Trollope's most "subversive" novel, this is a wide-ranging condemnation of group morals, collective prejudice and the devastating power that conventional values have upon well intentioned individuals.
Dr Wortle's School (Penguin Classics)
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About the Author
Anthony Trollope (1815 - 1882) enjoyed considerable acclaim as a novelist during his lifetime, publishing over forty novels and many short stories. The Warden, the first of his novels to achieve success was succeeded by the sequence of 'Barsetshire novels' and the six brilliant Palliser novels. His novels have remained well-loved today. Mick Imlah, formerly Junior Lecturer in English at Magdalen College, Oxford, is a published poet and works at the TLS.
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First Sentence
The Rev. Jeffrey Wortle, DD, was a man much esteemed by others, - and by himself. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
The Rev. Jeffrey Wortle, DD, was a man much esteemed by others, - and by himself. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Didier
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
I must confess that I am a great Trollope-lover, having read everything by him that I could get my hands on, and though I liked some better than others there is not a single novel by him that I would not gladly re-read given the time (but there's the rub of course). So obviously, this will not be, not even remotely, an objective review, but having said that: is any review, when it comes to fiction?
'Dr. Wortle's School' is perhaps the shortest Trollope-novel (a mere 270 pages), and the story's easily summarized: Dr. Wortle is not only a curate but also runs a private boarding school for young boys, and when he engages Dr. Peacocke as a headmaster and his American wife as a caretaker he is soon eminently pleased with them. However, the Peacockes socially do not mix with other people, and before long it appears there is a dreadful secret in their past: they were married believing Mrs. Peacocke's first husband dead when afterwards, it turned out he was anything but... The neighbourhood, Dr. Wortle's bishop, and several of the boys' parents are scandalized but Dr. Wortle himself, having learned the details of Mr. Peacocke himself, comes to his defense. And as the bishop has learned on previous occasions, once Dr. Wortle has made up his mind there is nothing that will sway him: 'What he did I would have done, and I'll stick to him through it all in spite of the Bishop, in spite of the newspapers, and in spite of all the rancour of my enemies.'
One the one hand, this is a typical Trollope-novel, with memorable characters finely drawn and entirely credible, fine dialogues, and that unique, subtle mix of serious topics and mild irony. But on the other hand, it's unlike any other Trollope-novel! Usually, Trollope aligns himself with what 'Society' thinks, and characters in his other novels who behave in ways not condoned by Society do so at their peril, while here he staunchly argues that, on rare occasions, Society and convention may well be wrong, and an individual must dare to be unconventional in order to do 'the right thing'.
All in all, another fine Trollope-novel!
'Dr. Wortle's School' is perhaps the shortest Trollope-novel (a mere 270 pages), and the story's easily summarized: Dr. Wortle is not only a curate but also runs a private boarding school for young boys, and when he engages Dr. Peacocke as a headmaster and his American wife as a caretaker he is soon eminently pleased with them. However, the Peacockes socially do not mix with other people, and before long it appears there is a dreadful secret in their past: they were married believing Mrs. Peacocke's first husband dead when afterwards, it turned out he was anything but... The neighbourhood, Dr. Wortle's bishop, and several of the boys' parents are scandalized but Dr. Wortle himself, having learned the details of Mr. Peacocke himself, comes to his defense. And as the bishop has learned on previous occasions, once Dr. Wortle has made up his mind there is nothing that will sway him: 'What he did I would have done, and I'll stick to him through it all in spite of the Bishop, in spite of the newspapers, and in spite of all the rancour of my enemies.'
One the one hand, this is a typical Trollope-novel, with memorable characters finely drawn and entirely credible, fine dialogues, and that unique, subtle mix of serious topics and mild irony. But on the other hand, it's unlike any other Trollope-novel! Usually, Trollope aligns himself with what 'Society' thinks, and characters in his other novels who behave in ways not condoned by Society do so at their peril, while here he staunchly argues that, on rare occasions, Society and convention may well be wrong, and an individual must dare to be unconventional in order to do 'the right thing'.
