Scan barcode
A review by saralynnburnett
Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope
5.0
Anthony Trollope will always be a favorite of mine and Barchester Towers is right up there with some of my other favorite books of his (my favorite so far is The Eustace Diamonds). He has such a friendly, conversational style and will often spend entire chapters 'talking' to the reader about Victorian era idiosyncrasies. Barchester Towers also seems a timely read at the moment since it follows the political intrigues of two parties of people of the diocese and the cloister. The conflict is intense, and the beauty of this book is that it is not about the issues, but who comes out on top, and that seems to be the reigning notion in politics today (or maybe always?)
Mr. Slope's self-promotion is so beautifully crafted in this novel that you can't help but sit back and wonder at it. The conflicts between he and Mrs. Proudie are laughably absurd and these two villains easily take center stage. The shenanigans of the bizarre Stanhope family keep you hooked... how funny is Dr. Stanhope, who went to Italy to recover from a 'scratchy throat' FOR 12 YEARS! but spent most of it catching butterflies on the shores of Lake Como? Or his daughter, the so called 'Signora Madelina Vesey Neroni i' who is a notorious flirt, insanely beautiful, a cripple, and is carried around at parties by Italian men she brought back with her to England? Trollope is an author I'll always come back to - his memorable characters, twisted plot lines, hilarity, and cozy conversational style always make for an engrossing read.
Mr. Slope's self-promotion is so beautifully crafted in this novel that you can't help but sit back and wonder at it. The conflicts between he and Mrs. Proudie are laughably absurd and these two villains easily take center stage. The shenanigans of the bizarre Stanhope family keep you hooked... how funny is Dr. Stanhope, who went to Italy to recover from a 'scratchy throat' FOR 12 YEARS! but spent most of it catching butterflies on the shores of Lake Como? Or his daughter, the so called 'Signora Madelina Vesey Neroni i' who is a notorious flirt, insanely beautiful, a cripple, and is carried around at parties by Italian men she brought back with her to England? Trollope is an author I'll always come back to - his memorable characters, twisted plot lines, hilarity, and cozy conversational style always make for an engrossing read.