{"product_id":"phineas-finn-anthony-trollope-9791043135958","title":"Phineas Finn","description":"\u003cp\u003eHigh politics are not always centrally in view in \u003cstrong\u003eAnthony Trollope\u003c\/strong\u003e's Palliser novels, but parliamentary life comes to the fore throughout \u003cstrong\u003ePhineas \u003cstrong\u003eFinn\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, the second in the series.The hero of the tale is the young son of an Irish country doctor, now attaining manhood and striking out in life. Although training for the Bar, he feels the lure of Parliament and manages to secure a seat. Blessed with good fortune, \"comely inside and out,\" and pleasant company to both women and men, he begins to climb the ladder. Along with his undoubted triumphs there come also palpable failures-social as well as political. Leaving behind a sweetheart in Ireland, he encounters women of high status and fashion in London who place their own claims on his heart.\u003cstrong\u003eWhile Phineas\u003c\/strong\u003e is clearly the hero of the novel bearing his name, the lives of a number of remarkable women become intertwined with his own, each of whom he loves, after a fashion. The portrait of \u003cstrong\u003eLady Laura\u003c\/strong\u003e Standish-who serves as his political muse as well-is especially poignantly drawn, while \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eViolet Effingham\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e and the somewhat mysterious \u003cstrong\u003eMadame \u003cstrong\u003eMax Goesler\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e each have an individuated strength and depth of character. Each, too, mirrors in different ways the dilemma faced by Phineas in his political career: whether it is better to be subservient and \"succeed,\" or maintain independence and risk being an outcast.The writing of \u003cstrong\u003ePhineas \u003cstrong\u003eFinn\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e coincided with Trollope's own political awakening and aspirations. While working on this novel, he was also composing a memoir of Lord \u003cstrong\u003ePalmerston\u003c\/strong\u003e, the \u003cstrong\u003ePrime Minister\u003c\/strong\u003e who had died in office only a couple years previously. (The memoir remained unpublished until \u003cstrong\u003e1882\u003c\/strong\u003e.) By this point in his mid fifties, Trollope made his own attempt to secure a seat as a member of Parliament in \u003cstrong\u003e1868\u003c\/strong\u003e, failed, and was scarred by the experience. The literary critic \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMichael\u003c\/strong\u003e Sadleir\u003c\/strong\u003e characterized Trollope's parliamentary fiction as showing a \"preoccupation with political society [but] indifference to political theory,\" perhaps unfairly. Especially in the character of Mr. \u003cstrong\u003eMonk\u003c\/strong\u003e, Phineas's chief political mentor, much wisdom for parliamentary life is imparted.Trollope's political failure does not yet cast a shadow on the optimism which pervades \u003cstrong\u003ePhineas \u003cstrong\u003eFinn\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. The novelist's own views would ripen along with those of his characters as the series took shape. Still, in his autobiography Trollope was able to declare, \"\u003cstrong\u003ePhineas \u003cstrong\u003eFinn\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, I certainly think, was successful from first to last.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Anthony Trollope\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9791043135958\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Les Prairies Numeriques\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/23\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 904\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 2.61lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 2.01d","brand":"Anthony Trollope","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48460365529343,"sku":"9791043135958","price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_d8d81e2a-2502-4183-85f8-f3962c1003ee.jpg?v=1777414271","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/phineas-finn-anthony-trollope-9791043135958","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}