Can You Forgive Her?

By: Anthony Trollope

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Can You Forgive Her? is the first of the six Palliser novels. Here Trollope examines parliamentary election and marriage, politics and privacy. As he dissects the Victorian upper class, issues and people shed their pretenses under his patient, ironic probe.

Alice Vavasor cannot decide whether to marry her ambitious but violent cousin George or the upright and gentlemanly John Grey—and so finds herself accepting and rejecting each of them in turn. She is increasingly confused about her own feelings and unable to forgive herself for such vacillation—a situation contrasted with that of her friend Lady Glencora, forced by “sagacious heads” to marry the rising politician Plantagenet Palliser in order to prevent her true love, the worthless Burgo Fitzgerald, from wasting her vast fortune. In asking his readers to pardon Alice for her transgression of the Victorian moral code, Trollope created a telling and wide-ranging account of the social world of his day.

Public Domain (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

Praise for Barchester Towers: “Obviously, [Vance] relishes impersonating the dramatis personae." ( AudioFile)

Stunning performance

I first read this 40 years ago and still love it and pretty much everything Trollope wrote. I think Vance’s reading is one of the best I’ve ever listened to. But do the English really say dew-enna for duenna?

Charming

I listened to this twice. First time I felt impatient at the slow story line and incomprehensible in this day and age actions of female primary characters. Second time, years later, pandemic listening, the story slowly and delightfully unfolded. I accepted foibles and savored the sly humor.

The typically engaging use of language

George was infuriating! But Trollope has a way of getting to the heart of his characters, such that most aren’t wholly good or bad.

A bit dated, but engaging tale of Victorian women

What did you love best about Can You Forgive Her??

The character of Alice Vavosar was so realistic and a truly wonderful person, that you really cared about what happens to her.

What other book might you compare Can You Forgive Her? to and why?

I suppose the Elizabeth Gaskell books about small town life are similar but this deals mainly with the upper classes and politics. The women are very similar.

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

He does both men and women's voices wonderfully. His Mr. Grey and Mr. Palliser voices were my favorites.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Mr. Grey again asks Alice to be his, tells her he will never give up on her and she finally relents. You want this to happen so badly at this point that you feel like cheering, however if you are listening long into the night when this comes up, I advise against it, as your partner may get upset with you!

Troll up at his best

The narration could not have been better. Yes, a long tail, but told well. I forgave them all.