Doctor Thorne

By: Anthony Trollope

Narrated by: Timothy West

Length: 20 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Exclusively from Audible

Doctor Thorne is the third audiobook in Anthony Trollope's series known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire. Long regarded as one of Trollope's greatest works, it is a complex story of love, greed and illegitimacy. Set in fictional Barsetshire, it concerns the romantic challenges facing Doctor Thorne's penniless niece, Mary, and Frank Gresham, the only son of the impoverished squire of Greshambury. Mary falls in love with Frank but he is constrained by the need to marry well to restore the family fortunes and Greshambury estate. Despite the promptings of his family to consider a Miss Dunstable, heiress to a fortune, Frank's affections persist, and the humane Doctor Thorne, as Mary's protector, must confront the prejudices of the mid-Victorian society.

Timothy West's narration enhances all the wit and satire that one expects from Trollope. Full of snobbery and hypocrisy, it is a social comedy full of some of Trollope's most brilliant characters.

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

" Doctor Thorne is engaging, witty, profoundly moving, and full of emotional strands that seem as relevant today as when it was written. I love it." (Julian Fellowes)

Patrick Tull’s superlative performance..

Enhances this Trollope classic story. He brings the characters to life so delightfully that, even after repeated previous readings, the novel seems fresh - and can be enjoyed in a new way.

I loved it.

Would you listen to Doctor Thorne again? Why?

Absolutely. I enjoyed the TV mini series of Doctor Thorne which made me search for the audiobook. There's more detail here, of course, which made it even more enjoyable.

What did you like best about this story?

The Narrator was very good and kept you interested in each aspect of the story.

Which character – as performed by Timothy West – was your favorite?

Doctor Thorne of course. But I liked all the characters really. Mary was the image of her day, and I loved her standing up to Frank's mother.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I felt badly for Lady Sketchart and how she was treated by both her husband and her son.

Any additional comments?

My only problem with the reading was the long pauses between chapters. In listening to the story, during the first few chapters, I had to check my MP3 player and make sure it didn't accidentally go on "pause". It's odd.

Great book, great narrator

What did you love best about Doctor Thorne?

Trollope at his best

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

Yes!

Any additional comments?

Timothy West is wonderful. I can't imagine Trollope's books being narrated by anyone else!

Enjoyable

if you like Jane Austin, you will enjoy Trollope's Dr. Thorne. There is unrequited love, class distinction, rags to riches, and everything inbetween!

One of the best Trollope novels

Listening this novel again after some years in Timothy West narration was a treat. The story savors like a Dickens one but with Trollope flair and style of worm intimation with the reader. It soothes the heart and spirit.

Excellent Book

The protagonist, Dr Thorne is a character for which the reader becomes quite fond. He is a complex and strong character. The dilemmas which the author presents are typical of those of the time and setting. This book is part of a series and I enjoyed it immensely. Characters become part of the overall saga and this in itself is interesting. The performance is brilliant.

Wonderful Old English satire. Similar to Jane Austin.

I loved this book. I love happy endings. I really enjoy old English style stories, especially when they describe the beauty at the same time poking fun at the narrow minded views of some of the “upper class”. It was a riot how quickly her “unfortunate birth” was forgotten and “forgiven” as soon as there was money involved.

loved the movie so i decided to listen to the book

loved the movie so i decided to listen to the book. loved the book more! the characters, writing style, and storyline were l so enjoyable!

Such a great narrative and performance!

I'm new to Anthony Trollope and growing to be quite a fan. There was a streaming TV production of Doctor Thorne a few years back and I've watched it 2 or 3 times so I thought it was high time to get acquainted with the source material. I'm an English lit super fan and have read and re-read all the Austen, Bronte, and Dickens classics. While this book may not be as popular or "important" as the work of those other authors, it's just as satisfying and enlightening. The story is compelling while being both serious and fun. The voice actor does a wonderful job with all of the characters too.

Really a good value!

Trollope is always a good value in Audiobooks, over 20 hours of a well read story that keeps you glued to the headphones - even though you may have heard it nearly all before in other Trollope stories