The Warden
by Anthony Trollope
read by David Shaw-Parker
Part 1 of the Chronicles of Barsetshire series
A compassionate portrait of the gentle, thoughtful warden and percent of Barchester Cathedral, Mr. Septimus Harding. Loved and appreciated by all with whom he works, Harding lives an ordered, regular life in his protected religious environment. Then a young reformer feels he has uncovered a mismanagement of funds and Harding is held to blame. The accusation comes as a shock to Harding himself and the cathedral community. It then comes to wider notice when the cause is taken up by a national newspaper.
The Warden
by Anthony Trollope
read by Margaret Hilton
Part 1 of the Chronicles of Barsetshire series
Known for such masterpieces as The Way We Live Now and Barchester Towers, Anthony Trollope was one of the foremost English novelists of the Victorian era. The first of his beloved novels featuring the fictional county of Barsetshire, The Warden, introduces listeners to Septimus Harding, the warden and kindly caretaker at Hiram' s Hospital for elderly gentlemen. Though Hiram' s is a charitable hospital, its estate has lately begun to take in a substantial profit, making the townsfolk-- and Mr. Harding himself-- question the terms of the warden' s growing salary.
The Warden
by Anthony Trollope
read by Simon Vance
Part 1 of the Chronicles of Barsetshire series
Anthony Trollope's classic novel centers on Mr. Harding, a clergyman of great personal integrity whose charitable income far exceeds the purpose for which it was intended. On discovering this, young John Bold determines to expose what he regards as an abuse of privilege, despite the fact that he is in love with Mr. Harding's daughter. Set in the world of the Victorian professional and landed classes he portrayed so superbly, Trollope explores the complexities of human motivation and social morality.
Barchester Towers
by Anthony Trollope
read by Simon Vance
Part 2 of the Chronicles of Barsetshire series
This magnificent novel is a satirical comedy about the fight for ascendancy among the clergy in a cathedral city. The formidable Mrs. Proudie, the oily Mr. Slope, and the flamboyant Signora Neroni are among the memorable characters vying to be the dominant voice in the quiet diocese of Barchester.
Barchester Towers
by Anthony Trollope
read by Margaret Hilton
Part 2 of the Chronicles of Barsetshire series
First, a warning: If you haven't read any Trollope, start with The Warden; it's the first in a series of which Barchester is second. Next, a rather shocking warning: Trollope may be as addictive as a soap opera. It has plenty of the right ingredients-archly drawn characters and plots that enmesh the listener in the daily ups and downs of those characters' lives. Of course, the great crevasse that divides your average daytime soap from Barchester Towers is the elegance and skill of the writer and the witty invention from which he draws his charming and classic fantasies.
Barchester Towers
by Anthony Trollope
read by David Shaw-Parker
Part 2 of the Chronicles of Barsetshire series
Barchester Towers, the sequel to The Warden, is the second novel in Trollope's major series, the Chronicles of Barsetshire. It focuses on the power struggle between Archdeacon Grantly, Mr. Slope and the Proudies as they fight for control of the diocese of Barchester. Meanwhile, another struggle is taking place for the heart of Eleanor Bold. Who will win her? The vile Mr. Slope, the idling Bertie Stanhope or someone else entirely? This is a witty and sparkling novel about greed, hate and love; Trollope captures the intricacy of human emotion and character with warmth, humour, wonderful characterisation and, of course, perfect dialogue.
Doctor Thorne
by Anthony Trollope
read by Simon Vance
Part 3 of the Chronicles of Barsetshire series
Doctor Thorne adopts his niece Mary, keeping secret her illegitimate birth as he introduces her to the best local social circles. There she meets and falls in love with Frank Gresham, who is intent on marrying her despite her seeming poverty. Only Doctor Thorne knows that Mary is to inherit a large legacy.
