The Prime Minister by Anthony Trollope (1876)

Trollope continues his depiction of the life and political career of Plantagenet Palliser, the Duke of Omnium, in this 5th Palliser novel. Planty reluctantly accepts the post of Prime Minister heading a Coalition Government but never feels that he is adequate for the job. His wife Glencora constantly tells him he is too thin skinned, because he suffers from embarrassment and self doubt at the slightest hint of criticism. In the meantime, she throws herself into hosting the most lavish of parties, believing that she is helping him in his political career.

The focus is not so much on the actual political processes as it is on the personalities and reactions of this political couple. Reading these Palliser novels in order makes it obvious what an extraordinary job Trollope has done of characterization. I feel that I actually know the Pallisers intimately as real people who grow and change in believable ways while retaining their core personalities.

Trollope does use the political backdrop as an opportunity to include a few lengthy conversations that reflect his own political views. As he was a frustrated politician, I think it only fair that readers should grant him the privilege of indulging himself a bit in this way.

No Trollope novel would be complete without The Marriage Plot (which here is only tenuously connected to the political plot). Young Emily Wharton impulsively marries the mysterious Ferdinand Lopez against the advice of all her family and friends and almost immediately realizes that she has made a grave mistake. Of course, a still-faithful childhood sweetheart is waiting in the wings. There are few plot surprises in this story arc, but there is something comforting in its very predictability.

One thing about this novel that is a bit disturbing is the overt anti-semitism; the most damaging objection to Ferdinand Lopez is that he is suspected of being a secret Jew. One might argue that Trollope is just reflecting prevailing attitudes of the time, but one might also suspect that he shared those attitudes.

Leo Tolstoy described this novel as a "beautiful book." I wouldn't go that far, but it's really good.