To The Lighthouse (Virginia Woolf, 1927)

This book is centered around the Ramsey family - Mrs. Ramsey, Mr. Ramsey, eight children; also their several visitors during a stay at their summer home.

I liked it a lot.

Three segments.  In the first, we meet the characters. They are staying at the summer home (a bit shabby). Very little direct dialogue or action, mostly we're seeing how they interact and feel about each other. Mrs. Ramsey seems to be the primary focus. She tells younger son (James) that they can visit the lighthouse (nearby, offshore) the following day, but Mr. Ramsey says the weather will prevent this. References to this continue. I particularly like the dinner scene - so well done - bouncing around the characters as they see, feel, process; no direct quotes - takes place after we've gotten to know most of the characters quite a bit. Effective.

Second segment - short, there is a passage of ~10 years.  Mrs. Ramsey passes away, two of the children die; WWI happens.

Third segment - after years without visiting, some or all of the surviving Ramseys and guests stay at the summer home.  Lily Briscoe - an artist - works on a painting abandoned during the prior visit, and reflects on Mrs. Ramsey in particular.  James and Cam (a sister) travel with Mr. Ramsey toward the lighthouse.  Both are resentful about their relationship with their father, but are thinking about it.

Victory City (Salman Rushdie, 2023)

A really interesting idea - to do a fictional version of the rise and fall of Vijayanagar (major city in southern India, now amazing ruins (and an increasingly popular tourist site) named as Hampi.  This occurred over a 300-year arc from early 14th century to early 17th century.

Rushdie relied in part on Sewell's book (linked here) - Sewell was a British civil servant who pulled together various sources, including Portuguese chroniclers.    

Central character is Pampa Kampana - a goddess enters her as a result of an early trauma - she essentially founds the city (from seeds) and tracks its rise and fall across various kings.

Whether for storytelling purposes or a nod to current trends, Rushdie uses mostly all females for the central characters (other than the kings).  

Much fantasy, but some elements that track Vijayanagar history - particularly in the last part of the story.  Portuguese traders show up; Portugal gains power along the west coast (though not significant to Vijayanagar's outcome). Author uses Rama Raya's name as final king; Rama Raya sowing discord among Islamic sultanates to the north which defers pressure from that direction, then they figure it out and attack; he uses the name "Talikota" as the decisive battle. 

Yo-yo swings between religious tolerance and cultural/artistic freedom, or not, in author's description of Victory City's history.

Rushdie describes the ideal state in a way that just sounds like Utopia (unfortunately).

Pampa Kampana's last act is to write down the entire history of her creation in verse.  The power of words.

Overall, I liked this.

The Rural Life (Verlyn Klinkenborg, 2003)

This is a collection of essays that were published elsewhere - broken up into monthly segments.

I liked it well enough, but it turns out that most of the stories are set on the author's farm in upstate New York.  (He grew up in Iowa and has memories there that overlap with mine, but very little of that in this book. Unfortunately.)

Mostly this helps remind one to be attentive to one's surroundings - he does a great job with that.

The Anarchy (William Dalrymple, 2019)

I liked this but it had several annoying aspects, per below.

Faculty-lounge style word choices and denigration of "corporation" and "profit". Then within a few pages he's reciting, apparently entirely un-self-aware, how the corporation started off with tremendous risk, limited resources, and big losses in the early going.

And recites how the Mughals swept into India - but with none of the loaded-negative word choices - apparently that form of conquest or imperialism was just fine?  If a force structured as an imperial dynasty sweeps in and brutally takes, that's somehow different from a force partially structured in corporate form?

Makes a big deal about "corporate" contributions or bribes to MPs - of course that's bad, but we're talking about an era where large-scale bribery was common across governmental forms (still is!) 

The usual "I hate the west" formula.

Which is not to say the East India Company, or Britain writ large, didn't too plenty of nasty things.  I just get tired of the differing treatment from so many current "historians".

But the overall story here is good enough to overlook all this.  Yes the EIC screwed up many things even where intentions weren't terrible, and it was good that Britain took over.  Even if that didn't end the problems.

Useful discussions of key players - Robert Clive; Wellington; Warren Hastings.

Military success was not inevitable.  Somewhat like Mexico or Peru - there were local forces willing to work with the Europeans.  Significant competition from the French.

On Desperate Ground - The Marines at The Reservoir, the Korean War's Greatest Battle (Hampton Sides, 2018)

Sides is a very good author - made this highly interesting (it's a great story so didn't need much build).

