Barchester Towers

By: Anthony Trollope

Narrated by: Timothy West

Length: 19 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Exclusively from Audible

Barchester Towers is the second of six in the series known as Chronicles of Barsetshire. Narrator Timothy West brings life to the story, begun in The Warden, of Mr. Harding and his daughter Eleanor. It chronicles the struggle for control of the English diocese of Barchester after one Bishop dies and a new one is selected.

The rather incompetent new Bishop, Dr. Proudie, led by his formidable wife, and ambitious chaplain, Mr. Slope, begin to create turmoil with their desire to shake up the church establishment in Barchester with new policies and practices. However, the established clergy of Barchester, led by Archdeacon Grantly, the son of the previous Bishop, are equally determined to keep things just as they've always been. Archdeacon Grantly declares 'War, war, internecine war!' on Bishop Proudie, but who will win the battle between the archdeacon, the bishop, Mr. Slope, and Mrs. Proudie?

The Guardian included Barchester Towers in its list of '1000 novels everyone must read'. Full of humour and extraordinary characters, it is no wonder it continues to be Trollope's best-loved work.

Narrator Biography

Timothy West is prolific in film, television, theatre and audiobooks. He has narrated a number of Anthony Trollope’s classics, including the six Chronicles of Barsetshire and The Pallisers series. He has also narrated volumes of Simon Schama’s A History of Britain and John Mortimer’s Rumpole on Trial. Timothy West’s theatre roles include King Lear, The Vote, Uncle Vanya, A Number, Quarter, and Coriolanus. His films include Ever After, Joan Of Arc, Endgame, Iris, The Day of the Jackal. On television, Timothy has appeared in Great Canal Journeys, Last Tango in Halifax and Bleak House.

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"It was in [Trollope's] fifth book, Barchester Towers, in which he blended his satirical gifts with disdain for evangelical puritanism, that he found himself." ( Washington Post)

Memorable characters seek career fulfillment

Enjoyable portrait of life in a small cathedral town with touches of subtle humour throughout.

an entertaining listen

I enjoyed The Warden first so this was like coming back to old friends. Mr. West does an excellent job with the text and voicing the characters and it blends very well with Trollope's style of speaking with the reader directly. The character names are as entertaining as ever, though I confess that the Lookalofts might edge out the Quiverfulls for my favorite. The story was well-conceived and well-told and I enjoyed the light-hearted look into the church and cathedral town life of the mid-century.

A justly loved book read by a superb reader.

This reading illuminates the comic dimensions of the book beautifully. Each character is fully realized.

Timothy West owns Trollope

Once again Timothy West brings forth another great performance of this delightful and entertaining novel about the English clerics in the diocese around Barchester cathedral. A sequel to THE WARDEN, this novel with West performing kept a smile on my face page by page, chuckling at the misdirection, laughing at the sarcasm, tearing up in the end. Audible brings this novel to life as it should be experienced for the reader. What extraordinary fun.

Perfect narrator for wonderful stories

Timothy West reading Trollope- it doesn’t get any better than this! Makes even Trollope’s long windedness a great. pleasure

Timothy West is the best reader ever.

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

Timothy West is pitch perfect in reading the Barchester and Palliser novels.

Have you listened to any of Timothy West’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, they are all incomparable.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Long for one sitting but would if I could

Narrator’s voice too quiet

My only complaint is that the narrator’s volume frequently drops too low. It made listening a challenge while doing other things unless I had earbuds in, even when the volume was all the way up.

Simply superb

The book itself, of course, is a perennial classic for its elegance and wit. Timothy West has comprehended the book magnificently and his reading of it is a triumph. Listening is sheer, unadulterated pleasure.

I thought I'd read all the classics.

It is wonderful to find this gem of a tale. I will immediately purchase the next book.

best of trollope

always a favorite novel, a clear eyed celebration of simple goodness in a complex world.