Dr. Thorne
by Anthony Trollope
read by David Shaw-Parker
Part 3 of the Chronicles of Barsetshire series
Dr Thorne, the third novel in Anthony Trollope's Chronicles of Barsetshire, sees the author steer away from the church politics of the first two novels and move towards the scandals and prejudice of the upper tiers of Victorian era aristocracies.It tells the tale of Frank Gresham and Mary Thorne, a couple intent on marriage despite their conflicting social backgrounds. Frank is engaged in a fierce battle with his family as his mother vehemently opposes the marriage and pushes him to marry a wealthy heiress; however, Frank shuns her attempts as he is determined to accept Mary on her own terms.Trollope's classic, trademark prose shines in Dr Thorne: always solicitous, gentle and kind to his readers, the author peppers his narrative with wonderfully witty observations that will leave you smiling.
Framley Parsonage
by Anthony Trollope
read by Simon Vance
Part 4 of the Chronicles of Barsetshire series
Mark Robarts, the new young vicar in the village, seeks high connections to further his career but is preyed upon to guarantee a substantial loan, which brings Mark to the brink of ruin. Meanwhile, romances are in bloom, including between Mark's sister, Lucy, and Lord Lufton, with a marriage in store even for Doctor Thorne.
Framley Parsonage
by Anthony Trollope
read by David Shaw-Parker
Part 4 of the Chronicles of Barsetshire series
In Framley Parsonage, the fourth novel of Trollope's Chronicles of Barsetshire, the author leaves the confines of Barchester and looks to the countryside, where he relates the moral difficulties of Mark Robarts, the young clergyman who has recently been appointed Vicar of Framley. Desperate to keep up socially with the local aristocracy, the country parson is persuaded to underwrite the debts of Sowerby, a well-respected peer. However, when the debts are called in, Robarts finds himself in a serious predicament. Written with acute insight, together with a great deal of warmth and humour towards his characters' attendant charms and foibles, Framley Parsonage is sure to delight.
The Small House at Allington
by Anthony Trollope
read by Simon Vance
Part 5 of the Chronicles of Barsetshire series
Squire Dale, the embittered old bachelor who lives in the great house at Allington, has loaned the nearby small house rent free to his widowed sister-in-law and her two daughters, Lily and Bell. The action centers on the strained relations between the two houses and on the romantic entanglements of the two girls.
The Small House at Allington
by Anthony Trollope
read by David Shaw-Parker
Part 5 of the Chronicles of Barsetshire series
The fifth novel in the Chronicles of Barsetshire, The Small House at Allington, concerns the lives of the two Dale girls, Lily and Bell, who live at the Small House. While Bell is in love with the local doctor, James Crofts, Lily is pursued by two men: the worldly, rich and handsome Adolphus Crosbie and the poor but honest Johnny Eames. With each determined to gain her hand in marriage, who will she choose? Enshrined as a literary classic, The Small House takes the reader on a delightful visit to rural England, and presents an insightful, compassionate and amusing examination of human nature, along with Trollope's signature flashes of genius.
The Last Chronicle of Barset
by Anthony Trollope
read by Simon Vance
Part 6 of the Chronicles of Barsetshire series
This last novel in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series involves Mr. Crawley, the impoverished curate of Hogglestock, who is accused of theft when he uses a large check to pay off his debts. The scandal fiercely divides the citizens of Barsetshire and threatens to tear apart Mr. Crawley's family.
The Last Chronicle of Barset
by Anthony Trollope
read by David Shaw-Parker
Part 6 of the Chronicles of Barsetshire series
In The Last Chronicle of Barset, Trollope concludes his saga of ecclesiastical life. At the heart of the novel is the plight of Josiah Crawley, a proud, impoverished clergyman who faces difficult legal circumstances. Caught amidst poverty, Josiah appears to have stolen a check and is forced to stand trial - despite the fact that he cannot remember its origins. To make matters worse, his daughter Grace desperately seeks the approval of Archdeacon Grantly, whose son she intends to marry. The Last Chronicle is a joyful end to the Chronicles of Barsetshire. Here Trollope skillfully weaves together plot threads and characters from earlier novels in the series and provides a fond farewell tour of his cherished diocese