Anthony Trollope’s The Claverings, published in 1867, is a nuanced novel that focuses on the themes of love, money, and social climbing within the Victorian middle class. The protagonist, Harry Clavering, is a young man of good family but limited means who is engaged to the sweet and devoted Florence Burton, the daughter of a successful engineer. Harry’s path seems set: he will enter the engineering profession and build a stable, respectable life. However, his carefully planned future is thrown into chaos by the return of his former, passionate love, the beautiful and ambitious Julia Brabazon. Julia had previously rejected the penniless Harry to make a financially secure, though loveless, marriage to the dissolute Lord Ongar. Now, Lord Ongar has died, leaving Julia a wealthy but socially tainted widow, as rumors about her infidelity swirl through London society. Desperate for redemption and true love, Julia attempts to rekindle her relationship with Harry, who finds himself torn between his honorable commitment to the virtuous Florence and his reawakened passion for the glamorous Julia. The novel is a masterful study of temptation and integrity, exploring the conflict between duty and desire. Trollope, with his characteristic psychological insight, dissects Harry’s weakness and self-deception as he vacillates between the two women, causing pain to all involved. The Claverings is a compelling domestic drama that showcases Trollope’s talent for creating realistic characters and dissecting the moral and social dilemmas of his time.

Table of Contents:

• The Claverings. Part 1

• The Claverings. Part 2

• The Claverings. Part 3

• The Claverings. Part 4

• The Claverings. Part 5

• The Claverings. Part 6

• The Claverings. Part 7

• The Claverings. Part 8

• The Claverings. Part 9

• The Claverings. Part 10

• The Claverings. Part 11