I don't know much about the Korean war so it's helpful as to the early stages of the conflict.

Douglas MacArthur does not come off well in this telling, and I think that's the consensus of folks who are knowledgeable about this.

Sides introduces various of the key soldiers and officers, describes the incredible bravery under horrible winter conditions.  Sympathetic to Chinese soldiers who quite often were so poorly equipped - both for fighting and for surviving the weather.

The Chinese did have lots of bodies and no qualms about expending them - US soldiers fighting off literal hordes, corpses stack up in the cold.

Also some impressive engineering feats - to get an air strip ready to go in an isolated area, to fix a crossing.  Ingenuity. 

The Anthropocene Reviewed (John Green, 2021)

Book club selection, per Zach.

"Anthropocene" in title gave it a scientific feel with pretty much no relevance to the little stories.

Per the introduction, I also thought he was going to talk a lot about how humans affect the earth but then don't know much how to manage the change they're causing.  That didn't seem to happen much at all.

Apparently the guy is a pretty successful author so I'll assume it's just me who's missing out.  But these stories generally seemed pretty shallow, and weren't saved by the "reviews" at the end of each.

I liked the one about the "three farmers" in the photograph.

He's interested in communicating about his anxieties etc.  Written in Covid era and this comes through way too much.

Discussion of pain was thought-provoking. Viral meningitis.  

I liked the "World's Largest Ball of Paint" story a lot.  I need to see it. A good way to think of our miniscule contributions.

I liked the idea of measuring time in Halleys (comet circuits).

My book appears to be signed!

Mrs. Dalloway (Virginia Woolf, 1925)

I liked this quite a bit. 

Novel is set on a single day - Clarissa Dalloway is giving a big party, preparations are ongoing, events in the neighborhood are described, flashbacks are given which help flesh out various characters.

Clarissa Dalloway is the main character; she is married to Raymond Dalloway.  But was pretty much in love with Peter Walsh (it was reciprocated), though she turned him away.

Elizabeth (Clarissa's daughter). Miss Killeen (influences Elizabeth).

Septimius Smith - WWI vet, messed up; married to Lucrezia Smith

Clarissa is aware that she's aging, and there is some interesting musing about that.

Lakota America - A New History of Indigenous Power (Pekka Hamalainen, 2019)

This was a really interesting read - much worthwhile.

Biggest takeaway - this tribe, and no doubt others, was a sophisticated player when it came to trade, politics, war, strategy. This author wouldn't agree with the "victim" portrayal, even though eventually the wars (and territories) were lost.

Lakota/Sioux - complicated sifting through the tribes in the early periods (16th and 17th centuries, approximately) - think of Lakota as westernmost of this group?  Sioux too far west to access guns and French trade goods in quantity - at risk from better-armed tribes to the east.  Sioux seek access, try to work diplomacy with French and Indian allies, it doesn't hold long-term.

Idea - early in book - that the "horse frontier" moved west to east starting or accelerating following the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 - interesting, I hadn't thought about "where" the horses came from.

"Gun frontier" was moving east to west - having both was transformational.

Lakota use expands ~1700ff - a big change as they shift attention westward - another impetus was losing French support (and trading posts) which made selling beaver difficult or impossible.  Bison herds, horses, westward ho.

1757 - first reference to Lakota using guns while riding horses.  Groups further east lacked horses.  Groups further west lacked guns.

More on horses; buffalo chase and switch to the plains to the west.

Lots of fighting among tribes as Lakota push into their territories. Lakota have numbers, etc.

1820-30s - Lakota strong; continue to invite traders even up to Ft. Laramie - very much wanting the trade goods, esp. guns - apparently not concerned that settlers might follow in their wake.  Interesting; Lakota must have known what happened in multiple territories in east and midwest. 

Civil War is a distraction, but westward push by Americans continues, accelerates.

Eventually the US Army focuses - we get to Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, Custer, denouement.  

Lysistrata (Aristophanes, 411 B.C.)

This is the famous play where - tired of the seemingly endless Peloponnesian War - the protagonist calls together women from all across Greece, and convinces them to stay away from their men until peace is agreed upon.

Mostly humorous, I enjoyed reading.  

Some of the speechifying from the men - justifying war - sounded like warmongering rationalizations from current times. 

The Last Hill - The Epic Story of a Ranger Battalion and the Battle that Defined WWII (Bob Drury and Tom Clavin, 2022)

(364 pages)

I liked this.  Kind of a pop history style (as can be told from the overwrought title), but no question that the authors did plenty of research to support the story line.  I also like that it focuses on a small group.

