Anthony Trollope was a celebrated Victorian novelist famous for his realistic novels about politics and society. Notable works include Barchester Towers and The Way We Live Now, praised for their detailed characters and satirical observations.
If you enjoy reading books by Anthony Trollope then you might also like the following authors:
Charles Dickens is an author who creates unforgettable characters and explores society’s strengths and flaws through captivating storytelling.
If you enjoy Anthony Trollope’s vivid portrayals of society and his sharp insights into human nature, Dickens will likely resonate with you as well. A good place to start is Great Expectations.
The story follows Pip, a poor orphan who unexpectedly receives an inheritance from a mysterious benefactor. As Pip becomes a gentleman, he must navigate both the grand world he stepped into and his humble past.
Dickens paints a striking portrait of ambition, love, and class struggles. His exploration of Pip’s growth as a character and the people Pip encounters along the way makes Great Expectations an absorbing read from cover to cover.
If you enjoy Anthony Trollope’s vivid portrayals of Victorian society and insightful character studies, Elizabeth Gaskell might be your next favorite author. Gaskell’s novel North and South explores industrial England and its deeply divided society.
Margaret Hale, the central character, moves from a comfortable life in the rural south to the grim, industrial town of Milton in the north. Margaret’s interactions with John Thornton, a cotton mill owner, highlight the tensions and misunderstandings between social classes.
Their complex relationship is further shaped by labor unrest and personal integrity. Gaskell writes realistically about social inequality, industrial strife, and moral responsibility.
Her thoughtful and sensitive approach creates characters and situations you’ll find memorable and thought-provoking.
George Eliot was the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, an English novelist famous for her rich, realistic portrayals of Victorian society and sharp insights into human character.
If you’re a fan of Anthony Trollope’s detailed examination of social dynamics, you’ll likely appreciate Eliot’s Middlemarch. This novel closely follows several intersecting lives in a provincial English town in the 1830s.
Eliot creates a memorable cast—from ambitious doctors to idealistic young women—and weaves together plots about marriage, politics, and morality. The characters are deeply human.
Their struggles and triumphs bring to life the complexities of everyday existence, capturing your attention in a thoughtful exploration of community life.
George Meredith was a Victorian novelist known for his witty dialogue, sharp character studies, and subtle social commentary—qualities appreciated by readers fond of Anthony Trollope. One of Meredith’s standout novels is The Egoist.
Published in 1879, this story revolves around the vain Sir Willoughby Patterne, whose self-centeredness impacts everyone around him. Meredith masterfully portrays the complexities of relationships, ego, and society through clever conversations and insightful humor.
Readers who enjoy Trollope’s engaging stories, filled with detailed character portrayals and social themes, will appreciate Meredith’s approach in The Egoist.
Henry James was an American author known for his insightful novels set among wealthy classes in America and England, often exploring morality, class, and personal struggles.
Readers who enjoy Anthony Trollope’s sharp observations might appreciate James’s novel The Portrait of a Lady. This book follows Isabel Archer, a spirited young American woman who inherits unexpected wealth and independence.
Soon, Isabel finds herself navigating complex relationships and manipulative motives in European society. James carefully examines personal freedom and the consequences of one’s choices, set against a backdrop rich in detail and tension.
John Galsworthy was an English novelist and playwright known for his detailed portrayal of upper-middle-class British society. His most famous work, The Forsyte Saga, explores the lives of a wealthy Victorian-era family across several generations.
The novel centers around themes of property, social ambition, and personal conflicts in marriage and love.
Galsworthy skillfully captures the social habits and moral challenges of his characters, creating an immersive experience for readers who enjoy the nuanced family dynamics and society portraits found in Anthony Trollope’s novels.
Readers who enjoy Anthony Trollope’s vivid portrayals of Victorian society will find similar depth in Thomas Hardy’s novels. Hardy’s work captures the struggles of ordinary people caught between tradition and change, society and nature.
In Far from the Madding Crowd, Hardy follows Bathsheba Everdene, a spirited woman who inherits a large farm in rural England.
Bathsheba finds herself entangled emotionally with three very different men: a humble shepherd named Gabriel Oak, the reserved farmer Boldwood, and Sergeant Troy, a charming but reckless soldier.
The novel highlights the complexities, conflicts, and heartaches people experience when choosing between duty, passion, and social expectation.
Hardy brings these characters to life in rich detail, crafting scenes filled with quiet beauty and tension that vividly evoke the English countryside and the lives that unfold within it.
If you enjoy Anthony Trollope’s vivid characters and engaging storytelling, Wilkie Collins might be a great match for your reading list. Collins was a Victorian author famous for pioneering detective fiction and creating tense, suspenseful narratives.
