The Way We Live Now

The Way We Live Now is a book by Anthony Trollope, first published in 1875. Written at a moment when public anxiety over financial scandals and moral decline ran high, it stands as one of Trollope’s most incisive examinations of Victorian society.

The novel blends social commentary with a broad cast of vividly drawn characters, offering a pointed look at ambition, speculation, and the cost of following fashion over principle. Its scope and sharp tone make it a defining work in nineteenth-century literary realism.

At the centre of the story stands Augustus Melmotte, a mysterious financier whose sudden rise unsettles the established order. His influence shapes the fortunes and misfortunes of families, investors, and social climbers who gather around him.

Parallel threads follow characters such as Lady Carbury and her son Sir Felix, whose efforts to secure wealth and status reveal the pressures and vanities of the era. Trollope uses these interconnected lives to explore themes of integrity, greed, and the danger of unchecked optimism – issues that feel strikingly familiar today.

The novel builds its power through clear-sighted observation and an unflinching look at how society responds to promised prosperity. Its blend of romance, satire, and social critique gives readers a panoramic view of Victorian life, from drawing rooms to boardrooms.