29 h 22 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens when you give your whole heart to someone who prizes rank almost as much as love?
In the village of Allington, Lily Dale falls for Adolphus Crosbie, a charming London clerk at ease in fashionable society. Their engagement brings joy to the Small House. But Crosbie admires titles and connections, and an invitation to Courcy Castle draws him toward the world he longs to enter.
Around Lily, other lives turn on money, marriage, and family wishes. Her sister Bell must weigh her own judgment against the plans of Christopher Dale, their proud uncle. Meanwhile, Johnny Eames, an awkward young clerk who has loved Lily since boyhood, struggles with limited means and love that offers little hope.
What you’ll discover
- A heart without reserve Meet Lily Dale, whose warmth and outspoken nature give love a deeply personal stake.
- Affection against ambition Watch Crosbie weigh the claims of love against the glitter of rank and connections.
- Marriage on her terms Follow Bell as family expectations press against her right to choose her own future.
- Comedy close to pain Enter boarding houses and drawing rooms where gentle humor sits beside real emotional hurt.
- A narrator who cares Enjoy Trollope's friendly voice as he explores motives without sneering at human weakness.
Who will love it
For readers who love humane novels about families, money and the choices of ordinary people, and for anyone who wants an easy way into Trollope. Enjoy gentle comedy, family drama and love tested by pride and ambition.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Two houses and one family divided
- A visitor from London arrives
- Lily gives her heart to Crosbie
- Johnny Eames and the boarding house
- Ambition pulls Crosbie toward Courcy Castle
- Bell, Dr Crofts and the squire's plan
- What the story says about pride and money
- Lily's constancy and quiet courage
- How Trollope tells the story
Who’s who
- Lily DaleThe younger daughter at the Small House, warm and outspoken, who gives her love fully and faces the cost with steady courage.
- Bell DaleLily's older sister, calm and sensible, who must decide whether to follow her uncle's wishes or her own judgment in marriage.
- Adolphus CrosbieA charming London clerk who loves admiration and rank, and who must choose between affection and ambition.
- Johnny EamesA young clerk from Guestwick, awkward and loyal, who has loved Lily since boyhood and slowly grows into a stronger man.
- Christopher DaleThe proud, close-fisted squire of Allington, who wants to keep his family and estate joined and expects his wishes to be met.
- Mrs DaleThe squire's widowed sister-in-law, who lives in the Small House and wants above all that her daughters be happy and safe.
- Bernard DaleThe squire's nephew and heir, a soldier who brings Crosbie to Allington and is expected to marry within the family.
- Dr CroftsThe young village doctor, steady and kind, with a good name and little money, who quietly admires Bell.
Formats and delivery
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- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 29 h 22 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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The Small House at Allington
by Anthony Trollope · 1864
Lily Dale gives her whole heart to a London clerk whose love of rank puts affection at risk.
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In short
The Small House at Allington is a novel by Anthony Trollope, published in 1864 after running as a serial in the Cornhill Magazine. It is the fifth of his six Barsetshire novels, set in an invented English county of squires, clergymen and old estates.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Two houses and one family divided
The novel opens in the village of Allington in the county of Barsetshire. There stand two houses, and the difference between them sets up much of the story. The Great House belongs to Christopher Dale, an old bachelor squire, proud, stubborn and close with his money. The Small House is a modest dwelling on the same estate, and the squire lets it to his widowed sister-in-law, Mrs Dale.
Mrs Dale lives there with her two grown daughters, Isabella, whom everyone calls Bell, and Lilian, called Lily. Bell is the elder and the more composed, a handsome and sensible young woman. Lily is younger, quicker and more open in her feelings. The two sisters love each other deeply, and Trollope gives them a close, teasing friendship that feels real from the first pages.
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What is The Small House at Allington about?
It follows the Dale family in the English village of Allington. Lily Dale falls in love with Adolphus Crosbie, a London clerk, while Johnny Eames loves her and her sister Bell faces a family plan for marriage.
Do I need to read the other Barsetshire novels first?
No. It is the fifth Barsetshire novel, but its story stands on its own. Earlier books add some background and familiar families, though a new reader can follow it without them.
What do the Great House and the Small House mean?
The Great House is the squire's home and stands for property, power and family pride. The Small House is where his widowed sister-in-law and her daughters live, and it stands for affection and a life lived on borrowed ground.
The author
Anthony Trollope
1815–1882 · English Victorian novelist
Anthony Trollope (1815–1882) was an English novelist. He was born in London, lived in Ireland for many years, and later returned to England. He worked for the Post Office while writing novels. His books include The Warden (1855), Barchester Towers (1857), and Doctor Thorne (1858). He died in London.
More by Anthony Trollope
All 6 booksMore like this
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