The Prime Minister

By: Anthony Trollope

Narrated by: Timothy West

Length: 27 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Exclusively from Audible

Plantaganet Palliser, Prime Minister of England - a man of power and prestige, with all the breeding and inherited wealth that goes with it - is appalled at the inexorable rise of Ferdinand Lopez. An exotic impostor, seemingly from nowhere, Lopez has society at his feet, while well-connected ladies vie with each other to exert influence on his behalf - even Palliser's own wife, Lady Glencora. But when the interloper makes a socially advantageous marriage, Palliser must decide whether to stand by his wife's support for Lopez in a by-election or leave him to face exposure as a fortune-hunting adventurer.

The fifth audiobook in Trollope's six-volume Palliser series, it is a story of social, sexual and domestic politics. The Prime Minister raises one of the most enduring questions in government - whether a morally scrupulous gentleman can make an effective leader.

With beautifully developed characters, Trollope intertwines the political and domestic stories, analysing the politics behind both government and marriage.

The author of 47 novels and many short stories he was one of the most prolific and successful novelists of the Victorian era with his work remaining popular and well-loved throughout the ages.

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.

Not the complete work

I was very disappointed in this purchase of The Prime Minister. The audio is only a small part of the novel and yet I was charged full price. That is why I give it only one star. However, Timothy West is an excellent reader, if only he were reading the entire novel. Previously I have purchased and downloaded all of the audiobooks of Anthony Trollope. Many of them last more than twenty hours reading time and they were not sold in small parcels of the book. I hope that Audible will remedy this.

lots to be irritated about

What did you like best about The Prime Minister? What did you like least?

pretty improbable, what a wimp that heroine is. more importantly, it's anti-semitic and anti-hispanic enough to irritate--really anger--even a wasp.

Would you recommend The Prime Minister to your friends? Why or why not?

no

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

he really is good, i probably wouldn't have kept listening at all if it weren't for his smooth delivery and great characterization.

Do you think The Prime Minister needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

i would be happy to listen to mr. west's reading of another book

Trollope goes too far this time

This should have been a good book and the first 14 hours really were, with an interesting villain and some political & social maneuverings by old friends from the earlier Palliser novels. But honestly, everything was settled and finished after 14 hours, and there 7 hours left to go. Trollope's heroines do sometimes get tedious with their insistence on morbid self-punishment but this heroine takes the cake. She goes on and on until no one in the book cares any longer what happens to her and we readers stopped caring way before that. It seems like Trollope couldn't stop dragging it out. Indeed, the book doesn't really end. It just peters away from exhaustion.

That said, Simon Vance does a great reading. He has a deep and delicious voice perfect for Victorian novels, and distinguishes his various characters' voices and accents with a light but effective touch.

As of Feb. 18, 2011, 2/3 of the book is missing

This is not the complete book; rather, it is less than 1/3. I am addicted to the Palliser series as read by Timothy West, and was extremely disappointed when I got to the end of the 5-hour file sold by Audible and the book was abruptly cut off in the middle of a scene. Further research confirmed that the complete book is at least three times longer.


I hope that Audible will fix this soon, since Trollope as read by Timothy West is a pure delight. Audible, while you are at it, please add the The Duke's Children, the last book in the series!! And please let us know when you will be providing us with the rest of the book that we purchased!!!

Weakest plot of this series

I've really come to appreciate Anthony Trollope, and love his dry sense of humor. The plot for this one is, I think, the weakest of the books in this series. I give it 3 stars ... Kind of drags at times, but on the plus side not much about parliamentary procedure.

The most prejudiced novel I have read by Trollope.

Would you try another book from Anthony Trollope and/or Timothy West?

As a Trollope fan, I write this review for others of you who consume these novels with as much relish as i do. With this novel, I have hit my limit; this is the most antisemitic novel I have encountered by any English novelist (including Trollope). Worse than THE WAY WE LIVE NOW in this respect; at least that novel has enough structural complexity to swallow up the Jew-hating sections to some extent.

Has The Prime Minister turned you off from other books in this genre?

No

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

He is a very good reader and my review has nothing to do with the performance; he does a nice job of handling the transitions between female and male voices (the biggest challenge for the audiobook voice actor)

What character would you cut from The Prime Minister?

The problem character is Ferdinand Lopez, who is variously described as a filthy black, a Jew despoiling the Egyptians, a greasy foreigner, a blackguard.