The Last Chronicle of Barset: Introduction by Graham Handley: 208 (Chronicles of Barsetshire) - Hardcover

Trollope, Anthony

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0679443665 ISBN 13: 9780679443667

Publisher: Everyman's Library, 1995

Synopsis

(Book Jacket Status: Not Jacketed)

The Last Chronicle of Barset (1867) is the novel that Anthony Trollope considered his masterpiece.
In the course of the last century and a half, Trollope's county of Barset has become one of English literature's most celebrated fictional landscapes. This sixth and final novel in the Barsetshire series revolves around the proud, hardworking, and impecunious Reverend Josiah Crawley, curate of the poor parish of Hogglestock, and his brush with disaster. Crawley stands accused of a theft, but, as he is uncertain himself as to the truth of the matter, he is unable to offer a defense and retreats into self-doubt and shame. The community is bitterly divided between those who wish to help him and those convinced of his guilt, the latter headed by Mrs. Proudie, the bishop's forceful wife. Meanwhile, Crawley's daughter Grace has captured the affection of Archdeacon Grantly's son, Henry, but her father's scandal stands in the way of their marriage. The solution to the mystery, the downfall of Mrs. Proudie, and the resolution of the fates of many other beloved characters, including Septimus Harding, Johnny Eames, and Lily Dale, bring the famous Barsetshire chronicles to a splendid conclusion. The Last Chronicle of Barset provides a brilliant example of Trollope's ability to render a highly individual society with such detail and force that it comes to reflect every society, in any age.

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Review:

Anthony Trollope's enduring popularity is extraordinary, but once you start listening to them it is easy to see why Naxos Audiobooks confidently set out on the marathon enterprise of recording all six of his Barchester novels in unabridged form 125 hours in all. The further into the series you get, the more you appreciate the continuous development of its rich gallimaufry of characters. Last Chronicle begins dramatically: I can never bring myself to believe it, John , cries Mary, the Barset attorney's daughter, when she hears that the penurious and pitifully proud curate Josiah Crawley is accused of stealing a cheque. In fact, the plot is rather drawn out, but the journey to its completion is rich in incident, rounded off by news of the series most loveable character, Warden Harding. - --Christina Hardyment, The Times

Trollope's final Barsetshire novel brings back many characters in an audiobook that combines mystery and romance. Narrator David Shaw Parker uses his rich, resonant voice to establish and differentiate those characters through tone and accent, giving the impression of a full-cast performance. He excels naturally at male voices; women's voices are not as distinctive and are occasionally unconvincing. He effectively establishes a personality for the story's narrator ingratiating, tolerant, amused who is also a character. Occasional slowness and repetition in the text are offset by Shaw Parker's acting ability, his expression of sense and feeling, and his ability to imbue his reading with emotional warmth. The story, and Shaw Parker's performance, are deeply involving. Most listeners will find themselves caught up and entertained throughout this long audiobook. --W.M., AudioFile

From the Back Cover:

I can never bring myself to believe it, John; said Mary Walker, the pretty daughter of Mr. George Walker, attorney of Silverbridge. Walker and Winthrop was the name of the firm, and they were respectable people, who did all the solicitors' business that had to be done in that part of Barsetshire on behalf of the crown, were employed on the local business of the Duke of Omnium, who is great in those parts, and altogether held their heads up high, as provincial lawyers often do.

About this edition

• Publisher: Everyman's Library
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0679443665
• ISBN 13: 9780679443667
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 1032