New month, new book

 Just two days ago, the final book club meeting of the Trollope Society was held to discuss Mr. Scarborough's Family.  And so now we turn to the next novel on this year's reading list:  The Belton Estate.  This book was first published in 1865.  Just as a violent civil war was coming to a close in the USA, Anthony Trollope wrote this book about a young woman choosing between two suitors.  Thorny issues of inheritance and measuring the qualities of two imperfect men are themes in this short novel by the prolific author.  I look forward to the book as the summer reading season begins.

Next up

 Yesterday was the final meeting of the Trollope Society to discuss the current title of the ongoing Big Read.  The meeting presentation was given by Oxford University professor Nicholas Shrimpton, and was a detailed historical analysis of one of Anthony Trollope's lesser known works, The Bertrams.  As is usual in these bi-weekly Zoom meetings, I learned a great deal and gained much more insight into the novel than I would have on my own.  Each meeting has about 100 participants from all around the world, and their viewpoints in the small breakout groups and in the final full group discussion never fail to be enriching.

And so today begins the next novel in this year's reading list: Mr Scarborough's Family.  This work was published in 1883 and was one of the last of Trollope's many works to reach the public.  As always, I've prepared myself with a print copy I obtain through the used book clearinghouse webpage ABE Books, as well as a digital version downloaded from Project Gutenberg to my vintage second generation Kindle.  I'll dive into the new book later today, and look forward to discovering another work from the highly prolific Victorian author.

Big Read '26

 Today begins another year of The Big Read, a global online book club organized by The Trollope Society.  Every other Monday through the year, as I did all last year, I join in the discussion via Zoom meeting with Anthony Trollope fans all around the world to discuss one of the prolific author's novels.  Today begins discussion of Rachel Ray, the story of a young country girl as she deals with the hurdles and difficulties of building a social life for herself.  She does this while enduring the critical gossip of a small town, the well-meaning but hapless advice from a weak-minded mother, and the downright maliciousness of a religious-zealot sister.  Even being nearly 200 years old, the story rings true in many aspects and is relatable today.  I look forward to hearing what my fellow Trollopians have to say later today.

So long, '25!

 On the last day of this seemingly long year, some of us inevitably turn a little contemplative and assess the past twelve months and the changes they've brought to the world.  In just such a mood I write this on a cold, sunny morning in central Alabama, while weighing my role in the universe.

From a personal standpoint, it's been a pretty mixed year.  As are most of them, I suppose, with ups and downs that culminate in a general sense of turmoil or serenity, as the case may be.  Early on in the year, I experienced a potentially serious health episode which resulted in my first ever ambulance ride and ICU admission.  Things turned out alright, and I used the episode to spark a renewed effort in personal wellness.  Through the rest of the year, I've accomplished some much-needed weight loss, improved my fitness, and improved some worrisome medical measurements.  By December, my annual physical exam produced a panel of blood test lab results that were, as my medical professional wife called "textbook perfect."  This is an area that I hope to continue in the coming year.  This summer also saw a landmark birthday for me, which was allowed to pass with a minimum of fanfare, as I had hoped.  Age hasn't produced wisdom, but it has certainly provided experience, which is maybe the next best thing.

The past year also saw our first real vacation in over five years.  In it, I overcame my aversion to the hassles and disappointments that so often accompany modern air travel, and we had perfectly smooth travel to a beautiful location on the midcoast of Maine.  Wonderful weather and beautiful scenery made it an enjoyable and memorable trip.  I only wish such a trip could be reliably reproduced!  Closer to home, I expanded my literary horizons with regular participation in the Trollope Society Big Read, where we read and discussed works of the prolific Victorian author.  That's also something I will continue this year.  This year I took the plunge and arranged to have professional landscapers to tend to our property, freeing me from the drudgery of lawn mowing and yard work.  It's made a tremendous difference in my life, and I wish I'd turned to this option years ago.  And finally, I've been diligently puttering along with Postcrossing, where I exchange postal messages with other like-minded people all around the world.  The daily arrival of a tiny personal connection to another human being does wonders for one's outlook on life.

