User talk:Jatlast

Barchster novels

Hello, JatLast! I'm afraid that I've had to revert your edit to Chronicles of Barsetshire once again. The edit summary didn't really offer room for me to reply to your hidden comment, so I'll respond here?—and if you'd like to reply at my talk page, please feel free to do so. (Or, if you'd rather, reply here; I'll keep this page on my watchlist, so I'll be aware of changes to it.)

I'm not sure what the basis was for Hathi Trust's suggested order for the Barchester novels. However, I'd reject it for two reasons. First, the natural order in which to list the novels (and to read them) is the order in which they were written, which is the same as the publication order in this case. Second, there's a chronological order in the novels, and HT's suggested order doesn't follow that. The "suggested order" puts Framley Parsonage before Doctor Thorne; but Doctor concerns itself with the wooing, and ends with the marriage, of Mary Thorne and Frank Gresham, while the two are married in Framley (see, for instance, Framley, chapter 8).

Rather than the single external link to C of B at Hathi Trust, where free access is limited, I'll shortly add separate EL's for all of the Barchester novels at eBooks@Adelaide, which are freely accessible to anyone. -- Ammodramus (talk) 17:38, 1 July 2014 (UTC)

jatlast's Reply

Hello Ammodramus. Thank you for your "Talk".

I must confess, I have only finished The Warden & Barchester Towers; therefore, I must also trust your textual evidence of inter-volume chronology, which is indeed proof undeniable, so long as it is true. I am not doubting you. I simply remain skeptical because the 1906 thirteen volume set is arranged with Framley 3rd and Thorne 4th; and, the fourth volume (i.e. Doctor Thorne, Part 1, p.9 of downloaded PDF) contains the unequivocal directive: "The Chronicles of Barsetshire Should Be Read In The Following Order:" listing the alternative I shared on Wikipedia. These two facts were the source of my original, rather uninformed abstinence, not having read the series myself.

My case gets worse, however; for, I not only could not find any Internet support for this change, but other sets I did find on Hathi Trust followed the publication order in their volume numberings also. Finally, Trollope himself, in the Introduction of this set, says, "when Dr. Thorne, the third of the present series..." (Vol. 1, PDF p.16, 2 pages before Chapter 1, PDF p.18, Book p.1). Perhaps room remains for argument but arguing with the actual author is a bit beyond my current boldness.

Being skeptical to the core, however, I am bound to remain convinced, until I finish the Chronicles of Barsetshire for myself, the: "Should Be Read In The Following Order" directive, must have some reason for existence. Trollope assures readers little is risked after the first two volumes are read in order. "These tales were written," says he, "...not one immediately after another, --not intended to be in any sequence one to another except in regard to the two first, --with an intention rather that there should be no such sequence..." (ibid.). Hence I will follow the directive, confident, after all this superfluous effort, I am at least reading in an order someone felt strongly about.

Thank you again Ammodramus, for your stooping to conquer a novice's abstinence and then being so kind as to leave the channel open.

jatlast (Jason Baumbach)

PS. Posting my reply I noticed your support links. Again, you appear to have all you need to end this discussion in your favor. Perhaps I'll read as publication directs after all. :-J