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The Claverings

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About this listen

At the opening of The Claverings (1866) the beautiful Julia Brabazon jilts her lover Harry Clavering in order to make a marriage of convenience with a wealthy but dissolute earl. Harry licks his wounds, leaves London to train as a civil engineer, and falls in love with his employer's daughter, to whom he soon becomes engaged. But when Julia returns unexpectedly as a wealthy widow, the flame of Harry's old love is rekindled.

In his depiction of this quintessential love triangle, Anthony Trollope digs deep into the psychological make-up of a wonderful array of flawed characters: emotionally strong, determined women whose only prospects depend on making an advantageous marriage; a weak-willed, vacillating anti-hero who in a moment of weakness makes an impossible promise; and a memorable cast of secondary characters, from a suspected Russian spy and a feckless gambler to a zealous evangelical clergyman.

Public Domain (P)2018 Nigel Patterson Classics Drama & Plays European World Literature
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On the second time of reading this book, I have really appreciated Trollope's humour. Sophie Goldalu is a wonderful character, brought to life by the narrator, and Archie Clavering is an endearing cousin of Bertie Wooster. Trollope takes the old story of a love triangle and uses it to contrast the monied and working classes, and show how it is women that often drive family affairs. A thoroughly enjoyable novel. It's a shame the narration, Ms Goldalu apart, is a little stilted, especially in the early chapters.

Lots to enjoy

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I do love the way his stories always deposit the worthy characters in justified bliss and dispose of the evil ones in well-deserved ordure. The journey is always very satisfying. The narrator for this one was adequate but there was little distinction between some of the ‘voices’ at times, and clearly the upper crust voices were a challenge that sometimes didn’t quite convince, which was a teeny bit distracting.

Another satisfying Trollope

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enjoyable, good narration except for the voice of Sophi, I found that s little odd almost amusing. fantastic story.

very good

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Trollope is not a concise writer. His stories do tend to ramble and this is part of their appeal. I have listened again and again to this one and always enjoy it. The resolution of the plot is so satisfying and while Harry is a very flawed hero, to the extent that one finds oneself frustrated by what the lovely young Mrs Burton coyly calls his unsteadiness, it ends with him getting more good fortune than he deserves. There is humour and humanity. The narration is fine. It isn’t the very best but to my mind it is good enough.

A very enjoyable performance

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Quite a good story but not one of his best. Well narrated. Worth a listen!

Good performance enjoyable story

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