The second novel of Anthony Trollope’s “Chronicles of Barsetshire” series and widely considered one of his best and most popular works, “Barchester Towers” was published in 1857 and continues the story of Mr. Harding and his daughter Eleanor in the beautiful cathedral city of Barchester. Upon the death of the popular and beloved bishop, the citizens fully expect his son, Archdeacon Grantly, to fill the vacancy. Much to their consternation, however, the far more Evangelical Bishop Proudie is given the position. A struggle for power ensues between these traditional and new forces. Mrs. Proudie, the Bishop’s overbearing wife, and the Bishop’s new chaplain, the distasteful and hypocritical Mr. Slope, use their power to control the selection of the new warden of the local hospital over the objections of the rest of the clergy. Clerical reinforcements are called in on both sides and the struggle between the different factions of the church plays out amid the romantic entanglements and dramas of the town’s inhabitants. In the end, the results are more than satisfactory for Eleanor and other citizens of Barchester in this witty comedy. This edition includes a biographical afterword.
