On this day in 1815, Anthony Trollope was born. What is your favorite novel, series, short story or biographical fact about Trollope?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MAN TONY!

My favorite biographical facts: When he was young, he worked for the British postal service. While there, he INVENTED THE MAIL BOX in 1852.

As a writer, he wrote by very strict, self-imposed rules. Every day he woke early, and before heading out to perform his postal duties, he wrote. He wrote 250 words every 15 minutes, pacing himself with a watch.

Henry James once wrote an absolutely SCATHING review of "The Belton Estate" ("a stupid book, without a single thought or idea in it ... a sort of mental pabulum"), but then later wrote an entire essay about how great Trollope was at details ("Trollope will remain one of the most trustworthy, though not one of the most eloquent, of the writers who have helped the heart of man to know itself.")

Side note - I am so glad not to have been born into a time when Henry James was able to review my work, he could be SO MEAN.

His autobiography is low-key a little bit boring unless you are looking for advice on how to write (his way), and then it's really interesting.

*My favorite stand-alone novel: * "The Way We Live Now", which remains a relevant social commentary to this day. If you are unfamiliar with Trollope, and like Dickens's "Our Mutual Friend", you'll love TWWLN.

A close second is "He Knew He Was Right" - Trollope himself thought it was a bit of a fail, that the title character was unsympathetic. But it is one of the most moving and tragic fictions about mental illness I have ever read.

My Favorite Series: (I know there are only two, I still have a favorite.) The Chronicles of Barsetshire. My friends enjoy teasing me about how invested I am in a series that revolves around the lives of Clergymen, but I am quick to fill them in on the latest read, and they agree, these Clergymen LIVE for messy drama. I have not been able to bring myself to read the final book, "The Last Chronicle of Barset", because I am not ready for the story to end.

Trollope's characters are complex. His stories have twists and turns but always end in a place that seems reasonable and fair. He created a rich, reality-based world for his Palliser and Barsetshire characters. His is funny. His books are "easy" reads; always fun, often a bit educational, and always deeply engrossing. I read him because his stories are, above all else, ENTERTAINING. And I love to be entertained.

You can join The Trollope Society (I'm a member here) or The Trollope Society of America if you want to connect with other Trollopians. The Trollope Society's current read is "The Claverings".