Taking a wider view, things are decidedly less rosy.  My country continues to suffer a despicable felon at the head of government.  In the past year, nearly everything that could seriously be said to "make America great" has been dismantled or seriously damaged.  As a working research scientist, I have grown an astonishing capacity to absorb the daily developments that represent destruction of the nation's once respected and admired scientific system.  Higher education is under assault, research funding is a shambles, once respectable agencies are now run by crackpot hacks, and the nation's proud scientific tradition is a smoking ruin.  Restoration, if begun tomorrow, would take years to return us to the condition we boasted only 12 months ago.  This is just the area of life with which I am most familiar.  But almost every other aspect of American life has been systematically destroyed in the past year.  The environment is being destroyed, the arts are being demolished, rule of law is being contorted to unrecognizable dimensions, public health, safety, and welfare are a shadow of their former selves, international relations are a shambles, and simple American principles like Freedom of Speech are no longer upheld.  To merely express disapproval of the current regime is to invite thuggish retribution from the government or its agents.  It is difficult for me to express how much I despise the current demented resident of the White House (what remains of it) or of his ignorant cult of supporters.  Fortunately, Postcrossing members do not often delve into politics, and I am only occasionally required to apologize for the disgrace that my country has become.

Since my personal life is on balance a good one, and since the conditions of the wider world are so bad, perhaps it is understandable that my coping mechanism has been to ignore the outside to that extent possible, and instead focus on life close to home.  If I were a better person, I might try to do small things to change the world for the better, for that's what will be required if we are ever to return to a sensible existence on this country.  But I simply don't have that sort of energy.  So I'll content myself with my books, my postcards, my experiments - in the laboratory at work, and in the kitchen at home - and try to hold on until the national pendulum inevitably swings back towards sanity.  Will that begin in the year that begins tomorrow?  I'm not hopeful.  But it surely will eventually, given enough time.  And I will try my best to endure until it does.

Big Read finale

 For the past year, I have been participating in The Big Read from the Trollope Society.  In bi-weekly Zoom meetings from London, UK, I have joined in the discussion of several worthy novels by the prolific Victorian author Anthony Trollope.  Coming into 2025, I was well familiar with Trollope's best-know novel series, the Chronicles of Barsetshire, and the Pallisers, but little beyond that.  By following along with this year's reading list, I have been exposed to a much wider selection of the author's works.  Some of the books I have enjoyed greatly...others, not so much.  But it was all time well spent.  And now I embark on the final reading assignment of the year.  It is the short story Christmas at Thompson Hall, first published in 1876.  Instead of buying a bound paper copy of the book as I usually do, I've instead downloaded the text from Project Gutenberg to read on my vintage 2nd generation Kindle.  Instead of turning pages, I'll be virtually flipping them with a button press.  But by the final meeting on December 22, I will have completed the entire reading list of this year's Big Read.

Vacation reading

 

On every vacation I've ever taken, I always have a book or two with me to fill the quiet moments.  Though it is apparently now rare, I still frequently read for pleasure, and a cozy little house in midcoast Maine is the perfect spot for it.  A cup of coffee, a sofa, and a good book are all anyone needs, according to Anthony Trollope.  And this vacation is no different.  I've been reading two books, and picked up a third while here at a local bookshop.  The first is The Three Clerks, by Anthony Trollope.  This is the current book in a year-long series that is the subject of bi-weekly zoom meetings from London, UK.  While I have a fine print copy, I've been reading this one on my ancient 2nd generation Kindle reader.  It's no longer fully functional, as Amazon stopped supporting direct connections to it some time ago.  But the device works perfectly well, and I can patch it into my laptop to download free books from Project Gutenberg which provides open access text files that work with this old reader.  So I've been plodding along with this novel, which is not my absolute favorite of all Trollope's works.  It is the story of three clerks in the English civil service, and the trouble they get into- in relationships and in business.