Brits had some success with "commando" (special forces) units early in WWII, and the US decided to do a similar concept though with a different name ("Rangers").  Though the Army didn't have a clear concept of how to use the units, and there were plenty of folks within the Army that didn't like the idea.

The book focuses on the 2nd Ranger Battalion - through intense training (lots of washouts); then onto Omaha beach and up the cliffs to Pont d'Huc; attacking Brest (Brittany - achieving a rather incredible surrender with two Rangers and a grenade in the commandant's crotch); then (after some less intense assignments) into the Hurtgen Forest and Hill 400.

All of these deployments were highly interesting to read about; impressive.  I hadn't known about the Brest surrender before (I assume the description is accurate if unbelievable).  Also hadn't read about Hurtgen Forest - the authors suggest this was not much discussed because (at least in their opinion) so many US lives were wasted repeating attack methods that were proven failures.

A Line in the World - A year on the North Sea Coast (Dorthe Nors, 2021)

Saw a favorable review and gave the book a try - I liked it.

Very much out of my experience geographically - author explores the rugged west coast of Denmark - where she has, or at least had, family ties.  Kind of connected, but kind of not.

EXCEPT - I read this shortly after our visit up to Nome - this made it much, much easier to imagine the coastal ruggedness that the author describes.

And - there is some overlap with the feel of return visits to Iowa over the years.

The Beautiful and Damned (F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1922)

Anthony Patch stands to inherit lots and lots and lots of money from his stern grandfather.  

Marries the lovely Gloria Gilbert.

They decide to live as if they don't give a damn; can't stop partying.  Grandfather not pleased.

Litigation trying to claim the inheritance.

Patch goes overseas, has an affair.

Not very cheery.

Romeo and Juliet (William Shakespeare, early 1590s)

Read this on Kindle without notes; then read Harold Bloom's helpful musings in Shakespeare - The Invention of the Human.  

I much enjoyed reading this (after all these years) but would not say it's my Shakespeare favorite.  The characters tend to get way too fired up; too ready to fight.  

There are some beautiful lines, of course.

Friar Laurence gets way involved.

Nice.  

The Lawrence Durrell Travel Reader (Lawrence Durrell, based on travels in 1930s - 1950s)

I enjoyed The Alexandria Quartet and kept seeing that Durrell was an excellent travel writer - with much of this is centered in Greece.

This compilation was quite good but I didn't really connect with it.  I was looking for "Prospero's Cell" - focused on his time in Corfu - this includes some of that experience, plus other Greek items.

Othello (William Shakespeare, ~1603)

Read this on Kindle without notes; then read Harold Bloom's helpful musings in Shakespeare - The Invention of the Human.  

Othello - warrior type, perhaps not flexible to handle other challenges.

Iago as driving the action.  More soliloquies, for example.  See Bloom.

Iago is one of Shakespeare's most compelling characters?  I think I'd agree based on limited knowledge.

Undone by his wife - she had a virtue he didn't anticipate.

Desdemona as ideal lover in all of Shakespeare (see Bloom).

Almost no humor in this one.

Much enjoyed.

Absolute Zero and the Conquest of Cold (Tom Shachtman, 1999)

(240 pages)

Quick read; much of the technical stuff was out of my zone and I hurried through it; the overall ideas (what is cold? how is it "attacked" and then utilized?) were rather amazing.

Is it absence of heat? Something else?  How to study this?  For millennia it's been easy to create heat and "see what happens" - not so with cold. Philosophers and in turn what became known as "scientists" take various paths.

Even inventing accurate thermometers, figuring out measurements. Seeking to liquify pretty much every gas; some present incredible challenges.  Pushing toward absolute zero.  As with so many breakthroughs, there's more than one person chasing the idea, disputes over discoveries, etc.

Our friend Faraday is influential ("Age of Wonder").  Talented guy!

The parts about harvesting ice, learning to pack it and ship it to tropical locations, figuring out how to convince customers that they needed or wanted the product - this part is interesting and easily relatable.  We have photographs from St. Joe in early 20th century of folks harvesting ice from the Des Moines River northeast of town.  Grandparents had a literal icebox (prior to electricity).

Technology changed so much about food production and distribution - made things possible - in the US, this overlapped with opening up the West.  Air conditioning's effect on settlement patterns.

I had vaguely heard about superconductivity (at extreme low temperatures); good discussion about how this enable computer/tech development.  This was written in 1999 so it would be interesting to know about further developments here.  Except I wouldn't understand it very well.  