His novel The Woman in White follows the mysterious encounter between Walter Hartright, an art teacher, and a disturbed woman dressed entirely in white on a lonely road in London.
As the truth slowly emerges through hidden ties and secrets, you’ll find yourself drawn into a complex web of deception, romance, and mystery. Collins creates characters who feel vividly real and constantly heightens the suspense.
For fans of Trollope’s insightful social observations and carefully crafted plots, Collins provides an equally absorbing read.
Readers who enjoy Anthony Trollope’s detailed portrayals of Victorian society and sharp observations of human nature may find William Thackeray equally appealing.
Thackeray is best known for his satirical novel, Vanity Fair, which follows two contrasting heroines, the clever and ambitious Becky Sharp and the gentle but passive Amelia Sedley.
Through their interconnected lives, Thackeray offers insightful commentary on ambition, social climbing, and the complexities of morality in 19th-century England.
His narrative style combines humor, irony, and perceptive character portraits that vividly bring to life the era’s society and its pretensions.
Benjamin Disraeli was not only a prominent political figure and British Prime Minister but also a skilled novelist whose works mirror the social insight Trollope’s fans appreciate.
In Sybil, Disraeli explores the harsh divide between England’s rich and poor, revealing the realities of the working class through vivid and memorable characters.
The story revolves around the thoughtful aristocrat Charles Egremont and the idealistic Sybil Gerard, daughter of a working-class leader. Together, their lives illustrate the complexities of Victorian society in a way fans of Trollope’s
The Way We Live Now will find familiar and engaging.
E. M. Forster was an English novelist known for insightful portrayals of social manners and moral dilemmas, qualities fans of Anthony Trollope might appreciate. His novels often explore tensions between personal desires and the rigid constraints of Edwardian society.
In Howards End, Forster portrays the interactions and conflicts between three distinctly different families—the intellectual Schlegels, the materialistic Wilcoxes, and the impoverished Basts.
Through the narrative about the inheritance of a country home called Howards End, the story thoughtfully examines class divisions, relationships, and changing cultural values in early 20th-century England.
This book might appeal to readers who enjoy thoughtful explorations of societal dynamics and characters navigating life’s complexities.
Jane Austen is an author you’ll likely enjoy if you’ve appreciated Anthony Trollope’s keen eye for character and social dynamics. Her novel Pride and Prejudice follows the lively yet sharp-witted Elizabeth Bennet.
Elizabeth navigates the expectations and manners of early 19th-century English society. Austen mixes comedy, drama, and romance, all while presenting insightful views on social status and human relationships.
The exchanges between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy showcase Austen’s clever dialogue. Their evolving relationship offers a close look at pride, misunderstanding, and personal growth, themes you may find appealing if you liked Trollope’s approach to storytelling.
Arnold Bennett was an English novelist known for vivid portrayals of everyday life and the middle class, similar to Anthony Trollope’s style. Bennett’s novel The Old Wives’ Tale explores the contrasting lives of two sisters from a provincial English town.
Constance stays in her hometown and builds a traditional, structured life, while Sophia heads boldly to Paris in pursuit of independence and romance.
Through decades, Bennett reveals how the sisters’ lives diverge yet remain connected by family bonds, personal struggles, and enduring emotions.
This intimate observation of human character and society gives readers the kind of detailed realism and social insight they loved in Trollope’s books.
Books by Edith Wharton offer readers a rich exploration of society and manners reminiscent of Anthony Trollope’s detailed storytelling. Wharton’s novel The Age of Innocence captures the restrictive conventions of New York society in the 1870s.
The narrative focuses on Newland Archer, a young lawyer engaged to a suitable socialite named May Welland. Archer’s world changes dramatically when May’s unconventional cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, returns to New York after a scandalous marriage in Europe.
Wharton reveals the quiet desires and social hypocrisy beneath the refined surface of society. Through Archer’s struggle between duty and passion, the novel thoughtfully examines the conflict between personal happiness and societal expectations.
Readers who enjoy Trollope’s sharp insight into human character and social norms may appreciate Wharton’s nuanced style and thoughtful observation in The Age of Innocence.
If you enjoy Anthony Trollope’s detailed character portrayals and insight into societal issues, you might appreciate Rudyard Kipling and his classic work Kim. Kipling’s novel follows Kim, an orphan boy raised on the bustling streets of colonial India.
Kim’s adventures across the vibrant and diverse landscape highlight the complex relationships between different cultures and classes under colonial rule. Kipling vividly captures the sights, sounds, and tensions of India, creating characters that feel authentic and engaging.
Themes of identity, friendship, and political intrigue enrich this unique coming-of-age story, offering plenty to think about and discuss for readers who relish exploring human nature and society.