The Way We Live Now

Anthony Trollope

Jan 2010 · Cosimo, Inc.

About this ebook

One of the most enduringly popular novelists of the Victorian era, English writer ANTHONY TROLLOPE (1815-1882) created entertainingly rambling fictional explorations of towering social issues, from class and money to politics and gender roles. Trollope has been a huge influence on modern storytelling, from the bumblings of the upper-crust of P.G Wodehouse's yarns to the intricate, interwoven, interpersonal narratives of television soap operas. In this satirical 1875 novel-acclaimed at the time as Trollope's best work-the author turns a scathing eye on the unbridled greed, intellectual dishonesty, and rampant financial scandals that he saw as plaguing England at the time. This tale of unscrupulous financier Augustus Melmotte and his crimes-which revolve around get-rich-quick schemes that lure in the rich and famous-is so reminiscent of today's bleak and grasping economic environment that it remains a supremely relevant read. Trollope's black tone and withering censure of this world make it a supremely satisfying read as well.

About the author

Anthony Trollope was born in London, England on April 24, 1815. In 1834, he became a junior clerk in the General Post Office, London. In 1841, he became a deputy postal surveyor in Banagher, Ireland. He was sent on many postal missions ending up as a surveyor general in the post office outside of London. His first novel, The Macdermots of Ballycloran, was published in 1847. His other works included Castle Richmond, The Last Chronicle of Barset, Lady Anna, The Two Heroines of Plumplington, and The Noble Jilt. He died after suffering from a paralytic stroke on December 6, 1882.