What I Remember, Volume 2

In Short

Thomas Adolphus Trollope’s second volume of memoirs captures the dense web of nineteenth-century Anglo-Italian literary life. Moving easily from his early days as a hard-working journal contributor and restless traveller to his long residence in Florence, Trollope chronicles an era through vivid vignettes and rich correspondence. He offers intimate glimpses of figures like Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, George Eliot, and Walter Savage Landor. The book endures as a charming, unpretentious portrait of a lost era, recording both the daily mechanical realities of a working writer and the vibrant social atmosphere of expatriate Europe.

The Story

The narrative follows Thomas Adolphus Trollope through decades of ceaseless literary industry and wide-ranging travel. Beginning in the 1830s, Trollope recalls his early years as an incredibly prolific, self-described mercenary writer. Pitching articles on historical fragments, travel, and biography to numerous periodicals, he finances constant movement across Europe. Whether inspecting the sardine fisheries of Brittany in 1839 or riding stage-coaches across Ireland with his brother Anthony, his pen is never still.

His life finds its central anchor in Florence, which serves as a affordable haven for English and American expatriates. Trollope paints a vivid picture of Florentine society, detailing its formal balls at the Pitti Palace—where guests notoriously pocketed bonbons and chicken portions—and its local customs, such as the eerie, hooded presence of the Misericordia brotherhood handling street emergencies.

Throughout his time in Italy, Trollope’s home becomes a gathering place for the century’s most remarkable literary figures. He marries Theodosia Garrow, a woman of deep modesty and talent, whose presence brings both personal happiness and an expanded circle of artistic friends. Through original letters and shared excursions, Trollope documents his interactions with the cultural elite. Charles Dickens writes to congratulate him on his marriage and later hosts him at intimate dinners in London while complaining of parliamentary politics. Walter Savage Landor brings his fiery, eccentric wit into Trollope’s orbit, fulminating against bishops and politicians. Elizabeth Barrett Browning debates the nature of poetry and art, while George Eliot and George Henry Lewes critique Trollope’s novels and join him on steep mountain pilgrimages to remote monasteries like the Sagro Eremo at Camaldoli.

Interspersed with these literary portraits are personal milestones and historical shifts: the death of his beloved wife Theodosia, memories of his remarkable mother Frances Trollope in her declining years, encounters with Italian revolutionaries like Alberto Mario and Giuseppe Garibaldi, and observations on the changing landscape of mid-century Europe. The volume concludes as a tapestry of mid-Victorian intellectual life, stitched together by Trollope’s good-natured observation and indefatigable spirit.

How It Unfolds

The freelance hustle Trollope reflects on his frantic early career in the 1830s, turning out endless articles to fund continuous travel across stage-coaches and steamers. He candidly admits his motives were purely financial, sending rejected manuscripts out repeatedly until an editor accepted them.

Roaming Brittany and Ireland From observing the booming sardine trade of Douarnenez to mountain hikes in Ireland with his brother Anthony, Trollope maintains an appetite for regional details. The brothers end one rain-drenched Irish hike wrapped in blankets over roast goose and punch.

Life in mid-century Florence Establishing himself in Italy, Trollope captures the social rhythms of Florence. He details the economical court balls at the Pitti Palace and notes the bizarre, widespread local belief that only the black-cowled Misericordia brotherhood could lawfully assist a dying person in the street.

Literary circles and correspondence Trollope shares private letters and conversations from prominent friends. Charles Dickens sends affectionate notes and rails against political absurdities; Elizabeth Barrett Browning defends her artistic views; and Walter Savage Landor offers sharp, humorous observations on contemporary life.

Excursions with George Eliot Trollope accompanies George Eliot and George Henry Lewes up the steep paths to the monastic hermitage of Camaldoli. They observe the silent, secluded lives of the monks, exchanging insights on human nature and literary craft along the way.

Reflections on family and loss The later narrative turns inward to honor key figures in Trollope's personal life. He pays moving tribute to his late wife Theodosia and reflects affectionately on the closing years of his mother, the novelist Frances Trollope.

The People

• Thomas Adolphus Trollope, the narrator, who wants only to travel, observe, and sustain his pleasant life through constant literary labor; he remains a genial, self-effacing observer throughout.
• Theodosia Garrow Trollope, Thomas’s first wife, who seeks a quiet life of deep family affection despite her poetic talent and high social praise; her humbleness shields her from vanity until her early death.
• Charles Dickens, a close friend who seeks artistic integrity and personal privacy; he feels deeply alienated by the dishonesty of parliamentary politics and public affairs.
• Elizabeth Barrett Browning, a brilliant poet who defends the necessity of acute artistic sensitivity despite the loss of personal privacy it entails.
• Walter Savage Landor, an outspoken, fiery writer whose sharp wit and fierce denunciations of religious and political authority enliven every encounter.
• George Eliot (Marian Lewes), an exacting novelist and thinker who seeks precise historical and psychological truth in her work and observations.
• Frances Trollope, Thomas's mother, a resilient, fun-loving woman whose vibrant spirit shines even as her memory fades in old age.

In Its Own Voice

"I must have gone about, I think, like a tax-gatherer, with an inkstand slung to my button-hole!"

Trollope reflects with characteristic humor on his relentless early years of combining non-stop travel with rapid freelance writing.

"There never was a humbler, as there never was a more loving soul, than that of the Theodosia Garrow who became, for my perfect happiness, Theodosia Trollope."

Trollope pays tribute to the character of his first wife, emphasizing the moral grace that kept her unsullied by worldly flattery.

"It was a glorious walk. We returned wet to the skin to 'Joyce's Inn,' and dined on roast goose and whisky punch, wrapped in our blankets like Roman senators!"

Trollope recalls a memorable mountain trek through western Ireland alongside his brother, the novelist Anthony Trollope.

What It's Really About

Beneath its leisurely sequence of anecdotes and travel notes, the book explores the practical realities of the nineteenth-century writer's craft. Trollope demystifies the literary life, treating writing not as a lofty, romantic calling, but as an honest trade driven by financial necessity and disciplined work habits.

At the same time, the memoir examines the nature of observation and exile. Living as an Englishman in Italy, Trollope considers how foreign environments shape identity, foster artistic community, and provide freedom from rigid home conventions. The narrative quietly meditates on memory itself—how old journals resurrect forgotten writings, lost companions, and vanished ways of life, capturing the fragile passage of time across a rapidly modernizing nineteenth-century Europe.

Why Read It Today

What I Remember, Volume 2 offers an exceptionally vivid, unpretentious window into Victorian literary culture. Unlike formal histories, Trollope's memoir delivers the lived texture of the era: the cost of a turbot in an Irish market, the practical mechanics of historic Florentine street rules, and the casual, unedited domestic humor of legendary authors.

Readers who enjoy literary history, biography, or travel memoirs will appreciate Trollope's breezy, conversational voice and complete absence of self-importance. The book feels like a long, engaging evening spent with an unusually well-connected, sharp-eyed storyteller who knew everyone worth knowing yet never took himself too seriously.

The reading experience requires some patience. The narrative moves loosely, governed by memory and old diary entries rather than a tight dramatic plot, and includes periodic mentions of forgotten historical figures or outdated spellings. Yet for anyone fascinated by the nineteenth century, Trollope's warm prose and firsthand intimacy with figures like Dickens and George Eliot make it a deeply rewarding, delightful historical companion.