Isn't The Eustace Diamonds the first of the Palliser novels? Loved the (really, really long) series
That was the first Trollope I read, and Lizzie Eustace is one of the great characteres. But Can You Forgive Her? is actually the first Palliser. And pretty good as a stand-alone -- but in connection with JZ's comment, you need a certain grounding in (and tolerance for) middle class Victorian social norms.
Second The Way We Live Now, but it's very long.
The Fixed Period is shorter but not representative of Trollope's work. It's actually SF -- the basic plot is similar to Logan's Run. No, not kidding.
For something of a manageable length that's representative -- I'm not sure I could go with one. Orley Farm is good, but maybe longer than you'd like.
I know I'm picky about my apocalypses, but this [link] seems particularly unrealistic and anvil filled.
I've downloaded the whole series that begins with The Warden, so we'll see how that goes.
The Warden
is a sweet little book, but if it starts to bore you then feel free to skip ahead to
Barchester Towers,
which is quite a bit livelier (and the first Trollope I read -- everything builds tightly from there on out and thenceforth you've really got to read it all in sequence, but it is possible to start the series with the second book if the first one really doesn't grab you).
feel free to skip ahead
It seems like English and yet...
Naturally, the only Trollope I've read is
The Warden.
Heh. I actually *love*
The Warden;
I just want everyone to love Trollope as much as I do, and I don't want Connie to give up on him if it turns out
The Warden
is not quite her speed.
I'm more than up to the foibles of the Victorian middle class. I've read many a Regency romance and am well-versed in the "We must get darling Clara married before it's too late, and whatever shall we do dear, dreadful Rupert?"
I remember liking
The Warden
well enough, but just not in an OMG-that-was-so-great-I-must-read-more way.
See also
Under the Greenwood Tree.
Sometimes my completist tendencies do me wrong.
I generally looove my kindle (goodbye days of not having enough room in the bag for the number of books I need!), but admit the inability to flip around and find the sections you want is irritating. I mean, you can "bookmark" stuff, but it's just not nearly as easy. I don't usually have a problem with that, but when I was using a guidebook on the kindle it was a big PITA.
