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The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope (view source)
Revision as of 15:32, 3 March 2021
, 15:32, 3 March 2021no edit summary
Frank Greystock, in the meantime, had fallen in love with Lucy Morris, the governess in Lord Fawn's family home. When he makes an offer to her it's obvious that he - a struggling barrister and member of parliament - is in no position to provide a home for her. Lucy is effectively in limbo as Frank goes on with his life and even appears to continue to pay court to Lizzie Eustace although he would have justified what he was doing as assisting her in her fight for the diamonds when there was effectively no one else to help her. Not everyone was inclined to believe this and Frank does, on occasions, appear to waver.
Superficially, ‘''The Eustace Diamonds'' is the story of Lizzie Eustace's fight to hold on to the titular diamonds but in essence, it's a story of Victorian marriage, the conventions which surround it and the restrictions which it placed on women. It's superbly written. Trollope's skill as a writer is such that he can make rivetting reading out of discussions as to whether or not a diamond necklace can be considered to be an heirloom or whether it should be treated as paraphernalia. Trollope took advice on the legal situation which Lizzie Eustace would have found herself in and it's not only excellent reading - it's also legally sound.
The characters are compelling. It's difficult to warm to Lizzie Eustace in the beginning although this does change a little as the story progresses. Frank Greystock will remind you of [[Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope|Phineas Finn]] although their politics diverged. As usual, Trollope handles what seems like a cast of thousands with skill and aplomb and all come off the page fully clothed. He is an excellent observer of human nature.