The Claverings

By: Anthony Trollope

Narrated by: Nigel Patterson

Length: 20 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

At the opening of The Claverings (1866) the beautiful Julia Brabazon jilts her lover Harry Clavering in order to make a marriage of convenience with a wealthy but dissolute earl. Harry licks his wounds, leaves London to train as a civil engineer, and falls in love with his employer's daughter, to whom he soon becomes engaged. But when Julia returns unexpectedly as a wealthy widow, the flame of Harry's old love is rekindled.

In his depiction of this quintessential love triangle, Anthony Trollope digs deep into the psychological make-up of a wonderful array of flawed characters: emotionally strong, determined women whose only prospects depend on making an advantageous marriage; a weak-willed, vacillating anti-hero who in a moment of weakness makes an impossible promise; and a memorable cast of secondary characters, from a suspected Russian spy and a feckless gambler to a zealous evangelical clergyman.

Public Domain (P)2018 Nigel Patterson

Great Narration

Another engaging story by Anthony Trollope, and remarkable narration by Nigel Patterson. I enjoyed every second of listening.

The Claverings

I totally enjoyed this slice of life book from the 1800's.It is very long but full of things we really no longer worry so much about.I find that fun.Nigel Patterson was the perfect narrator.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.

Excellent travelling companion

Enthralled. We were riveted and discussed possible conclusions as we went along. Missed it when complete.

Lovely period piece

Narration is perfect. Never irritating. Love all of Anthony Trollope books. Will not disappoint. Quietly romantic.

Painting from Nature

“Perhaps no terms have been so injurious to the profession of the novelist as those two words, hero and heroine. In spite of the latitude which is allowed to the writer in putting his own interpretation upon these words, something heroic is still expected; whereas, if he attempt to paint from Nature, how little that is heroic should he describe!”

This passage from The Claverings neatly summarizes why I enjoyed this, and indeed all the Trollope I have listened to on Audible. Unlike Dickens, his world isn’t divided between angels and demons. It’s full of humans.

Another reason for my state of Trollopian near-bliss is the performance of Nigel Patterson. Very occasionally he gets his character voices a little muddled, but the overall effect is splendid.

Classic, humourous, historical romance

I liked this book more as it progressed. I did not know who Harry (the main male character) will pick, this gives the book suspenses. I believe this is one of the reason I kept listen to find out who he would pick in the end.
If you don't like love triangles than this might not be for you, but I found it interesting in how characters acted in different situations.
The other reason why I loved it is because it is funny and I love books that can make me laugh but also has a serious note to it as well.
I would highly recommend this book.

Page Turner

I’ve been reading Trollope novels one after another and this is one of my favorites. The narration is so good that I pity anyone who’s merely read the book without getting to hear Nigel Patterson’ performance of the “Russian spy.” The book is romantic, dramatic and hilarious by turns.

Rather a Typical Trollope Story

Revealing the rules and ethics of the time, and their effects on the very human emotions and instincts of the characters. Turns of phrase and metaphors, as well as a nice ending, mark it as a Trollope work.

A classic love triangle in a classic novel...:)

I like old literature, the so-called classics:), but as I'm Polish I'm not as well acquainted with English/American writers as I would like to be (I mostly know the authors that were on my reading list at school - and that was like ages ago:)) - and so it happens that I've never before read anything by Anthony Trollope... So I'm glad I'd finally decided to try him out because it turned out to be a really nice experience.

It's a story of a typical love triangle of a man, his former and present love interests and his entanglement with his own feelings... in a word, a plot found in so many romance books that at first glance you might think enough is enough. But - as it's a classic - the story has so many layers that it keeps your interest and you go on listening/reading with pleasure. All the characters in the book feel true, some of them are really likeable, some become unbearable when you get to know them better, some turn out to be better, some worse than they seemed when we first met them... Just like in real life - they are all full of surprises. Also, the world described is so detailed, so rich that you feel submerged in the Victorian era with all its mannerisms, customs, and language. The language - that's what really makes the book so different from modern chick lit and romances (or any other genres, in fact). Nobody writes like old authors any more. The language of modern books is like modern life - rushed, fast, with short sentences, minimalistic descriptions only hinting on some details in world building.... and it's not bad, generally, but sometimes I lack that 'slowness' (for the lack of a better word) of the books of old. Trollope's langauge is like that - long, complex sentences, elaborate descriptions both of people and places, but also of the inner thoughts and motivations of the characters... That is the beauty of old books, of the 'classics' - they are not in a hurry, they don't count the pages, they don't rush the reader, just allow them to dwelve into the story and immerse themselves completely in the world of the book... But that's also what makes the books more difficult to read, especially for younger readers (the TV generations, you know:)). For me, it's definitely an advantage:)

As for the narration - it's very good. I like Mr Patterson's voice, the way he reads the narrative parts, the male voices. The only thing that may bother you is the fact that some of the female voices sound a bit strange, and in some of the dialogues it's at first difficult to follow who is speaking. That's why I deducted 1 star from my rating. But he's definitely a narrator worth coming back to.

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Excellent Trollope.

Perhaps the most intense Trollope story I've ever read (or listened to). Very highly recommended.