All in all, another fine Trollope-novel!
9 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Exceptional even among the Penguin introductions, Imlah's helpful guide to this Trollope will be of use to lay reader and student alike. I am a great lover of Trollope, but I still learned a great deal from this edition.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars
6 reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Trollope Treat
12 Sep 2000
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Dr. Wortle's School is basically the story of two couples in love and how their affections disrupt the tranquil setting of the school. The main plot revolves around Dr. Wortle's "usher" or school assistant, Mr. Peacocke and his wife. A scandal from their past threatens their happiness. The second, very minor, plot is the love story between Dr. Wortle's daughter, Mary and the good-natured Lord Carstairs.
The joy of the novel is watching Dr. Wortle deal with these crises. Will he stand by Mr. Peacocke in his time of need? Will he allow his daughter to become engaged to the very young Lord Carstairs? The answers to these questions and the reactions of the other characters are handled in the typical Trollope fashion, with compassion and common sense. Sprinkle the whole thing with deft strokes of humor and you have what is Dr. Wortle's School.
As I mentioned in my review of Castle Richmond, I am amazed what a modern thinker Trollope was. His reputation as a "old-fashioned" author is entirely undeserved. In a day and age (late 1870s)when actions and image were everything, where a hint of scandal could ruin a person, it must have seemed radical to stress that persons should be judged as much on their "nature" or character as anything else. This is one of those general notions that could be applied just as well in 2000 as in 1878.
You might wonder, given what I have already said, why I give Dr. Wortle's School four stars. When you compare them to his towering Last Chronicle of Barset, Orley Farm and The Way We Live Now, it seems a slight injustice to those five star books to give all the others five stars. Dr. Wortle's School is very readable certainly, but it does not quite obtain the status of "masterpiece" that these other novels can claim. As always, Trollop's humor, dialogue, and characterizations make this an enjoyable novel that can be recommeded to anyone.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A moral dilemma
16 Nov 2003
By Eileen Rieback
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
This novel, one of Anthony Trollope's shortest, deals with a scandal that arises when the bigamous marriage of school teacher Mr. Peacock and his supposed wife is uncovered. In the moral climate of Victorian England, the repercussions of that discovery spread swiftly and severely. The fallout not only harms the Peacocks, but schoolmaster Dr. Wortle and the reputation of his school. The story dwells less upon the secret bigamous marriage itself than upon the the moral dilemma resulting from it: whether something that seems on the surface to be immoral is in truth not really a sin. Dr. Wortle, rather than the Peacocks, is the central character of the story. It is through his fair and compassionate eyes that the reader ponders whether the relationship between Mr. Peacock and his "wife" was really less sinful than any other choice available to the couple. His views are contrasted to those of the Church and to the society as a whole.
Trollope introduces a note of levity to the story with a side plot concerning the love between Dr. Wortle's daughter Mary and young Lord Carstairs, a student at the school. Trollope also takes some interesting potshots at America, particularly the lawlessness and licentiousness of the American West. A good introduction and footnotes to the novel provide background information on Trollope's ideas and personal life, and how they are reflected in the story. If you are hesitant to try a novel by Trollope, this would be a good one to start with.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A well-balanced portrait of compassion and forgiveness
12 Sep 2000
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
In 'Dr. Wortle's School' Anthony Trollope takes on a very controversial and scandalous subject, that of a bigamous marriage. With a very even hand Trollope allows us to see into the motivations of his characters and truly come to understand why they've done the things they've done, and how they justify their actions. Instead of preaching religion, which clearly isn't Trollope's style, he chooses to take a more liberal look at the underlying morality of the actions of his characters. 'Dr. Wortle's School' has a very modern ring for a Victorian novel, and the themes and characters could easily have been depicted by Joanna rather than Anthony Trollope. Add to that the mysterious tone of Wilkie Collins and you have a very satisfying Victorian novel.
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4.2 out of 5 stars
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