Even 15-year old Kindles have their place for avid readers

Much more interesting is a book that was recommended to me by a reader of this blog.  Mailman, by Stephen Starring Grant is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the operations of the US Postal Service.  In 2020 when Covid started to change the world, Grant was a high earning consultant living in Blacksburg, Virginia but often travelling to NYC and other cities on business.  But as the pandemic raged, he suddenly lost his job and was simultaneously diagnosed with cancer.  With a family to support, he decided to take a job as a postal carrier in rural Appalachia.  This book recounts his gripping experiences.  From an intense training period, to a long period of learning the actual skills required on the job, this is an attention grabbing book that reveals the work we, the public, take for granted in our postal system.  It is a huge and complex operation, and much more goes into delivering the daily mail - letters, bills, magazines, and parcels - than most of us think about.  I have a new appreciation for the USPS, and those who do their difficult job well without the recognition they deserve.

A fascinating look behind the curtain

And finally, I've been reading a small volume I bought while here in Rockland.  On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder is a timely book that addresses the current state of the country. Snyder is the Levin Professory of History at Yale University, and in this book he proposes 20 "lessons" to guide us as the USA goes through these dark days.  Each lesson is accompanied by historical context and examples of what happens when despots rule unchallenged.  A sobering and thought-provoking book.

A thought-provoking book for this dismal period

Next up

 The next book in this year's list of the Trollope Society's Big Read is The Three Clerks. This is Anthony Trollope's sixth novel (out of a total of 47), written when he was 42 years old.  The book was published amidst his familiar six book Chronicles of Barsetshire, which detailed life in an English country cathedral town.  In contrast, this current novel is set in London and deals will a trio of government employees.  Trollope, himself an administrator in the Royal Mail, would have been quite familiar with London office life, and perhaps for that reason, the author always spoke proudly of The Three Clerks.  I look forward to diving into this well made Trollope Society edition.

Late night reading

 Even though I've been an avid reader since early childhood, I was never one of those zealots who routinely read multiple books simultaneously.  A simple, linear progression of reading is more in line with my practical, boring self.  So I am stepping out of my comfort zone a little bit by beginning a second novel while I am in the midst of John Caldigate, by Anthony Trollope, one in a series of the year-long reading list from the Trollope Society.  What tempted me to add a second book to my daily TBR (to be read list, for you non-readers) is a newly instituted virtual book club from Stephen Colbert and The Late Show.  Recently, Colbert announced his new book club would kick off with Orbital, by Samantha Harvey.  The short novel is a Booker Prize winner, and at the outset seemed something that would interest me.  It covers the life of a group of astronauts living on the International Space Station.  As a space travel history buff of long standing, I think an account of life abord the space station would be fascinating.  Of course, modern space-age living will be a stark contrast with life of Victorian-era Australian gold prospectors, so I don't anticipate any problems keeping the plots of the two books separated.  Just finding spare time to devote to both is the main problem that arises.  But where there's a will, there's a way.

Next Trollope

 Earlier this week was the final Zoom meeting session to discuss the Anthony Trollope novel The Claverings.  This is a part of the ongoing Big Read project organized by The Trollope Society.  Starting today, I begin reading the next novel on the list, John Caldigate.  This is a story of a young man, estranged from his father, who leaves his home in England to make his fortune in Australia.  After doing so, he returns to England, only to be embroiled in a bigamy scandal when he is accused of being already married to an Australian wife when he marries in England.  The book is said to be Trollope's response to the common theme in the novels of Charles Dickens of bureaucratic incompetence, as exemplified in Little Dorrit by the Circumlocution Office, which displays its unerring knowledge of "how not to do things."  Trollope, himself a government official in the Royal Mail, refutes Dickens with characters who are government employees who possess cool efficiency and professionalism. I look forward to this book, and the bi-weekly Zoom meetings to discuss it.

