'Scholarly, ambitious and scrupulous'. This is how the TLS recently described the Oxford Reader's Companion Series. In September 2000, the book which pioneered the series, The Oxford Reader's Companion to Dickens, came out in paperback. Now the Oxford Reader's Companions to Trollope, Hardy, Conrad, and George Eliot will follow on from its success. In this format each of these books, designed specifically to appeal to students of literature, contains a more comprehensive and accessible range of information than any other reference work on these writers. 'The busiest man of letters'. Few writers before or since have covered so much territory or written so many books. His output was formidable. The Oxford Reader's Companion to Trollope encompasses all the latest scholarship on this fascinating writer in one single volume. Thirty-six contributors have come together to bring a wealth of biographical, bibliographical, and historical information to illuminate the wider literary and cultural context of Trollope's life and work. Over 500 A-Z entries cover Trollope's literature; his work as biographer, journalist and travel writer; subsequent criticism and praise of his work; his family members, friends, and acquaintances; the social context of his life; his influences and the things he influenced; his interests and ideas. Entries include: Works: 'England and America', 'Clarrisa', 'Modern Literature', 'Cicero as a Man of Letters', 'The Higher Education of Women', 'On The Eastern Question', 'The Civil Service as a Profession', 'Letters from South Africa' Novels: Barchester Towers, Can You Forgive Her?, Orley Farm, The Small House at Allington, The Way We Live Now Biography and auto-biography: An Autobiography, Lord Palmerston, Thackeray Plays: Did He Steal It?, The Noble Jilt Short stories: 'Christmas at Thompson Hall', 'Mrs Brumby', 'Not If I Know It' Unpublished works: 'History of World Literature', Commonplace Book Private life: holidays abroad, food and drink, portraits and photographs, smoking Public life: public service of Anthony Trollope, Trollope and the Civil Service Trollope the writer: comedy in Trollope's work, heroes and heroines, language and style, working habits Issues and social context: charity and philanthropy, education, government, suffrage, agnosticism, atheism, art and artists, dancing, fashion, marriage and divorce, monarchy, old age In addition to A-Z entries, the book offers additional material: a useful thematic overview of entries, a chronology of Trollope's life, family trees, a comprehensive bibliography for further reading and maps of Trollope's travels.