Barchester Towers

Description

Barchester Towers is a novel by English author Anthony Trollope first published in 1857. The second in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series of books, it follows the lives of the residents of Barchester, a fictional English cathedral town. The novel begins with the death of the old bishop and the appointment of a new bishop, Dr. Proudie. The new bishop is a man who relies heavily on the advice of his wife, Mrs. Proudie, and his chaplain, the extremely unlikeable and sycophantic Mr. Obadiah Slope. The arrival of these new characters causes conflict within the community, particularly with the old clergy and their families. A point of contention arises when Mrs. Proudie blocks the reappointment of the popular Reverend Septimus Harding as warden of Hiram's Hospital. Harding lives with his daughter Eleanor (whom Slope has his eye on marrying) and his son-in-law, Archdeacon Grantly. As the story unfolds, various characters become involved in a power struggle for control of the cathedral and the town. Meanwhile, Eleanor falls in love with Mr. Arabin, a young clergyman and scholar, who has summoned Grantly to help in the war against the Proudies and Mr. Slope. Overall, Barchester Towers is a rich and complex novel that explores the themes of power, ambition, and love, and whilst it was not particularly well-recieved when it was initially published, it has since gained attraction, being listed on 'best book' lists as well as being adapted into a BBC drama.

№ 2 in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series

№ 57 in Goodreads 100 Best Nineteenth-Century British and Irish Novels.

№ 83 in The BBC's 100 Greatest British Novels.

This book has 198,471 words, 322 pages in the PDF version, and was originally published in 1857.

Production notes: This ebook of Barchester Towers was published by Global Grey in 2020, and updated on the 23rd February 2023. The artwork used for the cover is 'Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Garden' - by John Constable.