The Way We Live Now

The Way We Live Now is Anthony Trollope's satire of a society increasingly willing to mistake apparent wealth for personal worth. Augustus Melmotte's financial ventures attract investors, politicians, and families seeking advantageous marriages. Their eagerness to benefit from his fortune weakens the scrutiny that might expose his dealings. Interwoven stories of courtship, journalism, and country life connect the public fraud with smaller acts of self-interest. The novel makes dishonesty a shared social failure, sustained by those who profit from overlooking it.