Three Ordinary Girls: The Remarkable Story of Three Dutch Teenagers Who Became Spies, Saboteurs, Nazi Assassins--and WWII Heroes (Tim Brady, 2021)

 The title pretty well summarizes the book!

A Midsummer Night's Dream (William Shakespeare, 1596)

I've enjoyed reading Shakespeare, but not as much I expected.  But now I think I figured out a way!

Previously I was purchasing and reading the beautiful, comprehensive Arden Shakespeare editions - full of notes and explanatory material, which I of course checked out as I went along.  Julius Caesar and Richard III quite good but overall meh.  Kind of tedious, choppy.

Recently I broke down and bought a Kindle, and downloaded some Shakespeare items that are "free" to Prime members.  These are simple editions without any notes at all, and presumably are reasonably faithful to whatever Shakespeare originally wrote.  

I read "A Midsummer Night's Dream" this way and much enjoyed - no notes or other explanation - no doubt there's plenty I missed, but it was so much more pleasant to just forge through the story line.

I also have a lovely book by Harold Bloom - "Shakespeare - The Invention of the Human" - he provides commentaries on all the main plays.  So I read his summary but only after reading the play.  This is the approach that I'll take with Shakespeare going forward.  Yay.

Bottom is a great character (he has fun with the elves).  Puck - mischievous, to say the least.  There are two couples who go through some adventures in the woods; Oberon and his wife Titania.

Dominion - The Making of the Western Mind (Tom Holland, 2019)

(525 pages) (Gift from PJr/Nedda)

At outset:  useful survey of Christian thinkers, leaders, interaction with Jews, Muslims, what came to be called pagans, atheists.

Main thesis appears to be that Christianity deeply affects the worldview of 21st century folks in the West.  Not shocking; makes a lot of sense; not sure if widely appreciated anymore.  

As author recounts, Christianity's dominance of the West doesn't have a parallel in history.

I had always associated this development very heavily with Constantine in 312 - and no doubt this was important.  Brought Christianity into the mainstream, gave it an imperial model (centralized control, hierarchy; Council of Nicea).

But I was struck how distant that was from what happened quite a bit later in the West.  Rome a hollowed-out dump centuries after 312. The papacy a haven for, at best, well-meaning provincials.  

Then along comes Gregory the Great (pope from 590-604). Charlemagne's needs (he's crowned in 800). This kind of thing really solidified the build-out in the West.

And the scope was incredible.  Bishops, priests, monks, nuns, eventually across literally every country in Europe.  Create major feast days and also saint's days to cover every day of the calendar year.  Create prayers specific to the hours of each day; separate prayers for each day; the idea of confession, tithing.  Cradle to grave sacraments. The Curia. It grows and grows.

(I was struck by this going through my parent's house recently (part of the estate process) - all the Catholic church residuum lingering into their childhoods and beyond.)

As to the importance of Christianity's effect on Western world view - of course - but I thought some of Holland's argument rested on the contradictions that pop up in Christianity (or any religion, for that matter). St. Paul talking about only needing to follow the law as written on the heart; but then detailed regulations.  St. Paul talking about treating women equally, and then backing off.  Jesus saying the poor will always be with us, and also that the rich should give away their goods, and the parable of the savvy investor - which strand dominates?  The existence of the contradictions allows Holland to claim everything, including contradictory thrusts, flows from Christianity.  Hmm.

Unabashed praise for good things from Christianity, which were real - respect for individual, importance of monogamous marriage, concern for the poor - yes of course so many hypocrites and grand failures, but these were revolutionary concepts that took root for the first time.  Refreshing that someone is willing to say so.

A Dance to the Music of Time (Fourth Movement (Volumes 10-12) (Anthony Powell, 1951-55)

Fourth Movement includes the following:

--Books Do Furnish a Room (241 pages)

--Temporary Kings (280 pages)

--Hearing Secret Harmonies (272 pages)

Brief discussion is here.

A Dance to the Music of Time (Third Movement (Volumes 7-9) (Anthony Powell, 1951-55)

Third Movement includes the following:

--The Valley of Bones (243 pages)

--The Soldier's Art (228 pages)

--The Military Philosophers (244 pages)

Brief discussion is here.

A Dance to the Music of Time (Second Movement (Volumes 4-6)) (Anthony Powell, 1951-55)

"First Movement" is discussed here. 

