester were delightful to read for me. • Pride, vanity, ambition, greed, avarice, and, most significantly, hypocrisy in religiosty are all presented with delightful satire in the novel, which is also a strikingly witty criticism of those who use religion for their own purposes and the clergymen ambitious for worldly positions. There are various wooings for selfish ends, as well as true love, which hold an important place among all that happens. • I never wanted it to end. Trollope's narrative was so lively that all the time I felt as if I was living in the questionably humble town of Barchester and the characters were real. The characters, most of whom are unsymphatetic yet highly interesting and memorable, like Mr. Slope, Signora Neroni (who has become my favourite anti-villain), Mrs. Proudie, the Thorne siblings, Mr. Arabin, are what really made me love the novel. It is no surprise why this novel's popularity outlived almost all other Trollope novels. ~ «‘It is so easy to condemn—and so pleasant too, for eulogy charms no listeners as detraction does.’» (Vol. Two, Chapter II: St. Ewold's Parsonage) ~ In some editions, like mine, chapters are grouped in three volumes and numbers are different. ~ #Trollope #BarsetshireChronicles #MrSlope #MrsProudie #DrProudie #SignoraNeroni #book #books #bookstagram #literature https://www.instagram.com/p/B5UmsEEAtAtvRFFA4lpLU3Zx39Mh0yZVgQJiRE0/?igshid=pnwnzw9yp5t7
