Barchester Towers

By: Anthony Trollope

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 18 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

This magnificent novel, sequel to The Warden and second in the Chronicles of Barsetshire, satirizes the struggle for ascendancy among the clergy of a cathedral city. The contest is between the outgoing church authorities led by Archdeacon Grantly and the newcomers led by Mrs. Proudie and her protégé, the ambitious Mr. Obadiah Slope. Each wishes to become the dominant voice in the quiet diocese of Barchester, and they contend for the newly vacant post of warden of Hiram's Hospital.

The truth is that Barchester's leadership is really concerned with social rather than spiritual or moral issues. These intrigues, entwined through the lives of many memorable characters, provide a humorous backdrop for exploring the clash between the old and new ways in Victorian England.

Don't miss the first book in the series, The Warden (Unabridged).

(P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Give Trollope a try

In the hope that someone might be looking here at Trollope's most famous title, I just want to put out a general plug for his novels (especially all six of the Barsetshire series.) They are very mature, intelligent reads -- truly books for grown ups. And Simon Vance (who, like many narrators, has a couple of names) is just about everyone's favorite interpreter of 19th C. English fiction. Start with "The Warden", then you will enjoy "Barchester Towers" even more. Happy listening!

If you've run out of Jane Austen novels...

If you enjoy dense, complex novels which illuminate an entire society and have a broad range of unique characters with recognizable foibles, I highly recommend this delightful sequel to The Warden. Bishop Grantly has died and is succeeded by the Rev Proudie who brings with him his domineering wife and his ambitious and manipulative chaplain, Mr Slope. Mr Slope aspires to marry the wealthy and attractive Widow Bold, nee Eleanor Harding. Will he succeed in his courtship, or will the spirited Eleanor favor the feckless Bertie Stanhope or the scholarly Mr Arabin? Will Eleanor's father, the self-effacing Reverend Harding be re-appointed as warden of the hospital, or will the position go to the aptly named Reverend Quiverful, struggling to support a family of 14? And what of the fascinating, beautiful, and scandalous Signora Neroni, (nee Madelyn Stanhope), sister of the worthless Bertie, whom all men seem to desire? Minor characters, like the eccentric Miss Thorne and the combative Archdeacon Grantly, are delineated for our delight. Siimon Vance makes each character and incident come alive in this reading. Pay an extended visit to Barchester. You will enjoy the company.

Quality writing of a wonderful tale

If you appreciate REALLY good writing, well developed characters, in an engrossing tale this is the book for you. Very well read. I couldn’t get enough of it! Going on to book 3!!!

My first Trollope won't be my last

This is my first Trollope novel and I described him to some book-loving friends as an ecclesiastical Jane Austen with a definite Dickens twist. I thoroughly enjoyed this and plan to read more Trollope. The casual references to the numerous titles and hierarchy of the clergy in the Church of England can be a bit tedious for us, the uninitiated, but this delightful novel was worth it. From the slippery Mr. Slope to the domineering Mrs. Proudie, the characters are well developed with humor and irony. Very enjoyable. The narrator does a fine job. You can almost see him winking at you as he raises his brows and lowers his chin.

A Well-Mannered Romp

This is a wonderful slice of what Trollope does so well: Pulling back the curtain on all of his characters' machinations and absurdities in the classic 3-volume novel format. He does occasionally ramble for pages on what could easily be said in a few paragraphs (I had to fast-forward through the backstory on Francis Arabin, for example), but it's a smart, funny portrait of social, political and spiritual life in the mid-19th century. My only complaint about this production is a minor technical one. There are obvious 'punch-ins' where a sentence or two had to be replaced. The quality/precision of the edit is pretty bad; the splice has a muddy quality, and a line was even repeated probably due to a missed time count. It's a minor thing, only noticeable because of the otherwise excellent quality of Mr. Vance's performance.

The best of all literature

This makes my third reading of Barchester Towers. Only Trollope can bring to life humanity at its full round of virtues and foibles, even villainy.

Simon Vance brilliant once again

Trollope is as relevant as today's political headlines. If we think fools and charlatans are something new, he has a lot to teach us. But there is the difference of time and language and the exact nature of political and personal offenses that might make him more distant to a casual reader or listeners to a careless reader. Simon Vance is absolutely brilliant in bringing vibrantly to modern ears Trollope's sly humor, skillful character creation and warm hearted affection for those who do right in life. I loved every minute of Barchester Towers and am now going back to listen to The Warden. And then on to the rest of the saga. Three cheers for Simon Vance!

The best of the Barchesters

Where does Barchester Towers rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is just a wonderful reading and a wonderful book. Trollope at his funniest and most insightful about the way people are vs they way they want to be. Of the series, I think the first "The Warden" is very good and this one is excellent. After which the themes tend to repeat and I often think the later books could be half their length. This one, however, was a delight and I was happy it lasted as long as it does.

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I would listen to anything Simon Vance reads -- and you should too. He brings incredible life to each and every character and I have no idea who he keeps all the voices and intonations straight, chapter after chapter. When a young lady and an old woman are having a conversation, in your mind you only see them, not him. And you know their class... everything about them from his wonderful voice.

A symphony of words…

Anthony Trollope is truly a conductor of such genius that it almost pains me to endure his eloquence and to know – as a trial attorney – I will never approach his facility with the English language. The story itself is predictable – if not banal – but the delivery is unsurpassed. Mark Twain once said the difference between an almost right word and the right word is the difference between a lightning bug and lightning. When Trollope writes, it is a veritable electric
storm. This book is for anyone who loves the English language and loves the beauty of a well turn phrase. The narrator did an exquisite job on a variety of characters and it was well worth 18 hours of English country soap opera.d

Victoriana

I enjoyed this second installment of the Barchester Chronicles much more than the first, The Warden, even though many of the same characters (Mr. Harding and his daughters) continue the story. Trollope has a unique way of getting inside the minutiae of Victorian society and behavior, and he does so with both affection and humor. I'll definitely continue listening to the series.