Barchester Towers (1857)

Having read The Warden last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, I had determined to read the next book in the Chronicles of Barsetshire this year. I did not know what to expect, but was delighted to find Mr. Harding and his daughter, Eleanor, waiting for the next phase of their story, along with some new characters and story lines.

The book is worth reading if for nothing more than the names of it’s characters, which leave no doubt in the mind as to occupation or moral qualities. Dr. Fillgrave must surely make the most somber smile, and who would have difficulty determining the greatest failing of Mrs. Proudie? In fact, his humor is scattered throughout the novel in equal portions with his wisdom.

Oh, husbands, oh, my marital friends, what great comfort is there to be derived from a wife well obeyed.

Can’t find any fault with the humor or the wisdom there, can you? But, beyond the playfulness, there are some serious issues at work, including the struggle for power that takes place between the two factions in the church. Trollope understood the political nature of the Church in his time, and the shenanigans were as bad as some we see in the political arena of our own. I certainly felt that neither side was as interested in serving the higher good or the people of the parish so much as their own interests and advancements.

There are representatives of the high church in the Grantly faction, Tory by political leaning, and the newly established Proudie faction, Whigs, unfortunately, represented by not only the spineless Bishop Proudie and his oppressive wife, but also by our most obvious villain, Obadiah Slope (his name makes you cringe, does it not?). Trollope is a master of description and I had no difficulty in reading Mr. Slope’s character in his demeanor.

His hair is lank and of a dull pale reddish hue. It is always formed into three straight, lumpy masses, each brushed with admirable precision and cemented with much grease; two of them adhere closely to the sides of his face, and the other lies at right angles above them. His face is nearly of the same color as his hair, though perhaps a little redder; it is not unlike beef--beef, however, one would say, of a bad quality. His forehead is capacious and high, but square and heavy and unpleasantly shiny.

He goes on to describe his mouth and his nose (which is “spongy and porous”). I dare say, we walk away with a complete picture of Slope and we cannot mistake him, even on this first meeting, for a man we would ever wish to invite to preach us a sermon or take tea with us. That Eleanor attempts to give Slope the benefit of the doubt is a testament to the fairness of her character.

To my delight, Trollope has also created Mr. Harding, a truly good man who attempts to always take the high road, and while perhaps a little naive, garners all our admiration and hope. On the female side, we have the independent thinking Eleanor Bold and the lascivious Signora Neroni.

I can promise that Trollope has taken what might have been a very dry subject in the politics of the church, and woven a complete and never boring tale of the people affected by it. This is only my second Trollope, but I found it both interesting and easy to read. It has a bit more character development and length than The Warden and would stand alone as a story, but I find that having read The Warden added a depth to the novel that I believe would have been missing otherwise. I am planning to continue the series next year with Dr. Thorne, and I am happy to have come to Trollope. Late to the table, but the feast is still fine.
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It took a while for the real genius of this to sink in. I gave it three stars right after I finished it--the Ullathorne acts just moved so slow, and having to binge read that tepid pace for a seminar made it painful and killed the enjoyment of the book for me. But I find now, a couple months later, that I can't stop thinking about it, that it's the novel I keep coming back to when I think of the best thing I've read this semester (sorry Daniel Deronda). Anyway, I need more Trollope. A very Lukacsian novel. ( )

this book was weird, both incredibly boring and incredibly engaging at the same time. ( )

3.5, upon reread via audio-book, I liked this book much better than the first time through. It was fun/ funny and sweet. I loved the character analysis and the varied character types. The story was interesting, if a bit slower paced. I enjoyed Trollope's writing style and narrative voice. ( )

Love his naming characters (similar to Dickens, right): Bishop and Mrs. Proudie, Mr. Quiverful, Mr. Slope. Don't remember much of it but do know it turned me on to Trollope and I read many of his works subsequently. Here's what I wrote after reading in summer 1983: "Written in Victorian England about how Victorian Englanders lived. Good story set in the cathedral city of Barchester. Who will rule the bishopry? Bishop Proudie, Mrs. Proudie, or Mr. Hope? Who will marry Eleanor Bold? Who will be the warden at the hospital?". ( )