Phineas Finn: The Irish Member
(Oxford Worlds Classics) by Anthony
Trollope
Great Romance
The novel is set against the background of the Reform Bill of 1867, and
focuses on an Irish Member of the British House of Commons; in it
Trollope explores the relations between the distinct elements of the United
Kingdom. Phineas has a personal chronicle which largely dominates the
political calendar and it is noteworthy that Trollope wrote Phineas Finn at
the same time as Gladstones accession to power and the momentous
consequences for Ireland that followed. Phineas Finn (1869) is the second
of the Palliser novels, published between 1864 and 1880. As a group they
provide us with the most extensive and telling expose of British life during
the period of its greatest prestige.
Personal Review: Phineas Finn: The Irish Member (Oxford
Worlds Classics) by Anthony Trollope

Recently, a personal tragedy resulted in a rare hiatus in my reading. In
attempting to return to normal, I found the only author that suited (and
soothed) me was Anthony Trollope. As an English major at Dartmouth, I
never encountered his works, and none were on the required reading list;
yet now, there are few writers who can "embed" me in their world so easily
as Trollope.
This is the second of the Palliser series of six novels, the first of which was
CAN YOU FORGIVE HER? Although it is not a prerequisite to
understanding PHINEAS FINN, I recommend that readers start at the
beginning, so that they have some idea of British parliamentary politics in
the mid 19th century and the characters of Plantagenet Palliser, his wife
Lady Glencora and their circle.
To begin with, there was at that time no monetary recompense for being a
member of the House of Commons. The assumption was that: (1) the
member was independently wealthy or (2) the member had a day job
which paid his bills. This becomes an overriding issue in the novel.
Enter Phineas Finn, an engaging Irishman, who gives up the practice of
law to run for an Irish seat in the House -- much to the consternation of his
friends and relatives who worry how he is to make ends meet. He joins in
with a group of Liberal politicians centered around Lord Beresford and his
beautiful daughter, Lady Laura Standish. No sooner does Phineas get up
the courage to propose to her than he finds he has been beaten to the
punch by a wealthy Scottish member, who happens to be a dour and rigid
Presbyterian.
Next he targets Violet Effingham, who has an on-again, off-again
relationship with Lord Chiltern, the brother of Lady Laura. In targeting
Violet, Phineas runs up against the choleric Chiltern, whose "red hair is no
lie," to quote one of my favorite lines in THE QUIET MAN. The two actually
fight a duel across the Channel on a Belgian beach with no serious injory
to either party. But Violet makes up her mind for Lord Chiltern, and
Phineas is out in the cold again.
As Phineas eventually makes it into the Treasury, which does carry some
salary, he meets a beautiful wealthy Jewess named Mme Max Goesler,
who has some feelings for him. Unfortunately, he had fallen under the
tutelage of Mr. Monk, another Liberal politican who runs up against the
prevailing political winds in the house. Not only does Phineas become a
victim for his principles, but the Liberals are voted out; and Phineas is out
of a job and flat broke.
He returns to Ireland, marries an old childhood sweetheart, and gets a
sinecure position in Cork as the Tories busily redraw the political map
under Disraeli (called Daubeny in the novel).

In addition to being a charmer -- though a bit feckless at times -- Phineas
finds himself liked wherever he goes. Mind you, not enough to nab a
beautiful, wealthy wife -- but there is a sequel to come called PHINEAS
REDUX, which I am reading now, in which Phineas makes a comeback in
his old haunts.
As in all of my favorite Trollope novels, there are the obligatory fox hunting
scenes, including one in which Phineas helps save Lord Chiltern, whose
horse rolls over on him. He even saves the life of Mr Kennedy, Lady
Laura's husband, by driving away some muggers. There is something
sunny about the title character, and this quality shines throughout the
novel.
Anthony Trollope wrote some 47 novels: This one is one of the best, and
will certainly make for an enjoyable read.
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