Publisher's Synopsis
Doctor Thorne is a classic novel by Anthony Trollope - a compelling story, the book's underlying themes span social class, illegitimacy, and alcoholism.
Published in 1858, this book is the third instalment in the acclaimed Chronicles of Barsetshire series. Despite the title, this novel is in the main focused upon the romantic preoccupations and issues of Mary Thorne, the niece of the titular character.
Her love interest is Frank Gresham, the son of a local knights-errant. Before all the events that ensue during Mary's adulthood, the author assures us that the true hero of the text is Doctor Thorne, for reasons which will become clear. We follow the narrative from the birth of Mary, learning that she was in fact an illegitimate child whose father was murdered in the aftermath of the affair he had with Mary's mother.
Alongside the perils of alcoholism which disrupts the lives of several characters, illegitimacy becomes one of the central themes of the novel. Mary's status is initially kept secret and concealed with the help of her uncle Doctor Thorne, who raises her as his own. A charismatic and charming girl, Mary becomes a favourite in the family who approve of her.
Adapted for television in the United Kingdom, and previously staged on the radio, the depth of characterisation and depiction of Victorian society has seen Trollope's Doctor Thorne heralded as a true classic.
