I love reading Anthony Trollope, and I never thought I'd read a book of his that I didn't enjoy ... but this one?! Did NOT enjoy. ( )

I'm so glad to have found this shorter novel by Anthony Trollope. Filled with all the great characters Trollope is known for. Wonderful story. Tony Britton is a perfect narrator for this story. ( )

Touching story of man who loves a young woman enough to care more for her happiness with another man than he does for himself.

el rico y soltero de 50 años acoje en su residencia a la joven mary para mantener la promesa de cuidar a la hija de un amigo ( )

Soppy and unlikely love story of a rich old man (of 50!) and an indigent but nicely brought-up young woman of 25 whose long-lost suitor comes back into her life the day of her engagement to the old man. Shall she choose money over love? Shall she justify her choice because she doesn't want to hurt the feelings of this one or that one? Shall one or other of these men relinquish her to the more-suitable other? These weren't really the sort of existential questions that kept me eagerly turning the page and ignoring Nancy Grace ranting on the tv (silently, I like to watch her, not listen to her pitbull brand of tabloid barking).

There is also a side story of a bossy and garrulous housekeeper who is abused by her drunken husband. Both these characters are extremely annoying and you wish they'd carry on their mundane and unpleasant lives in another book, or on a Nancy Grace show. She would have demonised the husband and had the nation braying for justice.

These stories, uninteresting in themselves, are not relieved by Trollope's usually wonderful writing, sly, dry wit or political or business intrigues. Instead, they meander along in the fashion of a pay-per-word serial a la Dickens and come to an end only when nothing further can be wrung out of the shallow plots.

Not recommended for anyone, including die-hard Trollope fans (like me).

( )