Reading Notes on Can You Forgive Her?

Reading Notes: Anthony Trollope, Can You Forgive Her?
October 25-November 6, 2008. Transcribed from Twitter.

In "CYFH?," Alice Vavasor's choice between the "worthy" "milk-and-honey" John Grey and the "brandy" of her "wild man" cousin George Vavasor 2:25 PM Oct 25th, 2008 from txt

Plantangenet Palliser an avatar of dullness; proud to be dull. "If he was dull as a statesman, he was even more dull in private life." 12:48 PM Oct 26th, 2008 from txt

Trollope creates no win situations for Alice and Glencora: the worthy men are dull and gray, the romantic men are schemers or wastrels. 8:24 PM Oct 31st, 2008 from txt

"Can You Forgive Her" shifts from genteel parlour drama to near-Gothic as George Vavasor's rage spills over, his threats barely contained. 1:35 AM Nov 2nd, 2008 from txt

George Vavasor's thoughts increasingly turn to murder, but he doesn't plot murder (and suicide) so much as he dreams it. 7:46 AM Nov 2nd, 2008 from txt

George Vavasor's campaign manager, the lawyer Scruby: "the man was like a rat, and knew a falling house by the instinct that was in him." 8:05 AM Nov 2nd, 2008 from txt

Stymied in raising funds:"George Vavasor cursed the City and made his calculation about murdering it. Might not a river of strychnine ..." 8:20 AM Nov 2nd, 2008 from txt

Back to "Can You Forgive Her?" George Vavasor so disruptive a presence in the Trollope universe that he has to be despatched to America. 7:59 PM Nov 5th, 2008 from web

In Dickens, George's fate would have been part of the cresendo. In Balzac, the plot would have centered on such a remarkable villain. 8:02 PM Nov 5th, 2008 from web

Trollope always trying to be fair to characters. George is such a monster, he needs to be sent offstage, spoken about only in hushed tones. 8:05 PM Nov 5th, 2008 from web

Up early to finish Trollope; per his stultifying conservative vision dullness, social order must prevail over even the most trivial revolts 8:52 AM Nov 6th, 2008 from web