Barchester Towers

The city of Barchester, awaiting the appointment of a new bishop, has an upsetting awakening with the appearance of Bishop Proudie and his aide, Obadiah Slope, whose unctuous ways polarize the entire community. To hear this story is one of life's treats. As Trollope created the citizens of Barchester, so Stephen Thorne's reading gives these citizens the kiss of life. To find the core of each character is an art, but to be able to illustrate the entire range of the character's emotions is beyond artistry. Thorne obviously studied the book well, for the breadth of his comprehension of the novel makes the plot easier to understand. What a boon for students to hear this classic as presented by Thorne, and what a delight for everyone to enjoy the re-creation of a village. J.P. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

With his "Barsetshire" series, set in a fictitious west-country county, Anthony Trollope established the novel sequence in English letters. BARCHESTER TOWERS, the second book in the series, concerns the struggle for diocesan control between the archdeacon's cunning chaplain and the wife of the new bishop. Very funny stuff--to Victorians. Narrator Timothy West has the technique, versatility and sense of place to give a fine, idiomatic performance, but not quite the strength of personality to make us give a hoot about the characters and their concerns. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

This nineteenth-century novel about clerical politics read by Flo Gibson in her nineteenth-century voice is a joy. Keeping the deans, archbishops and prebendaries straight while reading, may encourage dozing off, but no difficulty occurs during this expert telling. Whether the cleric you dislike the most gets his comeuppance or the right cleric gets his just rewards, you can't wait to hear the resolution. This is a fine piece of work. C.P. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

The second and best of the prolific author's six novels about the fictional Barsetshire satirizes ecclesiastical politics in rural Victorian Britain. Among the many superbly drawn characters, the risibly overbearing Mrs. Proudie and the feckless Ethelbert Stanhope particularly shine. Some of us may even recognize the central conflict from our own experiences as congregants. Trollope once said, "In the writing of BARCHESTER TOWERS, I took great delight." The listener gathers that, in the reading of it, Simon Vance also takes great delight. Obviously, he relishes impersonating the dramatis personae. One gets the impression that the more, the merrier, as far as he's concerned. In addition, he delivers the fustian narrative with particular fluidity, verve, and grace. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine