Doctor Thorne (Paperback, Reissue)

'A novel should give a picture of common life enlivened by humour and sweetened by pathos.' In Dr Thorne Trollope admirably fulfils his own criteria as he recounts the story of Frank Gresham and Mary Thorne, intent on marriage despite Mary's ostensible poverty. Only the doctor knows that Mary is to inherit a large legacy that will suddenly make her acceptable to the otherwise disapproving middle-class society to which Frank belongs. There is no mystery or suspense in the telling of this story. Rather, Trollope takes the reader into his confidence and captures the imagination by means of unforgettable scenes, a lively portrayal of character and a realistic representation of society. In Frank and Mary, Trollope has given us two of his most attractive characters and, in a story that satisfies both their personal desires and the materialistic aspirations of society, has created one of his happiest novels.