Framley Parsonage

Timothy West did a great narration bringing out all of Trollope's subtle humor, sly jabs, the winks and nods. Lawyers, newspapermen, financers and churchmen come under a broadside from Trollope's heavy guns. He unloads his full wicked wit on the whole disgusting tribe. It was an excuse for writing a perfectly lovely comedy of romantic entanglements. The cunning back-stabbing political and match-making schemes, as well as shadow cat fights are exquisite. For instance, the extremely rich, not particularly lovely, older heiress Miss Dunstable seemed to attract only offers which pass as corporate mergers. I think her first appearance was in "Dr. Thorne" where the financially embarrassed Greshams tried merging her with the family heir. The poor girl is bombarded with proposals or should I say get rich schemes for the proposers. I love the conclusion of her numerous courtships having forgotten it was in this book. Miss Dunstable's is not even the best romance in this story; in best one, I won't even tell you what the girl made the suitor do. It is agonizingly perfect. Psst, it has something to do with what his haughty disapproving mother has to do. I think that Trollope believed that overzealous attempts of mamas and papas to bring about the marriage of a son or daughter generally had contrary and often humorous effects. At least that is what happens in his books including this one. What I really like about Trollope is he generally doesn't lead the reader on then pull the rug from beneath one's feet at the conclusion. As an example of rug pullers I give you Mary Ann Evans a.k.a. George Eliot, "The Mill on the Floss" or that gosh awful woman, Edith Wharton. Most probably disagree with me but hey, I read them but still growl. Another thing I like about Trollope is his partiality for the unsuited but worthy lover very much on display in "Framley Parsonage". This is a totally satisfying story from a great writer.

A great, long, engaging book read by one of the best! A recording to be savored!

Every word written by Trollope and every word uttered by West.

Oh, I love them all even the bad ones, as Trollope did I'm sure.

My only complaint about Trollope is that he only wrote 46 novels.

I am facing a very nasty situation in that I have listened to nearly all Trollope novels narrated by Timothy West. Sadly, Trollope is now deceased and will never write more, but could not West be held captive in a Venetian palacio or English country mansion until he has recorded EVERYTHING.

Whether it's the author or the amazing narrator, Timothy West, I have fallen in love with the novels of Anthony Trollope. "Framley" is the fourth I've listened to. I began with "The Warden" and agree with other reviewers who suggest it's a good place to start.

In Framley Parsonage Anthony Trollope returns us to familiar characters, and wraps up some of their stories -- Martha Dunstable, for one, finds a disinterested (in her money) true love at last. New to us is Lucy Robards, one of Trollope's most fetching and feisty heroines. All grown up is Griselda Grantley, whose peculiar suitability for high society will remind readers of our own time's Gwyneths and Tinsleys. And back again are two of Trollope's most appalling and astonishing characters: Mr. Crowley, on the side of the angels, and Mrs. Proudie, from the other place. And, as always with this author, money and finance are characters in their own right, in a way that is truer and more realistic than any other author I can name. It's a bit of a transitional book -- on its way to the final Barchester book -- but a tightly plotted, satisfying read from start to finish.

Residents at Framley Parsonage include the Parson, Mark Robarts, a young man on his way up; his loyal and sensible wife Fanny; and his younger sister Lucy who falls in love with Lord Ludovic Lufton, the local aristocracy. So, once again, we read of the difficulties posed when a high-born young man and a commoner fall in love. Once again, the marriage is opposed by the young man's mother. But Lady Lufton is a far more complex and sympathetic character than Lady Arabella Gresham of "Dr Thorne." She is indeed someone who wants to be in control, but she also acts out of love for her son and a very conventional sense of what is right in society. We watch as she thinks through the implications of her demands, changes her mind, forgives, and accepts. Trollope treats her with sensitivity and we watch and listen, as she develops and changes over time.

Another interesting and complex character is Mr Sowerby, an old reprobate, who manipulates Mark Robarts into financial embarassment. Minor plots re-introduce some of our old acquaintances from other novels in the Barchester series: the Grantlys, Miss Dunstable (who marries the man of her dreams), and Mrs Proudie, who is, I'm sure, far more fun to read about than to have known in person.

As in the previous installments of this series, Trollope shows himself to be a master of creating characters who come to life on the page (or in the ear), even if the plot is something of a rehash.

This is the fourth in the Chronicles of Barsetshire and old characters reappear and their story continues and new characters are introduced. As always Trollope paints a wonderful rural picture but its not all chocolate box sweetness - there's poverty, illness and bailiffs alongside the fun and frivolity of wooing, hunting and sermon writing.

I'm loving this frolic through 1850s Victorian England and a complete convert to Trollope as read by Timothy West. This is as good a listen as it gets when you love the classics and I am already to listen to the next instalment in the series - you really can't have a better recommendation than that after some 50+ hours of listening!

One of my favorite things about Trollope is his ability to make you squirm. You care about the characters so much that the reaction to their predicaments is physical. Thankfully, he always brings things right in the end, with lessons learned by all. It may not be realistic, but, boy, is it fun to read!

The twists and turns of the plot (or plots) of Framley Parsonage make this a highly entertaining tale. As always, Trollope provides the romantic struggles of at least one couple as a unifying thread, and their trials and tribulations are especially witty and ironic here in Framley Parsonage. His cast of characters runs the gamut, from the sublime to the absurd; Lucy Roberts, her too easy-going brother, Mark, Mark's nemesis, Sowerby, the wealthy and raucous heiress Miss Dunstable, the statuesque beauty, Griselda Grantly, &c. Trollope has a gift for imbuing his villains with likable, or at the very least, sympathetic, personalities. Haven't we all known an engaging knave, like Sowerby? Yet, in spite of the rich complexity of plot and character, Trollope keeps hold of the reins throughout and brings all to a satisfying conclusion.

Trollope is an incredibly good writer and his words are brought to life by the incomparable Timothy West, who may be the best audiobook performer I've heard. I've read all 4 books in the series and now, less than an hour after finishing Framley I'm off to Allington.