Product Description

The fourth of Trollope's Palliser novels, this text tells the story of Phineas Redux, who returns to politics only to find that a series of quarrels hamper his progress. The beautiful and enigmatic Madame Max Goesler, familiar from earlier political novels, plays her part in this tale.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #577026 in Books
• Published on: 2002-11-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 768 pages

Review
Novel by Anthony Trollope, first published serially from July 1873 to January 1874 and in two volumes in 1874. It is a sequel to Phineas Finn and the fourth of the PALLISER NOVELS. The narrative begins after Finn's wife, Mary, has died in childbirth. He resumes his political career and again becomes romantically involved with Lady Laura Standish (now Kennedy) and Madame Marie Max Goesler, whom he eventually marries. An ethical and kind man, Finn is falsely accused of the murder of a rival politician. Eventually acquitted, he leaves political life in disgust. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature

About the Author
Anthony Trollope (1815-82) became one of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era. Some of Trollope's best-loved works revolve around the imaginary county of Barsetshire, but he also wrote penetrating novels on political, social, and gender issues and conflicts of his day.

Customer Reviews

Phineas again is a pleasure revisited.
I purchased the Palliser Series of books by Anthony Trollope -- Can You Forgive Her; Phineas Finn; The Eustace Diamonds; Phineas Redux; The Prime Minister; The Duke's Children. I have read the first four books in the series and will comment briefly on Phineas Redux, my favorite so far.

The reader who does not wish to read the books in order of composition would lose little by not having read Can You Forgive Her and The Eustace Diamonds. However, not to have read Phineas Finn would create some slight proplems because Finn's behavior in that first book is often mentioned in the second. Even so, it is possible to read Phineas Redux as a stand alone novel and derive much pleasure from the experience.

If we remove the boring Pariliamentary debates concerning the disestablishment of the Church of England, what remains is one of the most delightful of all English novels. Trollope is a great writer and he is at the top of his form in much of Phineas Redux. Particularly moving and convincing is the story of Lady Laura Kennedy, who loves Finn but is married to Robert Kennedy, a man she comes to hate and despise. She leaves Kennedy and takes up residence in Dresden to put herself out of the reach of her increasingly desperate and derranged husband. Finn once loved Lady Laura enough to have proposed to her, but she chose Kennedy and ended any chance she might have had to marry Finn. Even so, her love for Finn remains strong and true. In the end, he rejects her and marries Madame Max Goesler, whom Lady Laura hates with a passion. This is a sad and moving story; Trollope is at the hight of his powers in the telling of it.

The centerpiece of the novel is the trial of Finn for the murder of Mr. Bonteen, Finn's enemy. Trollope creates no mystery here. We know Finn is not guilty and we are given to believe that another enemy of Bonteen, the Reverend Mr. Emilius, is responsible. Bonteen's murder is a hanging offense. Finn is certain he will be hanged; his courage almost fails him; the trial comes close to breaking his proud and indomitable spirit.

Trollope must be considered one of the most entertaining of all English authors. Reading The Palliser novels and Phineas Redux in particular gives tremendous pleasure and satisfaction. The books are so well written that we feel we are a part of them. At the end of an evening's reading when we put down the book for the night, we can't stop thinking about the various characters and events. We start thinking about what we would say to Finn and friends if we were given the chance. This involvement with plot and characters keeps us coming back for more and Trollope has much more to give us.

The entire Palliser Series of novels has been turned into an excellent mini-series available on Amazon which I reviewed and, like the books, highly recommend.

Extremely satisfactory sequel to PHINEAS FINN
Combined, PHINEAS FINN and PHINEAS REDUX constitute one of the great yarns in Anthony Trollope's large catalog of novels. As art, they are not masterpieces and do not quite match up against his very best books, but as entertainment, they are unsurpassed. Together, they are easily as enjoyable as any that Trollope wrote. All of the major characters of the former novel are back with a vengeance, and a far more satisfying end to the Phineas Finn saga is provided than that provided by the first novel.

By all estimations, PHINEAS FINN, while a thoroughly enjoyable novel, ended badly. So badly, that Trollope felt compelled essentially to delete the ending of the former novel, and provide a new ending in the form of a novel to correct the error of his ways. In his AUTOBIOGRAPHY, Trollope expresses his extreme dissatisfaction with the ending of that novel. Happily, he more than atones for his literary sins with the sequel.

This novel, like its predecessor, is set against the background of a great political reform. In the former, it was suffrage (i.e., how many people would be given the right to vote), in this one, the disestablishment of the Church of England (i.e., breaking the tie of mandatory local taxes to support the Anglican Church). Perhaps for this reason, Phineas Finn's Catholicism, which was not alluded to in the former novel, is made much of. The same cast of parliamentary characters are brought back for this new controversy. One curiosity is that sometimes Trollope refers by name to the achievements of members of parliament such as Gladstone, Disraeli, or John Bright. What is odd about this is the fact that Gresham is pretty transparently based on Gladstone, Daubeny on Disraeli, and Trumbull on John Bright.

Far more than the Barsetshire novels, a large number of increasingly familiar characters flit in and out of the various political novels. The major characters of one novels are found as minor characters in another. As one works through the novels in the political series, one sees such characters as Glencora Palliser, Joshua Monk, Mr. Rattler, Lord Fawn, Lord and Lady Cantrip, Lizzie Eustace, and a myriad of other characters. One of my favorite Trollope characters is prominent in PHINEAS REDUX, Madame Max Goesler. Dark in her features, thin, beautiful, extremely wealthy, widowed, extremely self-possessed, sharply intelligent, efficient, and very much a woman of action, she seems very much to be a woman before her time. One of the most remarkable things about Trollope, who was in many ways the epitome of the Victorian world, was his obvious love for strong, intelligent, exceptional women. Although there are many such women in Trollope's novels, Madame Goesler is easily the one I find most compelling.

Good sequel to "Phineas Finn."
The Pallisers carry on in this rambling Victorian novel. Phineas Finn's wife dies, and he again enters politics. He picks up with the various women in his life. Violet Effingham is now happily married. Laura Standish is married, but estranged from her husband. Marie Goesler is the eternal enigma. Love and money again wreaks havoc with Phineas's life. Trollope mesmerizes the reader with polished prose that adds a touch of elegance. Style prevails over substance in his novels. British politics are bewildering, but Victorian manners and morals are the real story. The mating dance that unfolds in drawing rooms and country weekends is amusing. Subplots abound. The novel has more drama than usual. Phineas is accused of murder. Trollope manages unexpected tenderness in his depiction of Laura Kennedy. She longs for Phineas, who once was her lover. Fearing scandal, she suffers a lonely life, and regrets what might have been. Lady Glencora and Plantagenet Palliser play a role in the book. They are now the Duke and Duchess of Omnium. Consequently, a new dilemma confronts Plantagenet. Lady Glencora is the tireless meddler, regardless. Marie Goesler is ever more important in Phineas's life. Trollope's work is lightweight, but refreshing. This book is good down time reading to escape the clamor and fast pace of modern life. ;-)