This "Second Movement" encompasses the next three volumes:

-- At Lady Molly's (239 pages)

-- Casanova's Chinese Restaurant (229 pages)

-- The Kindly Ones (254 pages)

I'm not going to try to cover all this in detail; this summary (cursorily) covers Movements Two, Three, and Four.

Initially the scene shifts back to childhood - Albert, WWI, Nick Jenkins's father (Nick J is the narrator).

After schooling is complete - narrator often hangs with artists - Barnby, Moreland, Maclintick, etc.

He marries Isobel - discussion of Tolland family members.

WWII is impending. 

Then a lengthy treatment of WWII, various jobs held by Nick, his take on various service branches.  I think this was well done, interesting, a different take on Brits in WWII.

Continues to be in touch with friends who are writers.

Characters regularly recur; Widmerpool perhaps most regularly.

Easy to read; enjoyable; lots of funny moments; worth my time (of course, I have plenty of that).

Numerous references to believers ("fellow travelers" a common phrase in those days) in Marxism, Communism - one forgets that there were lots of serious believers in those days, all the way up to my time in college (and probably beyond, if only in that environment).  And not just in England. Availability of better information - and a longer track record - has seemingly cut into this other than for true believers. Interesting:  the final volume is dedicated to Robert Conquest.

This work just didn't seem to connect as deeply as Proust; not sure that the comparison is all that useful anyway (it just comes naturally with a work of this length following a first-person narrator across time and relationships, emphasis on the arts).  Proust's observations, characters, story line had much more of a tug.

Yet:  a book blogger I really respect - Anecdotal Evidence - has multiple commenters who say that Powell's work is a good re-read!  I'm thinking about this.

The Allies Strike Back 1941-1943 (James Holland, 2017)

(613 pages.)

Second of a trilogy; first is mentioned here; third not yet available and I'm looking forward to it.

Again focusing often on supplies - this distinguishes his work from others I've read.

Emphasizes importance of the Battle of the Atlantic - something I've not really focused on much.  

Also in Mediterranean - ships and aircraft - so often the focus is on the ground battles - but support from other services were key.

German industry advanced and features wonderful workmanship.  But industries are fragmented - many automakers as compared to just a few in the U.S. This meant many types of vehicles with differing parts and maintenance requirements - a nightmare - compounded by complex (beautiful!) designs that could work well enough even if simplified for cheaper/faster manufacture.

Germany in general less mechanized than it advertised (and has been widely believed, certainly by me).  To offset vehicle shortage - stripped conquered territories of vehicles (especially France) - meaning another long list of individual models with their own parts and maintenance challenges.

Britain better-positioned for domestic food supply, manufacturing capacity - certainly in comparison to Germany - Battle of Atlantic was key to keeping things moving.

In midsection of book - I much liked how the author moved from topic to topic explaining how key elements were developing across the same compressed timeline in 1942 - gave me a better sense of this.  The scale of activity is almost incomprehensible - you can see how it took an entire-country effort.  Items in play (and this excludes extensive "War in the Pacific" activities) - working with French resistance; setting up special units for sabotage such as the Norway heavy water plant; accelerating atomic bomb efforts; home front production in US - near-miraculous advances in ship-building, largest factory (Willow Run) for B-24s; Monty takes over in north Africa and defeats Rommel; Operation Torch - three separate armadas heading to north Africa, including first US ground troops; building up bomber capabilities and hitting German cities; German forces in massive combat with Russians and bogging down as approaching Stalingrad, etc.  Incredible.

The Golden Bowl (Henry James, 1904)

525 pages.

Only made it through 357 pages.  Not planning to finish.

Four central characters (Adam Verver, his daughter Maggie, Prince Amerigo, Charlotte Stant).

Two additional characters (Mrs. Assingham and her husband) who orbit the four central characters and provide perspective on them.

Minimal roles for anyone else, at least as far as I made it.

Minimal plot line - just exploring the central relationships and how the participants perceived, felt about those.

Of course - deep development of the four characters and the relationships among them.  But they just weren't interesting enough to keep me engaged.  Part of the problem:  they are fabulously wealthy - function in a world without any financial considerations - to that extent, untethered from "normal" life.  Not recalling examples from other novels at the moment, but I've run into this before - people with limited day to day responsibilities focusing all of their energies on themselves.

Indian Embers (Lady (Rosamond Napier) Lawrence, 1949)

(397 pages)

Author is a novelist, also accomplished at sketching.  I'm marveling at her consistent detailed descriptions of landscapes and people, but it makes sense - must be part of how a person can be a good writer/artist.  Loves riding horses; she and husband see a lot in this way. Napier name - long history in England and India.  Also her husband's family (Lawrence).

