Librería Samer Atenea
Librería Aciertas (Toledo)
Kálamo Books
Librería Perelló (Valencia)
Librería Elías (Asturias)
Donde los libros
Librería Kolima (Madrid)
Librería Proteo (Málaga)
Coningsby is the first of Disraeli’s trilogy of political novels set against a background of real events in England following the enactment of the Whigs’ Reform Bill in 1832. The story follows the fortunes of Harry Coningsby – the orphaned grandson of the Marquis of Monmouth – from a boy at Eton to a young man of twenty-two. The luxurious life of the aristocracy, with their balls and lavish entertainments, is part of Coningsby’s heritage but he is a serious and thoughtful hero, the accepted leader of the “New Generation” who, unlike their more laissez-faire elders, recognise the need for social and political change in a newly industrialised nation. Disenchanted with both Whigs and Tories, Coningsby sets out to forge a new political force, one that aims to reinvigorate Britain’s three great institutions – the monarchy, the Church and the people. The author’s voice rings loud and clear here and also through his other central character, Sidonia, a wealthy and highly accomplished Jew who is both a man of the world and a man of no nation, a position that gives him unique insights into human nature and politics. If Coningsby wants change, advises Sidonia, then he should revive the national spirit and aim to inspire: “To believe in the heroic makes heroes.” Bold as he is, the path is a thorny one for Coningsby, especially when he falls in love with a beautiful woman from the “new money” class. Disraeli’s solutions for inept political systems may belong to another era but his insightfully drawn characters – the self-serving fixer, the bloated elitist, the clever manipulator of events and public opinion – live on today and will ever endure. In that sense, Coningsby is timeless.
