Paperback, 294 pages

English language

Published April 29, 1998 by Oxford University Press.

ISBN:
978-0-19-283408-9
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3 stars (2 reviews)

The tranquil atmosphere of the cathedral town of Barchester is shattered when a scandal breaks concerning the financial affairs of a Church-run almshouse for elderly men. In the ensuing furore, Septimus Harding, the almshouse's well-meaning warden, finds himself pitted against his daughter's suitor Dr John Bold, a zealous local reformer. Matters are not improved when Harding's abrasive son-in law, Archdeacon Grantly, leaps into the fray to defend him against a campaign Bold begins in the national press. An affectionate and wittily satirical view of the workings of the Church of England, The Warden, the first of the Barchester Chronicles, is also a subtle exploration of the rights and wrongs of moral crusades and, in its account of Harding's intensely felt personal drama, a moving depiction of the private impact of public affairs.

2 editions

reviewed The Warden by Anthony Trollope (Trollope Society Edition of the Novels of Anthony Trollope)

The Warden - Antony Trollope.

No rating

The first book of the Barchester Chronicles,set in a fictional cathedral city,probably based on Salisbury. The central character is Rev. Septimus Harding,the warden of an almshouse for elderly men. The plot centres on a crisis of conscience when Harding is accused in a national newspaper of receiving more than his fair share for managing the almshouse. I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters are well drawn, particularly that of Hardy himself. Some aspects of the book will perhaps have little meaning for many modern readers. In some respects however it has resonances today, particularly the depiction of the actions of the newspaper editor - the embodiment of 'power without responsibility '