One of Anthony Trollope’s later tales, ‘Is He Popenjoy?’ is a comic novel which deals with themes of inheritance and illegitimacy. The novel centres around the contested inheritance of Manor Cross, a large family estate. Having spent time abroad, the Marquis of Manor Cross returns to England with his new Italian wife and son, Lord Popenjoy, but soon reveals himself to be a tyrannical character. His brother Lord George Germain must vacate the property for his brother the Marquis, but questions soon arise as to the legitimacy of his marriage and heir. This Trollope tale is full of twists and turns, scheming and jealousy. Fans of the book may also enjoy Trollope’s earlier novel ‘He Knew He Was Right’.
Anthony Trollope (1815 – 1882) was a Victorian writer and author of 47 novels. He also wrote an autobiography, short stories and plays, travel articles, reviews and lectures. A prolific writer, he made no secret of the fact that money was his motivation for writing – an admission which raised eyebrows among his literary contemporaries at the time. The amount of works Trollope authored are testament to his belief in hard work. His first successful novel was The Warden followed by its sequel, Barchester Towers. The Chronicles of Barsetshire are perhaps his most well-known series of novels, though many of his works have been adapted for TV and radio, starring many familiar faces such as Alan Rickman, David Tennant, Bill Nighy and Tom Hollander. Alongside his literary career, Trollope also worked for some time for the Post Office and is credited with the introduction of the iconic post box to Britain. A memorial to Anthony Trollope was unveiled in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey in 1993.
