![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
CAN YOU FORGIVE HER? - Anthony Trollope
Jan. 4th, 2015 10:29 pmAlso known as CAN YOU POSSIBLY FINISH IT?.
Male author writes ridiculously lengthy novel about the intricacies of a love triangle, gets feted and acclaimed for it.
I think the acclamation is justified. Trollope was a very gifted writer who created complex, interesting characters. His relentless honesty also gives the novel strong potential for a feminist reading as a critique of society. But this novel is also a good one to metaphorically pitch at the heads of narcissistic racist sexist homophobic dipshit types prone to carrying on about how women write only silly girly stuff full of silly girly things like human emotions and men write important serious stuff about important serious things like stuff blowing up. Plus, since it's so long, excellent pitching material!
Alice Vavasor doesn't know what to do with her life; she doesn't live in an era where she has many alternatives besides marriage. And she can't decide whether to follow her heart or her head.
(Eventually her heart catches up with her head.)
Meanwhile, Lady Glencora, who married out of convenience and duty, can't decide whether to run off with the man she has a passionate feeling toward.
And Mrs Greenow, a particularly independent and fabulous older woman with a very significant surname, occupies herself with her own pair of suitors by playing them off against each other. The female characters in this novel are explored in much more detail than the male characters and given a lot of depth, and this works out well. Mrs Greenow isn't quite as amazing as Miss Dunstable, but she's well-realised and very good on her own terms. ( Read more... )
Male author writes ridiculously lengthy novel about the intricacies of a love triangle, gets feted and acclaimed for it.
I think the acclamation is justified. Trollope was a very gifted writer who created complex, interesting characters. His relentless honesty also gives the novel strong potential for a feminist reading as a critique of society. But this novel is also a good one to metaphorically pitch at the heads of narcissistic racist sexist homophobic dipshit types prone to carrying on about how women write only silly girly stuff full of silly girly things like human emotions and men write important serious stuff about important serious things like stuff blowing up. Plus, since it's so long, excellent pitching material!
Alice Vavasor doesn't know what to do with her life; she doesn't live in an era where she has many alternatives besides marriage. And she can't decide whether to follow her heart or her head.
(Eventually her heart catches up with her head.)
Meanwhile, Lady Glencora, who married out of convenience and duty, can't decide whether to run off with the man she has a passionate feeling toward.
And Mrs Greenow, a particularly independent and fabulous older woman with a very significant surname, occupies herself with her own pair of suitors by playing them off against each other. The female characters in this novel are explored in much more detail than the male characters and given a lot of depth, and this works out well. Mrs Greenow isn't quite as amazing as Miss Dunstable, but she's well-realised and very good on her own terms. ( Read more... )
