In November 1867, Trollope began one of his longest novels,
He Knew He Was Right. Completed in June 1868, the work came out under the auspices of James Virtue in thirty-two weekly numbers from October 1868 to May 1869. It was published in book form by Strahan in May 1869. In
An Autobiography, Trollope wrote that in no “literary effort” did he ever fall “more completely short of [his] own intention than in this story.” Several contemporary reviewers agreed with Trollope that
He Knew He Was Rightfails as art because it does not “create sympathy” for the flawed character to whom its title refers, Louis Trevelyan. The novel’s sales were unimpressive. Virtue did not recoup the three thousand two hundred pounds he paid Trollope for the copyright, the largest sum Trollope ever…
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Citation: Nardin, Jane. "He Knew He Was Right". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 November 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4870, accessed 25 November 2024.]
