An Eye for an Eye

An Eye for an Eye is a novel by Anthony Trollope written in 1870. Fred Neville, a young officer in the Hussars, is heir to an earldom, but before taking up his responsibilities resolves to enjoy a year of adventure in Ireland where his regiment is posted. When Fred falls in love and seduces an Irish girl of great beauty and mysterious background, the scene is set for a tragic outcome that far exceeds the adventures Fred had in mind. Written in 1870 but not published until 1879, An Eye For An Eye is arguably the most melodramatic story that Trollope wrote and certainly his frankest and most daring treatment of pre-marital sex. It is one of five novels which Trollope set mainly in Ireland, although much of the story takes place at Scroope Manor in Dorsetshire, the ancestral home of the ageing Earl of Scroope.