The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony TrollopeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I particularly enjoyed this book of Anthony Trollope’s because it includes several events from his previous novels and adds a new main theme. This is about the problems involving Mr Crawley who is a clergyman accused of stealing a cheque. Also in this tale are interesting incidents around a conflicted love affair involving a secret portrait painting and suicide. I found the characterisation of Mr Crawley a little overdone after a while, and the return of the contrary Lily Dale became equally frustrating and irritating. But none of that spoilt my overall enjoyment of the book. Each plot within the main plot was engaging and realistic to my mind. Some of the descriptions of the emotions experienced by some of the typical middle class Victorians were effectively authentic, evoking sympathy from this reader at least. Trollope’s maintenance of the social etiquette that prevailed in those times is to be admired.
I was quite surprised to find the final situation between Mrs Proudie and the bishop quite moving, notwithstanding the continuation of John Eames plight with Lily Dale. There are many situations and characters that are more than slightly amusing and encourage outright laughter. A more serious situation involves Grace Crawley, the young daughter of the accused curate. She is clever and pretty and in love with Henry Grantly, the son of the aristocratic archdeacon. This is a match that looks as though it is never to end in marriage due to factors including wealth, class, pride and prejudice, to coin a phrase. Much depends upon the innocence of the curate and Grace’s unfortunately stubborn integrity.
This novel, appropriately entitled The Last Chronicle of Barset, is the one as I stated above, that brings together many of the characters we got to know in the previous five novels of the series. And one of our favourites is Septimus Harding, the Warden in the first novel. His daughter is married to the archdeacon in this book and they too have an important and significant role throughout it; as they did in Barchester Towers, the second book in the series. Whichever of the Barchester series may be your favourite so far, this is the one that outclasses them all. It is a delight and will appeal to anyone who enjoys reading classic English literature.
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