Saturday Rave: Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope.

I love the novels of Anthony Trollope. They're full of such great enjoyment of, amazement at, and love for, the human race.

Well, most of the human race. Not Mr Slope, obviously.

His face is nearly of the same colour as his hair, though perhaps a little redder: it is not unlike beef, - beef, one would say, however, of a bad quality...

I could never endure to shake hands with Mr Slope. A cold, clammy perspiration always exudes from him, the small drops are ever to be seen on his brow, and his friendly grasp is unpleasant.

Was ever a fictional character more fascinatingly awful than Mr Slope?


Illustration from The Trollope Society

If there is, I'd love to have the chance of observing him -

- but only, naturally, from a very great distance.

Ew!

Word To Use Today: perspiration. This word comes from the Latin perspīrāre, from per, through, and spīrāre, to breathe.