The Duke's Children

By: Anthony Trollope

Narrated by: Timothy West

Length: 21 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Exclusively from Audible

The Duke's Children is the sixth and final audiobook in the Palliser series.

Plantagenet Palliser, the Duke of Omnium and former Prime Minister of England, is widowed and wracked by grief. Struggling to adapt to life without his beloved Lady Glencora, he works hard to guide and support his three adult children. Palliser soon discovers, however, that his own plans for them are very different from their desires. Sent down from university in disgrace, his two sons quickly begin to run up gambling debts.

His only daughter, meanwhile, longs passionately to marry the poor son of a squire against her father's will. But while the Duke's dearest wishes for the three are thwarted one by one, he ultimately comes to understand that parents can learn from their own children.

A remarkable story of love, loyalty and principles, written by one of the most respected novelists of the Victorian era. With over 40 published novels, Trollope's is regarded as some of the greatest 19th-century fiction.

Narrator Biography

Timothy West is prolific in film, television, theatre, and audiobooks. He has narrated a number of Anthony Trollope's classic audiobooks, including the six Chronicles of Barsetshire and the Palliser series. He has also narrated volumes of Simon Schama's A History of Britain and John Mortimer's Rumpole on Trial.

West's theatre roles include King Lear, The Vote, Uncle Vanya, A Number, Quarter, and Coriolanus and his films include Ever After, Joan Of Arc, Endgame, Iris and The Day of the Jackal. On television, Timothy has held the regular role of Stan Carter on EastEnders (BBC), as well as appearing in Broken Biscuits (BBC), three series of Great Canal Journeys, Last Tango in Halifax; Bleak House, Bedtime and Brass.

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"...his writing feels like life, it's hard to say just how he works his magic...." (Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker)

Compelling listening for all Trollope fans.

The sixth book in the Palliser series is essential listening. To have followed the fortunes and misfortunes of all the characters, makes this last book so satisfying in that we know what happens to everyone. It is interesting to see how Trollope makes us aware of the changing times in the late 19th Century through the lives of all those who inhabit these wonderful books.

I love Trollop!

Trollop's understanding of human nature is uncanny and Narrator Tim West knocks it out of the park - again!

I wish they’d been one more

This final installment in the Paliser series was a fun, addictive read. I found it to be the most soapy of the series. Even so, it left me wanting more.

The Duke's Children - At Last!

Finally, The Duke's Children, the last book in the Trollope's Palliser series, is on Audible! Unfortunately, Audible still does not have The Prime Minister, which precedes this final book in the Palliser series. Although it is not necessary to have read (or listened to The Prime Minister) to enjoy this story, for true fans of Trollope and the Palliser series, it would have been helped. Although I thoroughly enjoyed Trollope's story about the Duke of Omnium and his three children, "The Duke's Children" is not one of Trollope's "great" novels in the Palliser series, especially the ending, which I found flat and unsatisfying. However, what is so deliciously interesting about this novel, and makes it a must read, is Trollope's portrayal of the utter hypocrisy of the aristocracy in late Victorian England, through the character portrayal of the Duke of Omnium, the titular head of the Liberal Party. This juxtaposition and tension between the Duke's Liberal politics and conservative personal beliefs in the plot via the Duke's aspiration's for, and then treatment of his children, especially his daughter, Mary, are timeless themes and are as true today as it was over 100 years ago when Trollope wrote this novel!

Great performance

Timothy West brings the Palliser world to life again in this last volume of the Palliser series. Trollope has created a lovely world of characters and settings for the stories that have been easy to become so absorbed. It has been an entertaining and fruitful experience reading and listening West's narration simultaneously with his robust English accent so sensitive to pace, syntax, dialogue, dynamics. I know I could have not have achieve as much appreciation for Trollope's novels without West's performance audible as I read.

¡Otra vez!

Great story with an understanding of men and women, plus British parliamentary government, plus how to keep his readers passionate about his characters.
Fantastic narration

The capstone to the Pallisers. West is brilliant!

If you could sum up The Duke's Children in three words, what would they be?

Trollope, West, Perfection.
It is getting increasingly difficult to find words to explain how entertaining and satisfying Timothy West's Trollope readings are without repeating myself. His character voices, his pacing, his vocal smirkiness where Trollope smirks, are all perfect for all of the Trollope books. It would probably be too much to hope that he might do the expanded version of this book, just published, with the long lost portions of the original that were excised by the original publisher, more than 100 years ago. The additional material adds about a third or so to the standard version.

Brilliant reader: Timothy West

I’ve been making my way through Trollope on audio, and a great deal of my pleasure is in Timothy West’s reading.

Another brilliant listen read by Timothy west

My only sorrow is that the Palliser series had to end. I wish Mr West could read all the Trollope novels but at least there are these and the Barchester Chronicles. I will lose myself completely in them again and again.

The best of the Pallisar series

As I’m finally finishing the Pallisar series my departing thoughts are that I wish all of the books could have been as pleasant as this one. I have a few small critiques with Trollope’s writing in both the Pallisar books as well as the Barsetshire series. For example, his women so very often end as lovesick, fools who can’t be as strong as the men in letting go of the past, as was miss Mabel. I would have liked to see more growth of character in the women as there was in almost every man. Mrs. Finn being an exception— she is a brilliant illustration of a lovely yet flawed character, and was my favorite part of this series.
Overall I feel like they were worth reading although without this book to tie them up I would have said probably not worth it since there were so many dry books in the middle.