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Barchester Towers (version 2)

Barchester Towers (version 2)

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Number of Chapters: 53

Length: 24 hours and 54 minutes

Language: English

Barchester Towers, published in 1857, is the 2nd novel in Anthony Trollope's series known as the "Chronicles of Barsetshire". It follows on from The Warden, set some years later, with some of the same characters. Among other things it satirises the then raging antipathy in the Church of England between High Church and Evangelical adherents. Trollope began writing this book in 1855. He wrote constantly, and made himself a writing-desk so he could continue writing while travelling by train. "Pray know that when a man begins writing a book he never gives over," he wrote in a letter during this period. "The evil with which he is beset is as inveterate as drinking – as exciting as gambling." And, years later in his autobiography, he observed "In the writing of Barchester Towers I took great delight. The bishop and Mrs. Proudie were very real to me, as were also the troubles of the archdeacon and the loves of Mr. Slope." But when he submitted his finished work, his publisher, William Longman, initially turned it down, finding much of it to be full of "vulgarity and exaggeration". More recent critics offer a more sanguine opinion. "Barchester Towers is many readers' favourite Trollope", wrote The Guardian, which included it in its list of "1000 novels everyone must read". Barchester Towers concerns the leading clergy of the cathedral city of Barchester. The much loved bishop having died, all expectations are that his son, Archdeacon Grantly, will succeed him. Instead, owing to the passage of the power of patronage to a new Prime Minister, a newcomer, the far more Evangelical Bishop Proudie, gains the see. His wife, Mrs Proudie, exercises an undue influence over the new bishop, making herself as well as the bishop unpopular with most of the clergy of the diocese. Her interference to veto the reappointment of the universally popular Mr Septimus Harding (protagonist of Trollope's earlier novel, The Warden) as warden of Hiram's Hospital is not well received, even though she gives the position to a needy clergyman, Mr Quiverful, with 14 children to support. Now listen on... Summary by Wikipedia

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Who will Be the New Bishop? (Nick Whitley)
Hiram's Hospital, According to Act of Parliament (Nick Whitley)
Dr. and Mrs. Proudie (Nick Whitley)
The Bishop's Chaplain (Nick Whitley)
A Morning Visit (Nick Whitley)
War (Nick Whitley)
The Dean and Chapter Take Counsel (Nick Whitley)
The Ex-Warden Rejoices in His Probable Return to the Hospital (Nick Whitley)
The Stanhope Family (Nick Whitley)
Mrs. Proudie's Reception--Commenced (Nick Whitley)
Mrs. Proudie's Reception--Concluded (Nick Whitley)
Slope versus Harding (Nick Whitley)
The Rubbish Cart (Nick Whitley)
The New Champion (Nick Whitley)
The Widow's Suitors (Nick Whitley)
Baby Worship (Nick Whitley)
Who Shall Be Cock of the Walk? (Nick Whitley)
The Widow's Persecution (Nick Whitley)
Barchester by Moonlight (Nick Whitley)
Mr. Arabin (Nick Whitley)
St Ewold's Parsonage (Nick Whitley)
The Thornes of Ullathorne (Nick Whitley)
Mr. Arabin Reads Himself in at St. Ewold's (Nick Whitley)
Mr. Slope Manages Very Cleverly at Puddingdale (Nick Whitley)
Fourteen Arguments in Favour of Mr. Quiverful's Claims (Nick Whitley)
Mrs. Proudie Wrestles and Gets a Fall (Nick Whitley)
A Love Scene (Nick Whitley)
Mrs. Bold is Entertained by Dr. and Mrs. Grantly at Plumstead (Nick Whitley)
A Serious Interview (Nick Whitley)
Another Love Scene (Nick Whitley)
The Bishop's Library (Nick Whitley)
A New Candidate for Ecclesiastical Honours (Nick Whitley)
Mrs. Proudie Victrix (Nick Whitley)
Oxford--The Master and Tutor of Lazarus (Nick Whitley)
Miss Thorne's Fete Champetre (Nick Whitley)
Ullathorne Sports--Act I. (Nick Whitley)
The Countess De Courcy, Mrs. Proudie, and the Signora Neroni Meet Each Other at Ullathorne (Nick Whitley)
The Bishop Sits Down to Breakfast, and the Dean Dies (Nick Whitley)
The Lookalofts and the Greenacres (Nick Whitley)
Ullathorne Sports--Act II. (Nick Whitley)
Mrs. Bold Confides Her Sorrow to Her Friend Miss Stanhope (Nick Whitley)
Ullathorne Sports--Act III. (Nick Whitley)
Mr. and Mrs. Quiverful Are Made Happy. Mr. Slope Is Encouraged by the Press (Nick Whitley)
Mrs. Bold at Home (Nick Whitley)
The Stanhopes at Home (Nick Whitley)
Mr. Slope's Parting Interview with the Signora (Nick Whitley)
The Dean Elect (Nick Whitley)
Miss Thorne Shows Her Talent at Match-making (Nick Whitley)
The Beelzebub Colt (Nick Whitley)
The Archdeacon Is Satisfied with the State of Affairs (Nick Whitley)
Mr. Slope Bids Farewell to the Palace and Its Inhabitants (Nick Whitley)
The New Dean Takes Possession of the Deanery, and the New Warden of the Hospital (Nick Whitley)
Conclusion (Nick Whitley)
The audiobook Barchester Towers (version 2) falls under the genres of . It is written by .