Continuing our review of the Palliser novels by Anthony Trollope, we now turn to the second book in the series, Phineas Finn.
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"I am so glad you have come, Mr.Finn" said Lady Laura
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The first few chapters are scene setting, explaining how Phineas Finn has been elected member for Loughshane, how he is one of six children, the other five being his sisters and how his father has paid for him through university and through his legal training before Phineas is persuaded to stand for parliament. Phineas is both a catholic and a Liberal.Phineas has an admirer in Ireland called Mary Flood Jones, friend of the family, while in London he is smitten by a certain red head called Lady Laura Standish. But as is not unusual with Trollope's heroes, his ambition outstrips his income.
"And yet he could hardly ask her to come and share with him the allowance made to him by his father!"
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Did you ever see such a contrast in your life?
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The novel is set against the background of the turbulent period in British politics leading up to the Second Reform Act in the 1860s. From what I understand the references to the political parties is not historically accurate and the whole structure of the initial part of the novel is built around how Phineas got himself into Government.
We find that Phineas does not win a place in the first Whig Government although we do hear that Plantagenet Palliser is now Chancellor of the Exchequer. While this shouldn’t have been a surprise for Phineas, given that he was only recently elected, it does mean that he isn’t in receipt of a salary (only appointments within the Government were paid positions.) Phineas has told his mentor, Mr Low, that he does not intend to carry on with his legal profession while he is in Parliament, much to Mr Low’s dismay.
We then get to meet Violet Effingham, noted beauty and heiress, and get ourselves into of these love triangles as Lady Laura tries to match her good friend Violet up with her absolute rotter of a brother, the very Red Lord Chiltern.
So is Lord Chiltern going to be a bigger rogue than George Vavasor- we’ll have to wait and see. For now it’s a firm no from Violet.
At the end of the Parliamentary session Phineas takes himself off to Mr Kennedy’s Scottish estate by way of Lady Laura’s estate where we bump into Lady Glencora. She seems to have matured wonderfully in the brief period since “Can You Forgive Here” and now has very strong views on equality.
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Harveywetdog/Author - David Robinson CEng FIET
David spent approaching 50 years in Her Majesty's Electricity Supply Industry before retiring
He was part of the highly successful design team on the Sizewell B Nuclear Power Station Project before spending 25 years producing safety cases to keep our aging AGR fleet generating for the good of the nation
He is responsible for the Harveywetdog YouTube Channel which he maintains as an outlet for his creative talents
David has twice experienced blood cancer treatment but absolutely refuses to be a victim
All views are of course his own but might be influenced by the medication he's having to take
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