Victorians! discussion
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Cousin Henry
Archived Group Reads 2025
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Cousin Henry: Background, Schedule, Resources
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Anthony Trollope (1815–1882) was a civil servant and author of novels in Victorian England, best known for his Chronicles of Barsetshire. Son of a barrister Thomas Anthony Trollope and novelist and travel writer Frances Trollope, Trollope was educated at Harrow and Winchester College, facing a great deal of bullying and even contemplating suicide while at school. After serving as assistant master at a Brussels school (essentially to learn French) for a short period, he was offered a clerkship at the General Post Office, being transferred to Ireland after a few years. His initial works, inspired by his interest in identifying the reasons for Irish discontent, had political themes but he continued to write persistently exploring numerous themes and stories. His first major success came with The Warden (1855), the first of the Barset novels and he went on to also write the Palliser books, connected to the Barset books but set around the world of politics. Across his writing career, he wrote 47 novels (many of them doorstoppers), 42 short stories, travel books and biographies of William Makepeace Thackeray and Lord Palmerston. He saw both popularity and waning interest, though since the 1990s, interest in him has been increasing, with novelists as well as those associated with the screen and public life including former British and Canadian prime ministers.
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Since this is a pretty short work, we’re only reading three chapters a week
2 March: Chapters I–III
9 March: Chapters IV–VI
16 March: Chapters VII–IX
23 March: Chapters X–XII
30 March: Chapters XIII–XV
6 April: Chapters XVI–XVIII
13 April: Chapters XIX–XXI
20 April: Chapters XXII–XXIV
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Project Gutenberg (various formats): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24103
Librivox (audio): https://librivox.org/cousin-henry-by-...
Youtube (librivox audio): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TyG8...
A Youtube review (with spoilers): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boEwA...
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I plan to join this one as well. I have two books left in the Barsetshire series, but don't feel like starting the Palliser series immediately. So I'd like to look into Trollope's stand-alone works. Even better if it is a group read!
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I have just finished re reading the six ‘Palliser’ novels as well as watching the excellent BBC series alongside.( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075557/)
I have reached episode 25 out of 26. Even though the series was produced in the 1970s it still holds its own because of the lavish and faithful production, not to mention the appearance of a host of famous actors along the way. Highly recommended.
I have read Cousin Henry, but a long time ago, so a group read would be very enjoyable.
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( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075557/)
I have reached episode 25 out of 26. Even ..."
I hadn't come across the Pallisers adaptation; thanks for pointing that out, Trev.
And very pleased that you'll be joining in for Cousin Henry, too!
I will be joining this discussion as well. Reading Trollope has been a fascinating experience for me ever since I read The Warden back in the 1980's. This will be my first reading of Cousin Henry, and I anticipate a fine group discussion.
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Glad to have you on board :)
I’m going to read along as well. My wife bought me a copy of the Oxford Classics edition yesterday from the famous Waterstones bookshop in Piccadilly, London. I have had a yellow paperback copy of The Warden on my bookshelf for a couple of years but never read it, so for me Cousin Henry will be an introduction to Trollope as well.
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I hope you enjoy the book; I actually started my Trollope journey with Barchester Towers, which I loved (The Warden I only read much later).
Looking forward to this!
I’ll be joining too, always happy to read Trollope!
For those who don’t know, there is a Trollope society, with a website full of fascinating information about the author and his individual books.A note of caution, though. There are often spoilers lurking in the texts of the various descriptions of the novels. I usually look at those pages once I have read the novels.
The society has online lectures etc., events, reading groups and even excursions to Trollope locations but for most you have to be a member to take part.
Here is the home page…..
https://trollopesociety.org/
Trev wrote: "For those who don’t know, there is a Trollope society, with a website full of fascinating information about the author and his individual books.A note of caution, though. There are often spoilers..."
I'm a member and really enjoy the Big Read-it's a zoom-based "slow read" format where every two weeks we discuss 14 chapters of the current book-we're just coming to the end of The Vicar of Bullhampton and Doctor Wortle's School is next up. I believe you can join the Big Read without being a member but there will be the occasional gentle request to join (£50/year) to help support them. A very similar reading format to this group and a few others with very interesting discussions.
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Good to know about the Big Read, Frances. I know of the Trollope society and have visited their website a few times but didn't know of the reads. I haven't read Vicar of Bullhampton but have read Doctor Wortle with this group.
I have read all of the Trollope novels, some many times. I have a lovely folio society edition of Cousin Henry. I don't remember buying it, but it may have been for a group read. I'm pretty sure I have only read it once.I too thoroughly enjoy the zoom gatherings of the Trollope Society. I have four or five talks introducing books that have been recorded. I will be introducing Dr. Wortle's School on March 17. That's how I will celebrate St. Patrick's Day. https://trollopesociety.org/event/dr-...
I'm looking forward to this! So far the only Trollope books I’ve read are the first 2 books of the Barsetshire books, but I really enjoyed them.
Hiya! Newbie joining in. 👋🏻
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Trev wrote: "I have just finished re reading the six ‘Palliser’ novels as well as watching the excellent BBC series alongside.( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075557/)
I have reached episode 25 out of 26. Even ..."
I second your recommendation Trev. I bought that series on DVD back in 2003 and have watched it twice. (I've read the series twice) While I like the two main leads, I never did get used to the actor playing Phineas Finn being, in my estimation, far less handsome or charming than in my visualization of the character.
But I adore Susan Hampshire as Glencora who also stars in the miniseries of the first two books of The Barsetshire Chronicles which I also own on DVD.
I'll join in the read of Cousin Henry. I planned to hold off my start a bit because I don't know if I have the willpower to read only 3 Trollope chapters a week. But I'm starting to get the itch to join in so may enter the discussion quicker than I originally planned. My willpower needs to be put to the test anyway.
I'm far behind, due to personal obligations. However, I just requested this from my library (my wifi is spotty so the e-book isn't the best option for me). Is this the section where we discuss aspects of the book?
The discussions have separate threads by the week.
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Hi Jennifer, the discussion threads are arranged week-wise according to the schedule. Feel free to join in whenever you're ready!
Victorians!
Books mentioned in this topic
The Vicar of Bullhampton (other topics)Doctor Wortle's School (other topics)
A novel set around themes of indecision and weakness of character, Cousin Henry (1879) is seen as Anthony Trollope’s most experimental novel. At only around 300 pages (various editions have slightly below or slightly above that number), it is also among his shortest. The novel originally appeared simultaneously in the Manchester Weekly Times Supplement and the North British Weekly Mail (Between 8 March and 24 May 1879).
In Carmarthen, Wales, lives Indefer Jones an aged squire, in his large manor Llanfeare. With him lives his niece, Isabel Broderick, who moved there after her father remarried and has made a place for herself in everyone’s heart. Indefer loves her and wishes to leave her the estate but there are also his strong traditional beliefs that the estate must go to another Jones—in this case, his nephew Henry who lives in London and whom he dislikes. He makes a series of wills, leaving the estate to Isabel, then Henry and then Isabel again. But before this last document is made known to everyone, Indefer dies. Henry comes into the property but discovers the will. Now he is caught in a dilemma—he is too cowardly to destroy the will but not good enough to make it known. The book tells of how things unfold.