TROLLOPE ADAPTED

New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 514, 29 April 1949, Page 5

TROLLOPE ADAPTED

Sir-F. G. Tucker (Gisborne) is probably. wrong in his surmise that Trollope, .in the autobiography, excluded The Small House at_ Allington from the Barsetshire series by an oversight. Michael . Sadlier, in his. commentaty, says that "Trollope set so strict an interpretation on the phrase, ‘The Chronicles of Barsetshire’ that he was unwilling to reckon even The Small House af Allington among their number. When at last he yielded to pressure from friends and publishers, it was against his better judgment." In the same commentary is a redrawing of the map of Barsetshire, prepared by Trollope when writing Framley Parsonage and it is significant that Allington does not appear on that map. Although Trollope was, on the whole, eminently reasonable, he could at times be very disputatious and obstinate, It is recorded that once at a meeting of Post Office surveyors, he roared to the speaker who preceded him, "I differ from you entirely; what was it you said?" It is therefore likely that Trollope excluded The Small House without sound reason and then when overcome by the arguments of friends and publishers gave a growling consent to its inclusion. The Oxford Companion correctly: quoted the autobiography but failed to realise that Trollope yielded to better counsel and that the book itself. proves that it must be included in the series.: I have listened to one episode of The Lilian Dale Affair and foufd it a travesty of The Small House both as to the incidents and the spirit Of the story. While Trollope was on a voyage to Australia and New Zealand in 187172 Charles Reade took the plot of Trollope’s -book- Ralph the Heir and made a play of it. This led to a

first-class row. If his ghost walked there would be.trouble for the latest adapters.

R. L.

ANDREW

(Kelburn).