What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Way We Live Now
Anthony Trollope · Book · 1999
If you loved The Way We Live Now, start with The Way We Live Now (2001) — a series from the same story. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Way We Live Now across media.
If you loved the scathing social autopsy of The Way We Live Now, you crave stories that expose systemic corruption and moral decay.
Start with the source
Adaptation
The Way We Live Now
Series · 2001
Films on the same thread
The Rules of the Game
Jean Renoir · Film · 1939
Explores: Aristocracy, Adultery, Social Decay.
Like The Way We Live Now, this film masterfully dissects the shallow vanity and underlying rot of the elite, proving that social performance often masks a profound moral vacuum.
Modern Times
Film · 1936
Explores: Industrialization, Poverty, Social Criticism.
Trollope’s critique of unchecked financial greed finds a spiritual ancestor here, as this work highlights the dehumanizing nature of industrial progress and the struggle for dignity against systemic indifference.
Apocalypse Now
Francis Ford Coppola · Film · 1979
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, The Horrors of War, Loss of Innocence.
Much like the descent into madness found in The Way We Live Now, this film explores the total erosion of integrity when powerful institutions operate without a moral compass.
Gone with the Wind
Victor Fleming · Film · 1939
Explores: Survival, Reconstruction Era, Lost Cause.
You will recognize the opportunistic spirit of Trollope’s characters in this epic, which captures the intersection of personal ambition and the chaotic shifting of fortunes during a period of upheaval.
Series on the same thread
The Sopranos
David Chase · Series · 1999
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, Existential Crisis, Family Dynamics.
The Way We Live Now exposes the venal nature of the powerful, a theme echoed in this drama as it navigates the complex moral compromises required to sustain criminal enterprise.
Middlemarch
Series · 1994
Explores: Social constraints, Unfulfilled potential, Class differences.
This adaptation mirrors the sweeping Victorian social critique of The Way We Live Now, focusing on the friction between individual aspiration and the rigid, often hypocritical constraints of society.
Downton Abbey
Julian Fellowes · Series · 2010
Explores: Class conflict, Social change, Upstairs-Downstairs.
While more restrained than The Way We Live Now, this series provides a similar examination of the British class hierarchy and the inevitable decline of an aristocratic way of life.
Our Friends in the North
Peter Flannery · Series · 1996
Explores: Thatcherism, Police Corruption, Social Change.
This narrative tracks societal rot across decades, mirroring the ambitious scope of The Way We Live Now by detailing how political and institutional corruption shapes the lives of ordinary citizens.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Archers
Podcast
Explores: family life, community, farming.
If the serialized, community-focused drama of The Way We Live Now kept you hooked, you will appreciate this deep dive into the intricate web of relationships and local social dynamics.
How Is This Better?
Podcast
Explores: grifters, political promises, technology critique.
Trollope’s sharp eye for the grifters and financial predators in The Way We Live Now finds a modern counterpart here as this podcast dissects the hollow promises of contemporary society.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Way We Live Now based on a true story?
The Way We Live Now is a work of fiction written by Anthony Trollope in 1875. While not a factual account, the author wrote it after returning to England in 1872, inspired by his indignation regarding the dishonesty and immorality he observed in Victorian society at that time.
How long is The Way We Live Now compared to other novels?
The Way We Live Now is Anthony Trollope's longest novel. It serves as a comprehensive satire of the political, financial, and aristocratic spheres of the era. Due to its significant length and scope, it is often considered one of the most substantial works in the author's literary career.
Should I watch the 2001 adaptation of The Way We Live Now?
The 2001 television adaptation of The Way We Live Now is a faithful interpretation of the original 1875 novel. It captures the themes of social satire and moral corruption that Trollope explored in his writing, providing a visual representation of the world he depicted in his longest book.
What themes are explored in The Way We Live Now?
The Way We Live Now explores themes of corruption within politics, finance, and the aristocracy. The novel acts as a satire of the literary world, gambling, and the social pressures surrounding marriage and luxury. Trollope uses these topics to critique the state of society as he perceived it.