Tony 210

 Happy 210th birthday to Anthony Trollope!  It was on this day in 1815 that one of the best known Victorian novelists was born.  That year also saw the Battle of Waterloo, and the end of the Napoleonic Wars.  It also was the year of the Corn Laws; protectionist tariffs are nothing new, you see.  Trollope's life saw a lot of social change and turmoil.  And before his death in 1882 he wrote 47 novels, along with short stories and travelogues.  All while holding a day job with the Royal Mail.  A remarkably prolific author.  His books are both entertaining and thought-provoking, as they satirize many social and political aspects of life in his day.  As I continue to read his works as park of the Trollope Society Big Read, I will remember this day as one that marks the beginning of an astonishing life.

Next book...

 Today is the final online book club meeting of the Trollope Society to discuss my current Trollope novel, Dr. Wortle's School.  It's been a fast read, and an interesting book.  One of the first Trollope books I've read that is set partly in the USA.  In fact, there is a suspenseful scene in my hometown of Chicago.  But with this meeting, we now turn attention to the book on the list, The Claverings.  This novel by Anthony Trollope was written in 1864 band published as a serial before being released as a complete novel.  It is the story of a man caught in a love triangle between two women.  I look forward to the story with some misgivings, however.  As is my practice, I bought a used copy of the book on ABE, and neglected to closely read the description.  What arrived was an Oxford University Press edition that might be called a pocket edition.  It is a very small, hardcover book, with very small type.  I hope my aging eyes will be able to cope.

New month, new book

 Earlier this week, The Trollope Society held the final online book club meeting of the novel we'd been reading since the beginning of the year, The Vicar of Bullhampton.  I thoroughly enjoyed the book, which was completely new to me.  Anthony Trollope was an especially prolific writer, so even though I've read his works for many years, there are still many that I have yet to read.  Another such novel is Dr. Wortle's School, which is the next book in the yearlong book club reading list.  This one is a bit shorter, and will be covered in two bi-weekly meetings, as opposed to the six that covered Vicar of Bullhampton.  As I dive into one of Anthony Trollope's last novels, I gather it will cover what was in Victorian times an unpardonable sin:  a man and woman living together, unmarried.  Such a condition is now commonplace, but even still, we have other issues of intolerance and bigotry that are the modern day equivalents of "living in sin".  What lessons will Trollope offer for those who judge and those who are judged by an intolerant society?

An appeal for help

 This morning I learned the name of one of the many victims of the Los Angeles wildfires: Simon Vance.  The name resonated with me because he is my favorite audiobook narrator.  It is to Vance that I owe my longstanding deep love of the works of Charles Dickens; he was the narrator of Bleak House that I first listened to decades ago.  Since then, Simon Vance has been for me the voice of Dickens, Trollope, Hardy, Eliot, and Patrick O'Brian along with dozens of other authors.  You see, in my always solitary and often repetitive work, I resort to audiobooks to occupy the time.  Among book narrators, Simon Vance is simply the best.  He has an uncanny ability to create character voices - both male and female - that give life to every passage of dialog.  He has a true actor's capacity to express the emotion and feeling of every scene that I can't help thinking any author, even those long dead, would applaud.  It would be difficult to understate the impact Vance's exemplary work has had on my life for many years.

So I was particularly moved when I learned this morning that Vance was among the many who have lost their home to the southern California fires.  Not surprisingly, a friend of Vance and his wife has set up a GoFundMe page on their behalf to assist in their time of need.  In situations such as this, there are familiar excuses to not help out:  Celebrities are not deserving of help.  Living in that region of California, he is certainly rich.  He should have insurance that will fully and immediately make him whole.  But so strong is my respect and admiration for his work, I overcame these excuses and made a small contribution to the fund.  I mean, Vance is a prominent voice performer, but hardly a household name.  I have no idea what his personal financial or insurance situation is, but I won't begrudge him on that account.  No, he is simply an individual whose work I admire, and I felt called to demonstrate my appreciation by lending symbolic assistance in his time of need.

