Barchester Towers (Full Version) audiobook cover - When a new bishop and his formidable wife descend on sleepy Barchester, old alliances shatter and new ambitions flare—until courtship, conscience, and ecclesiastical politics collide in a richly comic struggle for power, principle, and the soul of a cathedral town.

Barchester Towers (Full Version)

When a new bishop and his formidable wife descend on sleepy Barchester, old alliances shatter and new ambitions flare—until courtship, conscience, and ecclesiastical politics collide in a richly comic struggle for power, principle, and the soul of a cathedral town.

Anthony Trollope

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Historical Background

Written largely between 1855 and 1856 while Anthony Trollope was traveling across Great Britain and Ireland as a postal surveyor, *Barchester Towers* was published in 1857. The novel emerged during a period of intense religious and social transition in mid-Vict

Study Questions

  1. How does Trollope use the conflict between the High Church traditionalists, represented by Archdeacon Grantly, and the Low Church reformers, represented by Mrs. Proudie and Mr. Slope, to satirize Victorian institutional politics, and does the novel ultimately critique the specific religious ideologies or the corrupting nature of ambition itself?

  2. Contrast the characters of Mrs. Proudie, Signora Neroni, and Eleanor Bold: how do their differing methods of exerting influence, manipulating men, or asserting independence reflect Trollope's complex views on female agency and power within a strictly patriarchal Victorian society?

  3. While Mr. Slope is often viewed as the primary antagonist, to what extent can he be seen as a pragmatic modern man disrupting a stagnant, privileged society, especially when his ambitious moral flexibility is contrasted with the passive, unwavering integrity of Mr. Harding?

What Critics and Readers Say

Barchester Towers is a celebrated novel of Victorian society and manners, written by Anthony Trollope as the second installment in his Chronicles of Barsetshire series. Trollope himself described taking "great delight" in writing the novel, especially in bringing to life memorable characters such as Mrs. Proudie and Mr. Slope. The book is widely recognized for its humor, social observation, and incisive portrayal of church politics and personal ambition in a close-knit community.

Contemporary commentators and modern readers alike praise Trollope's ability to blend satire with character depth, creating figures whom readers still find vivid and engaging more than 160 years after publication. Many note that the novel's exploration of ecclesiastical hierarchies and social maneuverings remains both entertaining and insightful, blending comic conflict with genuine human concerns.

On reader community sites like Goodreads and The StoryGraph, readers frequently highlight Barchester Towers' rich characterisation and humor — from the pompous Archdeacon Grantly to the scheming Mr. Slope — enjoying Trollope's gentle yet incisive critique of Victorian society and the clergy.

Sources:

• Wikipedia – Barchester Towers overview and publication context: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barchester_Towers

• The StoryGraph – reader reviews of Barchester Towers: https://app.thestorygraph.com/book_reviews/2922457b-ac42-413f-9ad1-b536be403645?page=9

Barchester Towers (Full Version) Chapter Overview

About Barchester Towers (Full Version)

First published in 1857, Barchester Towers is the sparkling second novel in Anthony Trollope’s beloved Chronicles of Barsetshire, a comic-masterly portrait of an English cathedral city thrown into upheaval after the death of its old bishop. Into the vacuum step rival parties and temperaments: dignified traditionalists, brisk modernizers, and opportunists who discover that a clerical career can be as fiercely contested as any parliamentary seat.

With its exquisitely managed scenes of social maneuvering, Trollope explores how institutions endure—sometimes nobly, sometimes absurdly—through vanity, conviction, and compromise. The novel’s wit is matched by its moral seriousness: beneath the drawing-room comedy lies a keen inquiry into authority, sincerity, and what “reform” costs when it meets human pride. Celebrated for its humane intelligence and unforgettable characters, Barchester Towers remains one of Victorian fiction’s most enjoyable studies of power at its most domestic.

Who Should Listen to Barchester Towers (Full Version)

  • Listeners who love character-driven Victorian novels that balance satire with genuine moral sympathy
  • Fans of social comedy and institutional intrigue—where careers, courtships, and reputations are won or lost in parlors and pews
  • Readers of Austen, Dickens, or Eliot seeking a warm, witty classic about community, change, and the uses of tradition

About Anthony Trollope

Anthony Trollope (1815–1882) was one of the great novelists of the Victorian age, renowned for his expansive, sharply observed portrayals of English social life. Alongside a demanding career in the British Post Office, he produced forty-seven novels, including the six Barsetshire books and the politically focused Palliser series. Trollope’s fiction is admired for its conversational narrative voice, ethical nuance, and comic realism—capturing both the dignity and the folly of institutions such as the Church, Parliament, and the family. His candid Autobiography (published posthumously in 1883) remains a classic account of a working novelist’s life.