Well, Trollope’s 200th birthday was last year so I could say that my completion of the six Palliser novels in January 2016 is a bit of a day late a dollar short. But on the other hand, I just finished almost 5,000 pages of Trollope, so who cares if I am 20 days late. I suppose I should also point out that I didn’t read all six of them in 2015 but I did read four of the six last year.
Overall I still prefer the Barsetshire novels over the Palliser novels mainly because I prefer Church of England gossip over parliamentary gossip. And there were moments in the Pallisers where the political talk got a little boring because I didn’t understand enough about the issues being discussed to get really interested. Small point though. I love Trollope.
Now that I am finished. What did I think? Will I always ask myself questions? Just a cheap literary cheat when I don’t have the energy to be clever? Even lazier, I am going to make a list.
Ranking the Pallisers
6. Phineas Finn (Book 2)
5. Phineas Redux (Book 4)
4. The Duke’s Children (Book 6)
3. The Eustace Diamonds (Book 3)
1. (tie) Can You Forgive Her? (Book 1)
1. (tie) The Prime Minister (Book 5)
This was way harder then I thought it would be. The Prime Minister tied for the top spot because I loved how awful Ferdinand Lopez was. Without him, Can You Forgive Her? would not have t share number 1.
Favorite character names: Sir Gregory Grogram (appears in Books 1, 4, and 5) and Samuel Cheesacre (Book 1).
Favorite meta moment: When one of the characters talks about putting a letter in a pillar box–the mail receptacle Trollope helped introduce into usage in the Channel Islands and ultimately mainland UK.
hogglestock 
I am planning to start the Pallisers in February. I’m glad the first one is a winner! I’ve read the Barsetshire novels and loved them.
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Congratulations! I haven’t touched a Palliser since The Eustace Diamonds last year, it’s been ages. I did read C.P. Snow’s short biography which I enjoyed very much. I think I got sidetracked by Hardy and Wilkie Collins, am in the midst of Armadale right now which I’m really enjoying.
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I think I loved the Barsetshire and Palliser series equally. I plan to read The Way We Live Now some time soon. It’ll be my first Trollope that doesn’t belong to a series.
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Have a feeling the Barsetshire Chronicles will remain my favorites, too. I finished the series in December and have missed the characters ever since. My plan is to read a couple of standalones this year and then continue with the Pallisers in 2017. Trollope has become a favorite!
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I am currently about 2/3rds through ‘Can You Forgive Her?’. This is my first time reading Trollope and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I share your opinion of Mr. Cheeseacre (great character name, btw). I am pleased to read that you consider the next book in series, ‘Phineas Finn’ to be one of his best as the plan is to eventually make it through the entire series in 2016. My TBR list seems to be filling up with a lot of long novels this year.
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That list of mine was reverse order counting down to my favorite. Phineas Finn was my least favorite. And because it was the second book, it almost made me give up on the whole series. Glad I didn’t.
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Yikes! Thanks for the clarification Thomas. Nevertheless, I will go forth and read them in order, keeping in mind your above disclosure. Cheers.
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I’m part way through the Barsetshires at the moment – I kind of wish I had physical copies as seeing them would make me remember to pick the next one up, rather than having to go to my Kindle to select the set … I’m looking forward to the Pallisers afterwards, though.
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I find I also like the physical copies so I can see how things are spelled and go back for clarifications and reminders.
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