Sunday, October 15, 2017

The Sunday Salon: I Finally Finished a Novel!


It's mid-October, the leaves are changing, and I'm finally reading again!


The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope is the first novel I've read since August and I loved every page! My reading slump is finally over. The 800 pages never dragged, and I was always happy to pick up my kindle or pop in my earbuds. Trollope's characters and multiple plot lines kept me thoroughly entertained, as always.

Three-sentence summary (from goodreads):
Following the death of her husband Sir Florian, beautiful Lizzie Eustace mysteriously comes into possession of a hugely expensive diamond necklace. She maintains it was a gift from her husband, but the Eustace lawyers insist she give it up, and while her cousin Frank takes her side, her new lover Lord Fawn states that he will only marry her if the necklace is surrendered. As gossip and scandal intensify, Lizzie's truthfulness is thrown into doubt, and, in her desire to keep the jewels, she is driven to increasingly desperate acts. 
The third of the Palliser novels, "The Eustace Diamonds bears all the hallmarks of his later works, blending dark cynicism with humour and a keen perception of human nature." Politics doesn't play as large a role here as in the first two books... which was a plus for me. I think this novel would work as a stand-alone and might also be a good, though somewhat long, introduction to Trollope.

Thank you, Audrey, for being my #PalliserParty reading companion once again... sorry to race ahead toward the end, but I just couldn't put this one down!

My rating:







18 comments:

  1. Patty - At last!! This had to be the longest I've ever gone without reading a novel!

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  2. So glad your reading slump is over!

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  3. It's not so much that you raced ahead as that I lagged behind...but it is definitely hard to put down in its slow suspensesfull Trollopian way. Thank you for not having any spoilers in your post...I'm 85% done and can't wait to find out how everything turns out. Thanks for reading with me!

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    1. Audrey - I'd hate to ruin it for anyone, so always avoid spoilers. You're getting very close to the "can't stop reading" point... look forward to comparing notes when you're done! Trollope is even better with friends :)

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  4. When you can race through an 800 page book, you know you've got a great book on your hands!

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    1. Lisa - Trollope always seem to have that effect on me :)

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  5. Congratulations on finishing this book! I loved this one. I agree that it would work as a stand alone. I found it to be hilarious, but darker then the typical Trollope.

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    1. Brian Joseph- Yes, this was quite a bit darker than almost all of the Trollope novels I've read... and more cynical, too. I'm still ever so slowly working my way through the biography, but wonder what was happening during the time he wrote this novel. I must push my way thought the bio after I finish the series. Wonder if I can get to Phineas Redux before the end of the year?

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  6. Yay! I'm impressed that an 800 page book pulled you out of your slump.

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    1. Kathy - That does seem odd, doesn't it? Trollope has never let me down though!

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  7. Yay! Overcoming a reading slump isn't easy, and I'm glad you found something to pull you out of it.

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  8. Jade - It seems like this has been a particularly long slump... so thankful it's over!

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  9. I'm glad you're slump is behind you! 800 pages is amazing! I'm out of mine, but only because I'm reading a short novel (News of the World). Feels good to be reading again, doesn't it?

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    1. Les - I really need to try reading shorter books for a while, too. Since I finished the 800-pages, I promptly picked up two more books... both over 400 pages!

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  10. I think The Eustace Diamonds is my favorite Trollope novel. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

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    1. Patience_Crabstick - I loved The Eustace Diamonds, too!! For some reason, I thought of you multiple times as I read ;-)

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