The Way We Live Now

One of the most enduringly popular novelists of the Victorian era, English writer ANTHONY TROLLOPE (1815-1882) created entertainingly rambling fictional explorations of towering social issues, from class and money to politics and gender roles. Trollope has been a huge influence on modern storytelling, from the bumblings of the upper-crust of P. G Wodehouse's yarns to the intricate, interwoven, interpersonal narratives of television soap operas. In this satirical 1875 novel-acclaimed at the time as Trollope's best work-the author turns a scathing eye on the unbridled greed, intellectual dishonesty, and rampant financial scandals that he saw as plaguing England at the time. This tale of unscrupulous financier Augustus Melmotte and his crimes-which revolve around get-rich-quick schemes that lure in the rich and famous-is so reminiscent of today's bleak and grasping economic environment that it remains a supremely relevant read. Trollope's black tone and withering censure of this world make it a supremely satisfying read as well.