The Eustace Diamonds

Description

Following the death of her husband Sir Florian, beautiful Lizzie Eustace mysteriously comes into possession of a hugely expensive diamond necklace. She maintains it was a gift from her husband, but the Eustace lawyers insist she give it up, and while her cousin Frank takes her side, her new lover Lord Fawn states that he will only marry her if the necklace is surrendered. As gossip and scandal intensify, Lizzie's truthfulness is thrown into doubt, and, in her desire to keep the jewels, she is driven to increasingly desperate acts. The third in Trollope's Palliser series, The Eustace Diamonds bears all the hallmarks of his later works, blending dark cynicism with humour and a keen perception of human nature.

Anthony Trollope (1815 - 1882) enjoyed considerable acclaim as a novelist during his life-time, publishing over forty novels and many short stories. He maintained this alongside a career as a senior civil servant in the Post Office. Stephen Gill is a Professor of English Literature at Oxford University, and a Fellow and Tutor of Lincoln College. John Sutherland is Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature at UCL. Both have edited many other works for Penguin Classics.