The fires in southern California are a tremendous tragedy.  For those who wish to help, there are many worthy and deserving aid organizations to which one can donate:  The American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, and Los Angeles Animal Services are just a few examples.  But if you, like me, want to give direct help to an individual in need, please consider the Simon Vance GoFundMe page.

New year, new book

 Just as the year 2025 begins, I have begun to read a new book.  It is a Victorian novel by one of my favorite authors, Anthony Trollope.  The Vicar of Bullhampton is a stand-alone novel, not part of one of Trollope's novel series, like the Chronicles of Barestshire, or the Palliser series.  I chose this book since it will be the topic of discussion at an online bookclub organized by The Trollope Society.  The first 14 chapters are due to be covered in the first meeting on Monday, January 6, 2025.  So far, I've made it through eight chapters and found the book to have a faster start than some of Trollope's novels.  Several main characters have already been introduced, and there's been a minor scuffle between two of them.  Tension, conflict, and a budding love affair, all in the first 52 pages!  This novel was published in 1870, by which time the prolific Trollope was a well-established author.  I've read over a dozen of his other works and look forward to completing this one.

It's in the mail- UK edition

 Despite obvious differences, the postal systems of the United States and the United Kingdom share many similarities.  Most notably, they both currently suffer from serious mismanagement and regularly impose significant rate increases while services are in steep decline.  But the Royal Mail goes the extra mile to be dysfunctional while being privatized many years ago, and coming under foreign ownership most recently.  Finally, the Royal Mail has adopted ugly barcoded stamps, like some other European countries, while the USPS has so far avoided this travesty.  However, the Royal Mail has long excelled in the charming character of their public collection, or pillar, boxes.  Even today, these adhere to the classic design themes instituted by Anthony Trollope, the popular Victorian novelist who wrote books while keeping his day job as a postal official.  His classic red pillarbox design is a familiar symbol of the UK all around the world.  Part of the charm of Royal Mail boxes is that they bear the Royal Cypher of the reigning monarch when they were installed.  So one can trace the history of any pillar or wall box one might spot by reading the monarch's crest.  The most common, of course would be those boxes bearing the symbol of Queen Elizabeth II, due to her extraordinarily long reign.  But find a box old enough- and these durable articles exist- and you'll see the symbol of Queen Victoria from over 100 years ago.  So today, the notable event was reported- the installation of the first box bearing the cypher of King Charles III.  Another addition to the long, long history of the Royal Mail, which is enough to fill a 700 page book.

Happy Birthday Anthony!

 Today is the 209th birthday of one of my favorite authors, Anthony Trollope.  Yes, on April 24, 1815, Trollope was born in London.  A contemporary of Charles Dickens, he would never match Dickens' fame, but Trollope was a respected and popular author in his own right.  What's more amazing, he was a prolific writer while continually holding down a day job with the Royal Mail.  In fact, Anthony Trollope was responsible for the design of the familiar English pillar box postal collection container.  But mainly, he is known for his multitude of novels that examine class struggle, politics, and labor conditions of the Victorian age.  Among his many novels, my favorite is Doctor Thorne, which encompasses all these familiar themes, overlaid by warnings against the excesses of alcoholism. During a 2019 trip to London, I visited Trollope's grave in Kensal Green Cemetary, and there gave him my thanks for the many hours of enjoyment I've derived from his work.  Happy Birthday, Anthony!

Doctor Thorne

 Next up on my audio book list is a repeat.  Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope is one of my favorite Victorian novels, and I've read/listened to it several times before.  But I return again to hear the cautionary tale of excessive alcohol use.  And of course, the common Victorian themes of class struggle, wealth vs. poverty, and mis-matched marriages.  Of the six Trollope novels that comprise the Chronicles of Barsetshire, this is probably the best.  Revelation of unexpected identities always spice up a plotline.  And then there's the brother's beatdown of a dude who stands up his sister.  Family above everything; same as it ever was.  I don't know what it is that makes me read or listen to some books over and over, compared those that are one-and-done, versus those I never finish.  But this one has now become like a comfortable sweater that I break out occasionally when only familiarity will do.

