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Orley Farm
by Trollope, Anthony
- Used
- near fine
- first
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Seller
-
Pasadena, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Chapman and Hall, 1862. First edition. Near Fine. Bound in green half morocco over pebbled cloth. With half titles, but bound without the ads. Collation: viii, 320; viii, 320. An early issue with stab holes visible throughout both volumes; volume I conforming to all issue points for Sadleir's second issue and volume II a first issue with a third issue title page. An attractive contemporary binding in Near Fine condition, internal contents very clean. A contemporary owner's name E. L. Dutton written on the front end paper of each volume.
"While it is primarily a tragedy of misdirected maternal love, Orley Farm contains much of the best Trollopian humor and includes the portrait of his finest gentleman, Sir Peregrine Orme" (Trollope Society). Noted for its complex bibliography, resulting in part from the two volumes being printed and released ten months apart, the novel also presents a complex legal plot in which Sir Joseph Mason attempts to bequeath Orley Farm to his second son Lucius. In addition to the legal implications of overstepping an eldest son, Sir Mason's estate is further embroiled in conflict as Lucius takes over management and begins to cancel and break leases, raising the ire of neighbors. This anger leads to accusations that Sir Mason's will was forged, that Lucius is not the true heir, and that Lady Mason is the culprit. Near Fine.
"While it is primarily a tragedy of misdirected maternal love, Orley Farm contains much of the best Trollopian humor and includes the portrait of his finest gentleman, Sir Peregrine Orme" (Trollope Society). Noted for its complex bibliography, resulting in part from the two volumes being printed and released ten months apart, the novel also presents a complex legal plot in which Sir Joseph Mason attempts to bequeath Orley Farm to his second son Lucius. In addition to the legal implications of overstepping an eldest son, Sir Mason's estate is further embroiled in conflict as Lucius takes over management and begins to cancel and break leases, raising the ire of neighbors. This anger leads to accusations that Sir Mason's will was forged, that Lucius is not the true heir, and that Lady Mason is the culprit. Near Fine.
Synopsis
When Joseph Mason of Groby Park, Yorkshire, died, he left his estate to his family. A codicil to his will, however, left Orley Farm (near London) to his much younger second wife and infant son. The will and the codicil were in her handwriting, and there were three witnesses, one of whom was no longer alive. A bitterly fought court case confirmed the codicil. Twenty years pass. Lady Mason lives at Orley farm with her adult son, Lucius. Samuel Dockwrath, a tenant, is asked to leave by Lucius, who wants to try new intensive farming methods. Aggrieved, and knowing of the original case (John Kenneby, one of the codicil witnesses, had been an unsuccessful suitor of his wife Miriam Usbech), Dockwrath investigates and finds a second deed signed by the same witnesses on the same date, though they can remember signing only one. He travels to Groby Park in Yorkshire, where Joseph Mason the younger lives with his comically parsimonious wife, and persuades Mason to have Lady Mason prosecuted for forgery. The prosecution fails, but Lady Mason later confesses privately that she committed the forgery, and is prompted by conscience to give up the estate. There are various subplots. The main one deals with a slowly unfolding romance between Felix Graham (a young and relatively poor barrister without family) and Madeline Staveley, daughter of Judge Stavely of Noningsby. Graham has a long-standing engagement to the penniless Mary Snow, whom he supports and educates while she is being “moulded” to be his wife. Between the Staveleys at Alston and Orley Farm at Hamworth lies the Cleve, where Sir Peregrine Orme lives with his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Orme, and grandson, Peregrine. Sir Peregrine falls in love with Lady Mason and is briefly engaged to her, but she calls off the match when she realises the seriousness of the court case. Meanwhile, Mr. Furnival, another barrister, befriends Lady Mason, arousing the jealousy of his wife. His daughter, Sophia, has a brief relationship with Augustus Stavely and a brief engagement to Lucius Mason. Eventually Furnival and his wife are reconciled, and Sophia's engagement is dropped. Sophia is portrayed as an intelligent woman who writes comically skillful letters.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Whitmore Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 5166
- Title
- Orley Farm
- Author
- Trollope, Anthony
- Book Condition
- Used - Near Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Publisher
- Chapman and Hall
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1862
- Note
- May be a multi-volume set and require additional postage.
Terms of Sale
Whitmore Rare Books
15 day return guarantee, with full refund if an item arrives damaged or not matching the description.
About the Seller
Whitmore Rare Books
Biblio member since 2009
Pasadena, California
About Whitmore Rare Books
We operate a retail shop in "Old Town" Pasadena open normal business hours Tuesday through Saturday.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Pebbled
- Pebbled cloth or leather describes the covering of a hardcover book with a decorative texture of repeated small raised bumps,...
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