The Way We Live Now

By: Anthony Trollope

Narrated by: Timothy West

Length: 32 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Exclusively from Audible

In this world of bribes, vendettas, and swindling, in which heiresses are gambled and won, Trollope's characters embody all the vices: Lady Carbury is 'false from head to foot'; her son Felix has 'the instincts of a horse, not approaching the higher sympathies of a dog'; and Melmotte - the colossal figure who dominates the book - is a 'horrid, big, rich scoundrel...a bloated swindler...a vile city ruffian'. But as vile as he is, he is considered one of Trollope's greatest creations.

Trollope's highly regarded satire is about the dishonest and villainous financier, Augustus Melmotte, who captivates and buys his way into the corrupt aristocratic society of London, throwing it into turmoil.

Described by The Guardian as 'the darkest of Trollope's 47 novels' it is also the longest with gloriously rich subplots. Inspired by the financial scandals of the 1870s, the novel is a dramatization of how greed and dishonesty permeated life during that era.

The Way We Live Now has become recognised as Trollope's masterpiece and was featured at Number 22 in The Guardian's 100 best novels.

Narrator Biography

Timothy West is prolific in film, television, theatre, and audiobooks. He has narrated a number of Anthony Trollope's classic audiobooks, including the six Chronicles of Barsetshire and The Pallisers series. He has also narrated volumes of Simon Schama's A History of Britain and John Mortimer's Rumpole on Trial.

Timothy West's theatrical credits include King Lear, The Vote, Uncle Vanya, A Number, Quarter, and Coriolanus and his films include Ever After, Joan Of Arc, Endgame, Iris, and The Day of the Jackal. On television, Timothy has appeared in Broken Biscuits (BBC), Great Canal Journeys (across 3 Series), and the regular role of Stan Carter on EastEnders (BBC).

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A tale of financial skulduggery reminiscent of recent city scandals." ( Daily Telegraph)

what a story!

everything after melmot's death could be lost and not hurt the novel but up to that it's great.

Most delicious irony

I never expected 19th century fiction to be as relevant and delicious as this is. You have it all - a devilishly witty narrator, a self-destructive gambling son and his over-protective mother, a european ponzie scheme based on american railroad speculation, and aristocratic characters motivated by trivial, petty, and self-destructive psychology. I would love to see this novel turned into a movie or series. Very British yet so contemporary.

A pleasant surprise

I am very glad I have this a chance.
I hated to see it end after spending so much time with them.
Some say he is wordy, but I either am not noticing or did not see this as wordy.
Well worth a try.

Such a surprise

I was dropped down into 19th Century London...with a host of characters brought to life by the amazing narrator and multiple-voice talents of Timothy West.

A vulgarian fraud dazzles a nation

Brilliant, complexly-interwoven multi-plot novel about how a nation’s elite are captivated by a fraudulent “man of business.” Every sentence a pleasure.

Absolutely brilliant!

Amazing novel and an amazing performance by the narrator! Five stars are too few. I'll definitely be listening to other books read by Mr. West.

This book really surprised me.

I got this book on an impulse. Loved every minute of it. Highly recommend it.

Wonderful Performance

The Way We Live Now shows all the strengths of the novel at the time, but also many of its maddening weaknesses for partisans of the modern novel. Women are desirable because the author says so, and most often by being submissive. The best characters are the bad people, and especially Mrs. Hurtle and the crazed financier Mr. Melmotte. Though the novel is discusses as satire, the bland good people end up with the land, the cash, and the best partners in marriage. It's a good thing that the working people -- bakers, and millers, and farmers -- have the rich to look after them. This fairy-land is protected from "Americans", Jews, and Catholics. Individual scenes are handled very well. Trollope is a master of moving, very slowly, towards his goal -- which is to make the publishers pay for every word. The saving grace here is the immense talent of Timothy West, OBE. His character voices are vivid and lend a depth they would not have as simply words on a page..

The way we live still.

This beautifully narrated book cushioned me through a time of stress. The characters were clear and easy to connect to, the relationship tangles were relatable, and the villian(s) actually generated some compassion in me.
Others have remarked how close to our time Melmotte's ponzi process is; I learnt a bit about how Madoff functioned from Anthony Trollope of 150 years ago. I was also enchanted by his expression, through gentle satire, of gender and class questions. Of course the use of language, too, is deeply satisfying.
I hadn't known about this book, so thank you Audible. I see it is a favourite for many. For me it will come 2nd place to The Warden.

Absolute Delight!

I’m a latecomer to Trollope, but what a gem this was. One of the best narrators that I’ve heard, and I’m an avid listener. Now I fear it will be all Trollope all the time!