Rating: 
Summary: The great Victorian comic novel?
Review: "Barchester Towers" has proven to be the most popular novel Anthony Trollope ever wrote-despite the fact that most critics would rank higher his later work such as "The Last Chronicle of Barset","He Knew He Was Right" and "The Way We Live Now".While containing much satire those great novels are very powerful and disturbing, and have little of the genial good humor that pervades "Barchester Towers".Indeed after "Barchester Towers",Trollope would never write anything so funny again-as if comedy was something to be eschewed.That is too bad,because the book along with its predecessor "The Warden" are the closest a Victorian novelist ever came to approximating Jane Austen."Barchester Towers" presents many unforgettable characters caught in a storm of religious controversy,political and social power struggles and romantic and sexual imbroglios.All of this done with a light but deft hand that blends realism,idealism and some irresistible comedy.It has one of the greatest endings in all of literature-a long,elaborate party at a country manor(which transpires for about a hundred pages)where all of the plot's threads are inwoven and all of the character's intrigues come to fruition."Barchester Towers" has none of the faults common to Trollope's later works -(such as repetiveness)it is enjoyable from beginning to end.Henry James(one of our best novelists,but not one of our best critics) believed that Trollope peaked with "The Warden"and that the subsequent work showed a falling off as well as proof that Trollope was no more than a second rate Thackeray.For the last fifty years critics have been trying to undo the damage that was done to Trollope's critical reputation."Barchester Towers"proves not only to be a first rate novel but probably the most humorous Victorian novel ever written.
Rating:
Summary: The great Victorian comic novel?
Review: "Barchester Towers" has proven to be the most popular novel Anthony Trollope ever wrote-despite the fact that most critics would rank higher his later work such as "The Last Chronicle of Barset","He Knew He Was Right" and "The Way We Live Now".While containing much satire those great novels are very powerful and disturbing, and have little of the genial good humor that pervades "Barchester Towers".Indeed after "Barchester Towers",Trollope would never write anything so funny again-as if comedy was something to be eschewed.That is too bad,because the book along with its predecessor "The Warden" are the closest a Victorian novelist ever came to approximating Jane Austen."Barchester Towers" presents many unforgettable characters caught in a storm of religious controversy,political and social power struggles and romantic and sexual imbroglios.All of this done with a light but deft hand that blends realism,idealism and some irresistible comedy.It has one of the greatest endings in all of literature-a long,elaborate party at a country manor(which transpires for about a hundred pages)where all of the plot's threads are inwoven and all of the character's intrigues come to fruition."Barchester Towers" has none of the faults common to Trollope's later works -(such as repetiveness)it is enjoyable from beginning to end.Henry James(one of our best novelists,but not one of our best critics) believed that Trollope peaked with "The Warden"and that the subsequent work showed a falling off as well as proof that Trollope was no more than a second rate Thackeray.For the last fifty years critics have been trying to undo the damage that was done to Trollope's critical reputation."Barchester Towers"proves not only to be a first rate novel but probably the most humorous Victorian novel ever written.
Rating:
Summary: Ecclesiastical war in the cathedral town of Barchester.
Review: Barchester is at war--a civil war within the church. The faction of new Bishop Proudie, under the thumb of his ambitious wife, who in turn is aided by the Bishop's chaplain, Obadiah Slope, is determined to transform the formal, conservative worship at Barchester into a low-church ambience. The established local clergy, led by Archdeacon Grantly, are just as determined to resist. Mrs. Proudie considers Slope to be her pawn in making herself the real power in the diocese, but this clever clergyman himself has dreams of supplanting her as ruler over the weak Bishop. Soon they are engaged in a private war of their own.A major portion of the plot is concerned with whether the gentle Mr. Harding, title character of "The Warden," will be restored to the position which he resigned in the first novel. This book is probably the most popular of all Trollope's novels, but it is not the best. Among the 6 Barsetshire novels, I would rate it no better than third, after the superb "The Last Chronicle of Barset" and "Dr. Thorne." More than in any of the other novels of this series, the author indulges in too many personal asides to the reader, which impede the progress of the plot and are not nearly so clever as they are intended to be. On the other hand, the book presents two of the best of Trollope's many delightful characters. Obadiah Slope is a wonderfully oily villain, whose eventual discomfiture is a consummate pleasure to behold. Eleanor Bold, young widowed daughter of Mr. Harding, is very high on the list of Trollope's admirable heroines. She is wooed by 3 men (including Slope), and the man who wins this spirited lady is a truly fortunate man. There are many other excellently portrayed characters. Mrs. Proudie, the Archdeacon, the intriguing invalid Signora Neroni, Francis Arabin, and others are all people well worth meeting. Trollope's greatest strength is in the development and handling of his highly credible characters.
Rating: 
Summary: Endearing Comic Tale of the Clergy
Review: Barchester Towers is a sly, funny novel- that is not for every taste. It is a Victorian story within an ecclesiastical milieu- and yet, it could be any modern corporate, non-profit or 'faith-based' arena. The engaging settings include mansions of the bishop, an ancient and peculiar manor and a variety of homes of archbishops, deans and rectors. The characters range from a morally questionable, lame, Italian Countess- and her child, 'the last of the Nero's', to anachronistic nobles and a cuckolded, weak-kneed Bishop. An impudent newcomer and assistant to the new Bishop spurs a rebellion of sorts- this upstart, Mr. Slope, fulfills all the qualifications for a sweaty, sneering, fox who will offend the congregation- including all of the other rectors at his first sermon.
