The Prime Minister

"The Prime Minister" is a novel by Anthony Trollope published in book form in 1876.

This novel is the fifth in Trollopes six-volume Palliser series and considered by modern critics to represent the apex of the series. It is a wonderfully subtle portrait of a marriage, political expediency, and misplaced love. The novel brilliantly dissects the politics of both marriage and government, and its juxtaposition of the personal and political conflicts is skilfully handled.

"The Prime Minister" sustains two plot lines. One records the clash between the Duke of Omnium, now prime minister of a coalition government, and his high-spirited wife, Lady Glencora, whose drive to become the most brilliant hostess in society causes embarrassment for her husband and eventually contributes to his downfall. The second plot relates the machinations of Ferdinand Lopez, an ambitious social climber who wins the support of Lady Glencora—but not her husband—for an election campaign.

Novels in the Palliser series:
1- Can You Forgive Her? (1864)
2- Phineas Finn (1869)
3- The Eustace Diamonds (1873)
4- Phineas Redux (1874)
5- The Prime Minister (1876)
6- The Dukes Children (1879)

The series overlaps with Trollopes Chronicles of Barsetshire, also a series of six novels, which deal with life in the fictional county where the Palliser family is politically important.