Last of Barset

 Next up on my audio book listening list is The Last Chronicle of Barset, by Anthony Trollope.  This is the last of the six-book series referred to as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, a loosely connected collection of novels dealing with the fictional cathedral town of Barchester.

This final book of the series deals primarily with the crime story mystery of a clergyman who is accused of stealing a check and pocketing the money.  But as with nearly all Trollope novels, there is also a love story of two star-crossed, mis-matched lovers.  Such seems to always be the case in Victorian love stories- a couple separated by social rank, or wealth, or education; something that makes the union an improbable one which they ultimately overcome.  This is not my first time through this novel, or indeed the entire Barsetshire series.  But it's one I enjoy even though I know how the crime mystery ends up.  A few years ago, I was able to visit the grave of the author, Anthony Trollope, in the gigantic Kensal Green Cemetery in London where he rests.  And I feel a special connection to his prolific body of works.

Time Machine

 My day job as a research scientist, while very fulfilling, can often be repetitive, quiet, and solitary.  This lends itself to my heavy reliance on audio books to occupy my mind during the day's tasks.  Currently I am listening to The Duke's Children, by Anthony Trollope.  I am very partial to the English Victorian novelists, including Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, George Eliot, Trollope. Trollope was unique among them as he continued his day job while also being a prolific novelist: he was a senior official in the Royal Mail postal system.  In fact, he is responsible for the design of the characteristic English pillarbox mail collection box.  Therefore, many of his novels have characters writing letters which he describes in much more detail than any other author might.  As a postal enthusiast, I find this especially interesting.

The Duke's Children, by Anthony Trollope.  Folio Society edition.

My first venture into the tale of the Duke of Omnium was, however, not an audio book but a conventional paper one.  While I read the story, it struck me that though this was a common book, it was in a sense a time machine.  Somewhere in London two hundred years ago, a man sat at a table with a simple fountain pen, ink, and some paper.  With that and nothing more than his own creativity and imagination, he created the complex and elaborate world of the former Prime Minister of England and his family's dramas.  Copies of his writings were made by a then-painstaking printing process, and today are made by a more high-tech one.  As I read my book, I experienced in vivid detail the lifestyle of those who lived centuries ago.  Their speech, values, and daily activities were all brought forth to myself, living in the digital world of the 21st century.  Through a humble and simple book, a man's artistic skill and his contemporary lifestyle could be experienced by a modern reader.  Almost directly from his pen into my mind, 200 years later.  An astonishing achievement.

And if one is to read, why not do it with a little style?  The volume of this novel I read a few years ago was published by The Folio Society, a publisher who specializes in classics, printed and bound with extraordinary quality.  No cheap paperback, this.  My numbered, limited edition copy of Trollope's work was leatherbound, with handmade marbled endpapers and a high quality sewn binding.  It also was a complete version, restoring all the extensive text that Trollope grudgingly cut from his original manuscript in order to fit size requirements of his publishers at the time.  A companion text by a literary scholar is included, all contained in a hard slipcover.  As I say, if one reads, an elegant edition makes it all the more enjoyable.

While I enjoyed this novel the first time in its intended form, I now am re-reading (listening) to it via audio book.  This adds an additional layer of interpretation to the process, removing oneself slightly from direct commune with the author.  An audio book narrator can make or break the whole experience, but I have found one of the best.  When I obtain my audio books, my preference is for those read by Simon Vance.  He is simply the best.  A pleasant speaking voice, remarkable ability to give different voices to different characters' dialog, and an astonishing acting ability make him a leader in the field of audio book narration.