Books have been a favorite pastime of readers since the invention of the first book. There are many different types of books written for the reference, educational and entertainment needs of the readers. Novels have been a first choice of readers across the world as a source of entertainment and relaxation. Competition among authors was extremely hard before the invention of radio and television. The success barriers were very difficult to overcome and proved even more difficult, if not impossible, for a woman. Francis Trollope, known for her unique and controversial style, was a female English author who wrote several novels in the early 1800's. Trollope relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio, fo ...view middle of the document...
Trollope successfully published forty books before her death in 1863 at eighty four years of age (Bloom 384). This is a remarkable amount of work for any author; however, Trollope achieved this accomplishment in twenty nine years. Researching Trollope and her comments regarding Cincinnati begins in the early 1800's.Trollope sailed to the United States searching for financial resurrection in late 1827 (Trollope VII). After a brief stay in Nashoba, Tennessee, Trollope moved to Cincinnati, Ohio on February 10, 1828 (Ransom 46). Trollope assisted in the creation of and wrote the announcements for The Invisible Girl theatre production at the Western Museum in Cincinnati which opened in April of 1828. The production was a huge success and continued to run for eight straight weeks (Ransom 48). By then Trollope was forty nine years old and a little less than four years away from embarking on a career she had not yet considered. Becoming a successful author was not only an undecided career decision but a passage to fame, notoriety and controversy. Trollope began to settle into the new surroundings of Cincinnati and continued to write theatricals for additional income (Bloom 384). Trollope entertained a "'grand dream of building a bazaar, a European-style social club where women and men could mingle freely'" (qtd. Bloom 384). The plans for the bazaar were drawn up, a down payment of $1,665.00 was paid and the bazaar opened on January 20, 1829 (Ransom 57). Little did Trollope know this business venture would be the basis of her future negative experiences, opinions and writings referencing Cincinnati. The new business was given the name Trollope's Folly. The bazaar was a complete failure and sold to Nicholas Longworth in February 1831 (Ransom 86). Trollope's Folly was a victim of unscrupulous contractors and poor business decisions executed by Trollope. The creditors seized remaining assets from Trollope's Folly and Trollope herself (Bloom 384). She did not receive this failure well and placed blame on the Americans and the people of Cincinnati. She also would not forget this failure and the sour taste she acquired for America and Cincinnati.Trollope would harbor these ill feelings and felt she would never succeed after the failure of the bazaar. Unaware of her next move and in desperate need of finances, She considered authoring books as a source of income. The first book Trollope wrote was titled Domestic Manners of the Americans and it was the first of a four books about America. The book was constructed from several pages of notes she compiled while in America and Cincinnati. Trollope did not waste any time seeking retribution of the failed bazaar by using her pen as a vehicle to unleash her revenge on the Americans and the Cincinnati community. In the first book she makes several negative references about the city of Cincinnati and America.The Domestic Manners of the Americans is a three part narrative and the second part is an account of life...