From that point onward, as Mr. Slope's sexual drives and greed seem to collide within him, and his hold on the power in the diocese requires war; the tale has tension, comedy and ultimately romance. There is certainly a resemblance to Jane Austen here, but Trollope does not lend himself to a feminist interpretation. His heroines are either well-meaning 'spinsters' or dutiful, yet quietly influential wives. Their villainous counterparts are overbearing, seditious or vampish- not particularly modern, definitely engrossing and fun.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: Barchester Towers is one of the most timeless British classics I have read. Told to us in narrative, this is a story of hierachy, power, love, and downfall, in this sacred, private, ecclesiastical world. Written with an intuitive perception for sights, sounds, and characters, there are no protagonists to whom you can sympathize, and yet each of these characters will leave you spellbound for there depth and sensitivity. The story is set in Barchester, a small divided city in the northern part of England. On one side of this division, and from where our story focuses, we have a wealthy church diocese, who with its own rules all must obey. Enter: Mr. Obadiah Slope. Single, sinister, and the new Dean of Barchester. From his very arrival he knew only of one thing, reform and change. And was met with scrutiny, and hostility, from a conclave where no secrets are shared or revealed. Poignantly written, the truths of this diocean world and its parshioners are slowly unveiled, as the author cleverly manoeuvres from chapter to chapter, giving us insight into conflicts among prominent families and the clergy. And it is these scenes of conflict among our characters: deceit, revenge, vanity, prosperity, and moral convictions, which are the most graphic, mesmerizing, and suspenseful, as any author could have written, and will leave you wanting more information as each page is turned. Written in an era when victorian men were considered strong parochial figures, and seduction among women sacrilege, the script is turned. And it is the women who dominate these pages, for there intelligence, independence, strength, and complexity. And ironically, it is the men who in my opinion, who are reduced to timid, naive, hypocrites. Though not to be deceived, male dominance does prevail, as passion wins over compassion, love for lust, and reverence for irreverence, as our author delivers a masterpiece of a finale in English literature, between two destined lovers. Barchester Towers is my introdution to Anthony Trollope, and will not be the last, that I plan to read in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Immortal Trollope
Review: Despite the criticisms levelled at Trollope for his "authorial intrusions" (see Henry James for example) this novel is always a pleasure to read. The characters take precedence over the plot, as in any Trollopian fiction and this is what makes a novel like BARCHESTER more palatable to the modern reader, as compared to any of Dickens's. Some readers may find the ecclesiastical terms confusing at first but with a little help (see the Penguin introduction for example), all becomes clear. What is important, however, is the interaction between the all-too-human characters and in this novel there are plenty of situations to keep you, the reader, amused. Do yourself a favour and take a trip back into Nineteenth century where technology is just a blink in everyone's eye. What you will discover, however, is that human beings have not really changed, just the conventions have.
Rating:
Summary: Immortal Trollope
Review: Despite the criticisms levelled at Trollope for his "authorial intrusions" (see Henry James for example) this novel is always a pleasure to read. The characters take precedence over the plot, as in any Trollopian fiction and this is what makes a novel like BARCHESTER more palatable to the modern reader, as compared to any of Dickens's. Some readers may find the ecclesiastical terms confusing at first but with a little help (see the Penguin introduction for example), all becomes clear. What is important, however, is the interaction between the all-too-human characters and in this novel there are plenty of situations to keep you, the reader, amused. Do yourself a favour and take a trip back into Nineteenth century where technology is just a blink in everyone's eye. What you will discover, however, is that human beings have not really changed, just the conventions have.
Rating:
Summary: Isn't it Amazing?
Review: From another century comes a voice that speaks to us today. Most writers hope for a shelf life of a year or two. Did Anthony Trollope have a clue that we'd be reading and relishing and learning and find ourselves mesmerized by him so many decades after he wrote this book? Is the TV age, the media and internet age lowering all our IQ's and ability to concentrate, as the contemporary author Sven Birkerts suggests? All I know is that re-reading this book last month was a joy, and I suggest all here turn off the TV, get off the internet and win back our minds with the wonderful book.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Wonderful Book in the World
Review: I have just finished reading Barchester Towers, and my only sadness is at finishing it. I read The Warden first, and Barchester Towers more than fulfilled my desire to live with all the wonderful people in The Warden a little longer. It was the most delightful book I have ever read. It was so funny, and so moving, and so real. What a wonderful experience! If only modern life could afford us some of the same simple pleasures! One would have to be terribly jaded not to get caught up in its intrigues. What a wonderful, talented man Trollope was.
Rating:
Summary: Delightfully ridiculous!
Review: I rushed home every day after work to read a little more of this Trollope comedy. The book starts out with the death of a bishop during a change in political power. The new bishop is a puppet to his wife Mrs. Proudie and her protégé Mr. Slope. Along the way we meet outrageous clergymen, a seductive invalid from Italy, and a whole host of delightfully ridiculous characters. Trollope has designed most of these characters to be "over the top". I kept wondering what a film version starring the Monty Python characters would look like. He wrote an equivalent of a soap opera, only it doesn't take place at the "hospital", it takes place with the bishops. Some of the characters you love, some of the characters you hate, and then there are those you love to hate. Trollope speaks to the reader throughout the novel using the mimetic voice, so we feel like we are at a cocktail party and these 19th century characters are our friends (or at least the people we're avoiding at the party!). The themes and characters are timeless. The book deals with power, especially power struggles between the sexes. We encounter greed, love, desperation, seductive sirens, and generosity. Like many books of this time period however, the modern reader has to give it a chance. No one is murdered on the first page, and it takes quite a few chapters for the action to pick up. But pick up it does by page 70, and accelerates into a raucously funny novel from there. Although I didn't read the Warden, I didn't feel lost and I'm curious to read the rest of this series after finishing this book. Enjoy!
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