Book was published in 1949, but events took place between 1914 and 1919.

I found it fascinating throughout.

Though thinking about how useful this type of book can be - written from perspective of colonial authorities - still, I think it is pretty useful. The descriptions of the various areas they lived in or visited are fascinating.  Some glimpses of how the local people lived. An idea of how Indians working for colonial authorities lived - perhaps plenty of poor treatment, but these probably were valued jobs?

I don't think too many Indians were traveling around the country and writing up their experiences - tourism among locals probably hadn't been invented for the most part at this time - so the book is useful in that way.

Immense expense of the way the colonial authorities travel - even in Belgaum, a lesser position, I think they were taking 24 bullock carts when traveling, setting up nice tents, etc.  Nice government buildings.  Presumably the locals are paying for this via some form of taxation.  But was it worse than the palace-building and similar expenses incurred by Mughals or other dynasties (but paid by taxpayers)? Hard to figure out.

They are stationed at Belgaum (now known as Belagavi) as newlyweds - first half of book - NW Karnataka.  Including lots of jungle. A son is born.

The camping episode - a long journey at p. 86ff, there was also the boat trip preceding along that portion of India's west coast - author is really perceptive and appreciative - it's a pleasure to read.  Also interesting to think about what this kind of "camping" or travel would be like - a full staff taking care of everything, a tent outfitted completely.

Second half of book starts in the Sind (Karachi, large city in modern-day Pakistan) - a big promotion for hubby, this is a major position.  Completely different setting - desert, dependent on Indus waters.

Sukkur water project is husband's single biggest goal.  Trying to tame the Indus.

10 weeks of summer 1917 spent in Baluchistan - mountains - they love it.  Another entirely different geography, author describes in wonderful detail.  Kind of like the Brits stationed in Delhi and the like always escaping to the mountains in summer.

Back to Karachi; government duties.  Trips along the Indus via a boat dedicated to hubby's job.  Author falls ill; part of recovery is returning to the Baluchistan mountains the next year (it helps).

A "strange outbreak of illness in Karachi" - "they called it influenza" - yes, the Spanish Flu of 1918 arrives and it's horrific in India.  Delays return to Karachi from Baluchistan but finally it happens.

Celebrations for Armistice Day (11/11/18) but this is a period of major unrest in India - independence expectations raised and dashed.  Delays return home for British troops stationed in the area; they are unhappy.

Armritsar is far away to the northeast but the massacre there (via General Dyer) ties to Sind governance (somehow); disturbances in Karachi; author and husband sleep with revolvers by their beds.  Gandhi a major figure already in 1919.  Husband initially criticized for the way he handled the unrest but later exonerated and returns (with author) to a major position in Bombay in 1921.  

The Prime Minister (Anthony Trollope, 1876)

(691 pages)

I don't know too much about Trollope; seems he was a prolific writer and immensely successful in his time.  Some of his novels were written as a series; this is the fifth novel in the "Palliser" series.  I've not read any of the prior, and that was fine.

I thought this was really well-written; I enjoyed and will look for more of his novels.

"Palliser" is the name of a Duke who is prevailed upon to lead a 19th century coalition government when neither the Tories nor the Whigs can form a government; thus he is the titular "Prime Minister". Coalition governments have challenges; this one seems to function smoothly enough; the Prime Minister's wife has the idea to assist by throwing lavish parties at which she entertains anyone that might seem useful.  The Prime Minister's temperament doesn't work well with this approach, and in fact isn't great for his role as Prime Minister.  But he's honest, hardworking, respected.

There is a second major story line - widower "Mr. Wharton" - aging lawyer with quite a bit of money saved up and two children, Emily and a son who is having trouble finding his way.  Emily falls hard for a guy named Fernando Lopez - who seems to have good qualifications - but old man Wharton is not a fan because Lopez never reveals his family background or financial situation; seems to be of Portuguese (if not Jewish, God forbid) extraction rather than a true English gentlemen. Once married, it turns out that Lopez badly needs Wharton money; he works hard to get it.

The Prime Minister and his wife deal with all sorts of political characters and situations.  Lopez works himself into their orbit and thinks he's getting backing for a seat in Parliament (which he thinks will help his financial situation).  Thus some overlap between the two story lines.

There is a character named Arthur Fletcher - both his family and the Wharton family always thought Emily would marry Arthur.