An Autobiography: And Other Writings

'I hated the office. I hated my work...the only career in life within my reach was that of an author.'

The only autobiography by a major Victorian novelist, Trollope's account offers a fascinating insight into his literary life and opinions. After a miserable childhood and misspent youth, Trollope turned his life around at the age of twenty-six. By 1860 the 'hobbledehoy' had become both a senior civil servant and a best-selling novelist. He worked for the Post Office for many years and stood unsuccessfully for Parliament. Best-known for the two series of novels grouped loosely around the clerical and political professions, the Barsetshire and Palliser series, in his Autobiography Trollope frankly describes his writing habits. His apparent preoccupation with contracts, deadlines, and earnings, and his account of the remorseless regularity with which he produced his daily quota of words, has divided opinion ever since.

This edition reassesses the work's distinctive qualities and includes a selection of Trollope's critical writings to show how subtle and complex his approach to literature really was.

ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.


Author: Anthony Trollope
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 08/01/2016
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 7.70h x 5.00w x 0.50d
ISBN13: 9780199675296
ISBN10: 0199675295
BISAC Categories:
- Literary Collections | European | English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
- Biography & Autobiography | Literary Figures
- Literary Criticism | English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh

About the Author

Nicholas Shrimpton is the editor of Trollope's The Prime Minister (2011) and The Warden for Oxford World's Classics.