This magnificent sequel to The Warden satirizes the struggle for ascendancy among the clergy of a cathedral city as they contend for each newly vacant post within the archdiocese.
The contest for power is between Archdeacon Grantly and his followers, who favor high-church tendencies, and the new bishop and his followers, with their distinctly low-church preferences. Speaking loudly and cleverly for the latter is the ambitious Mr. Obadiah Slope, championed by Mrs. Proudie and the newcomers. Each wishes to become the dominant voice in the quiet diocese of Barchester, but their antics, including romantic ones, reveal that their priorities are more social and political than spiritual or moral.
Their intrigues and misunderstandings entwine through the lives of many memorable characters and provide a humorous backdrop for an exploration of the clash between old and new ways in Victorian England.
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"One day when I was bemoaning the fact that Jane Austen was dead and she had written so few books, all of which I had read many many times, my husband suggested I should try reading Trollope. It was a brilliant suggestion. He is an excellent romance novellist. But because his books are considered classics, you need have not shame and can openly read them on the train (not that I ever catch the train, because I rarely leave the house). I started reading the Barchester Chronicles with this book which was probably a mistake because the first book in the series is 'The Warden', but I found it to be a perfectly good place to start. The subject matter is probably more interesting to me than many people because my family has a long association with bellringing, which is an example of the type of 'popery' that many of the characters are trying to do away with (an issue that is still ongoing today). As an author I was very influenced by the conversation way that Trollope directly addresses the reader." — R.A. (5 out of 5 stars)
"One day when I was bemoaning the fact that Jane Austen was dead and she had written so few books, all of which I had read many many times, my husband suggested I should try reading Trollope. It was a brilliant suggestion. He is an excellent romance novellist. But because his books are considered classics, you need have not shame and can openly read them on the train (not that I ever catch the train, because I rarely leave the house). I started reading the Barchester Chronicles with this book which was probably a mistake because the first book in the series is 'The Warden', but I found it to be a perfectly good place to start. The subject matter is probably more interesting to me than many people because my family has a long association with bellringing, which is an example of the type of 'popery' that many of the characters are trying to do away with (an issue that is still ongoing today). As an author I was very influenced by the conversation way that Trollope directly addresses the reader."
“Barchester Towers is a very clever book.”
“The subject is so fresh and the representation so vivid...we are left to wonder that more has not long ago been made of such promising materials.”
“Simon Vance…delivers the fustian narrative with particular fluidity, verve, and grace.”
“Vance is a highly talented reader, as comfortable with the author’s more subtle use of sarcasm as with his broad sense of the ridiculous. He gives each character a unique voice and sounds like he’s enjoying himself into the bargain. Well done!”
" Available at BBC Radio 7. "
" Great fun and a nice antidote to the internet and instant communication. Allen and I had a nice conversation about the effects of instant communication on decision making after I finished the book. In this novel the dean of the cathedral dies and there is a period of at least a couple of weeks before the choice of the new dean is made. This is partly because all those who need to participate in the decision making aren't within quick reach. Therefore, there is time for discussion, decisions, reversals of decisions, new decisions, etc. until it all works out satisfactorily in the end. It seems that the time for decision making in our society has shrunk in accordance with the time needed for communicating. In the novel a week or two is not too long to receive news; for us a couple of hours makes us feel out of the loop. I wonder if that's a good thing. "
" Hilarious - Trollope at his most comic. "
" Victorian love story. What was most interesting was the depiction of the clergy of the Church of England and their politicking and in-fighting, their jockeying for position, power and funds. Very different from my experience in the LDS Church. I'll take a Mormon bishop any day. "
" This 1857 sequel to The Warden wryly chronicles the struggle for control of the English diocese of Barchester. It is interesting to see how some people maneuver for power in any way possible. Some seriously oily characters. "
" I enjoyed this book, although it took me a while to get through it. The story was entertaining and the character development was impressive (I guess as it should be for such a long novel). I also enjoyed the author's wit and sarcasm as it related to the story. "
" Victorian literature at it's brightest. "
" okay, just not great. "
" To be fair, I only read a fifth of the book "
" The Barchester series is about preachers and their families and their politics. What more could preacher's kid want. "
" Fascinating, thought-provoking, absurd, realistic, sad, funny, gentle, satirical, endlessly quotable, never dull. "
" If you haven't read an Anthony Trollope novel in a while, do so immediately. What an amazing satirical genius. It is a language treat. "
" God, I hated this book. Also, did you know that in the movie, the Odious Reverend Slope is played by the guy that plays Snape in Harry Potter?! :-O I saw Harry Potter and was like HOLY CRAP REVEREND SLOPE AAAA EVERYONE HIDE! "
" Another book from my Literature degree, from the Victorian Literature unit. This was the worst book i read for that unit. It took me 6 weeks to read cos I just didn't want to read it. Hated this book. Way too wordy, in true Victorian style. "
" A delightful book. Enjoyed the memorable characters and particularly the witty narration. "
" Too. Many. Footnotes. "
" Great soap opera, rather brilliant writing (especially for having been done on the side.) "
" Trollope is like a cross between Austen and Dickens, with the social humor of the former and the convolutions and melodrama of the latter. Very enjoyable, even when the finer points of church politics are baffling. "
" my first eread! Convenient but missed the paper, especially reading a Victorian novel. Trollope is definitely one of my all-time favourite writers. "
" I listened to the audiobook. It was my first encounter with Trollope, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I find him much more engaging than Dickens. "
" LOVED it! The good are rewarded and the wicked are thwarted (okay, or return to their villa in Italy!). The heroine is naive but not spineless -- actually, All the characters are wonderful! "
" Loved it! Think I'm a Trollope fan now. Great story, characters & writing style. I couldn't put it down. There were a couple of places that I thought he went on & on without furthering the story. "
" Too slow moving, I got bored and didn't finish. "
" A view into the Church of England in the 1850,s. It is not a pretty picture, but a fascinating one. Some of the theological issues of that day may be lost on the modern reader, but the story of ambition and sacrifice transcend time. "
" What a character study! Trollope can certainly invent the most believable characters!! Loved it! "
" Kind of obsessed with Trollope now. Loved the quirky characters in this book, and the way that, early on, the narrator assures us that the girl we like isn't going to marry either of the men we don't want her to marry. "
" Ah to read good writing; it is a splendid thing. "
" I just received a 1st ed. of this book. I love the illustrations. Stay tuned for my review. "
" Okay, I'm a fan. But won't be picking up another for a while, because I need a break from dense (albeit funny) prose. Also, I can't go around talking like this, people think I'm weird enough already. "
" The funniest of Trollope's books I've read so far. I laughed out loud a lot. "
Anthony Trollope (1815–1882) grew up in London. He inherited his mother’s ambition to write and was famously disciplined in the development of his craft. His first novel was published in 1847 while he was working in Ireland as a surveyor for the General Post Office. He wrote a series of books set in the English countryside as well as those set in the political life, works that show great psychological penetration. One of his greatest strengths was his ability to re-create in his fiction his own vision of the social structures of Victorian England. The author of forty-seven novels, he was one of the most prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era.
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.
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