Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Reading England 2015 - Down to Devon with Anthony Trollope

Rachel Ray by Anthony Trollope



" ...and in those southern parts of Devonshire the summer sun in July is very hot. There is no other part of England like it. The lanes are low and narrow, and not a breath of air stirs through them. The ground rises in hills on all sides, so that every spot is a sheltered nook. The rich red earth drinks in the heat and holds it, and no breezes come up from the southern torpid sea. Of all counties in England Devonshire is the fairest to the eye..."
Rachel Ray p16


The first three stops on my journey through the counties were in the North and although I have enjoyed everything I've read it's nice to now travel to a part of the country little touched by the Industrial Revolution. I haven't been to Devon but I have been to others close by - Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and I imagine it is similar - they are all very beautiful.


Rachel Ray is set in the fictional small rural town of Baslehurst which Anthony Trollope based on the real town of Kingsbridge situated in the south at the head of an estuary and six miles from the sea.

Luke Rowan comes to Baslehurst when he inherits a part ownership in a brewery which is presently being run by Mr Tappit who makes ' vile beer', 'a muddy brew'. As most of the locals drink cider nobody cares about the quality of the beer but Luke is an ambitious young man with new ideas for improvements and it isn't long before he and Mr Tappit are at loggerheads. Mrs Tappit, however, has her eye on marrying him to one of her three daughters.

About a mile and a half outside Baslehurst is the tiny hamlet of Bragg's End.



'It had a little green and a little wooden bridge over a little stream - half a dozen labourer's cottages and a beer or cider shop.'

In one such cottage live the widowed Mrs Ray and her two daughters. The elder, Dorothea, after a short-lived marriage to a curate is also a widow and a firm adherent to the Evangelical faith, a believer that ' cheerfulness is a sin.' As Mrs Ray is a sweet but weak and indecisive woman Dorothea has no trouble in ruling the roost at home. The younger daughter, Rachel, is in her late teens, a pretty country girl with a happy disposition and enough spirit to stand up to her sister.

When Luke and Rachel meet there is an immediate attraction which very soon becomes, with Mrs Ray's wavering approval, an engagement. Unfortunately, when Luke has to go to London for a period of time the combined forces of Dorothea's disapproval and the Tappits campaign to blacken Luke's name pressure Mrs Ray into withdrawing her consent to the marriage and Rachel is forced to comply.

Rachel Ray is not only a charming love story but a portrayal of middle class provincial life. The gossip and conflicts of a small community and their mistrust and suspicion of outsiders, the influence of the dour and gloomy Evangelical religion, commerce, class warfare and politics make for very entertaining reading when told with typical Anthony Trollope humour.

Very easy to read and at 400p not too long - I would recommend Rachel Ray to anyone who hasn't read Anthony Trollope and not sure where to start.

I loved it!

Anthony Trollope Bicentennial Celebration
Reading England 2015





12 comments:

  1. That first picture is so enticing...Elizabeth Goudge also set several books in Devon and always makes it seems such a magical place.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I chose Gentian Hill for EG week because it was set in Devon and I could stay a bit longer.

      Delete
  2. I'm reading Rachel Ray right now for Devon! :) I've not read your post, I'm bookmarking it for when I've finished the book. Love the picture at the top!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you're enjoying it! Look forward to reading your post.

      Delete
  3. I really enjoyed this one! I was lucky enough to live in Devon for a few months when I was a teen-ager. I've always thought that Trollope had a special feeling for Devon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. According to the introduction in RR Devon was the county he knew best outside of London and he spent time there also as a boy. I loved his descriptions of the countryside.

      Delete
  4. Wonderful post, as usual. I have to get through my Barsetshire Chronicles first before I read any more Trollope but this one is certainly now on my radar. I've always wanted to visit Devon though I have no idea why. At least I can through the pages of Trollope!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have to finish the Barsetshire series too - hopefully this year -but quite happy to be sidetracked by other titles on the way. Devon & Cornwall I'd love to visit - maybe one day!

      Delete
  5. Another Trollope I must read after finishing our #6Barsets project! We're reading Doctor Thorne in May/June.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll be joining you in May/June - I put down Dr Thorne half read over a year ago so it's time to finish it and the rest of the series.

      Delete
  6. I skimmed your review because I want to read this book for myself. All I've read so far from Trollope is the Eustace Diamonds, which I enjoyed very much. After I read this book I'll return and read your comments on it. Glad to have found your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I was in that very part of Devon last week, but reading a Trollope set further up the country. This sounds lovely, and I do think the south Devon countryside feels like Trollope country.

    ReplyDelete