Barchester Towers

Barchester Towers

Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope follows the dramatic lives of those living within Barchester, the event of a bishop’s death and the resulting confusion in a struggle for power. Trollope has a very engaging writing style, often taking time to address the reader directly in order to explain why he must go into detail on a particular conversation, or avoid the conversation all together. Trollope reassures the reader time and time again that the protagonist, Eleanor Bold, is not so simple minded as to fall for the triad of disrespectful men vying for her attention; although she is too naïve to understand their underlying motivations. One feels a great distress in what will happen to Mrs. Bold, will she unknowingly fall for, become entrapped, by one of these undeserving weasel like men? As Trollope eludes that surely the reader will be disgusted if she is, she is also very unaware to their true nature.

Trollope’s use of language and satire creates a unique reading experience. One cannot help but feel a greater connection to the story through his direct address to the reader. Although when you stop and reflect on what you have read, you find that time and time again Trollope has told you how you should feel, that you should feel distress over Mrs. Bold’s fate, anger at the thought of the slime ball Mr. Slope succeeding in anything he does; yet Trollope does so in a way that the reader is not offended at being told how to feel, rather, the reader feels as though one is being let in on a secret and takes great pride in this privilege.

Although this book starts a bit slow, and bounces back and forth through the story after the introduction has been pushed through the novel picks up speed, the pages turn quickly as one gets drawn into the drama which is occurring in Barchester, to all the characters, hoping the best for Mrs. Bold, the worst for Mr. Slope, conflicted at who will become the warden at the hospital unable to with clear conscious root for either of the candidates. The final conclusion is a bit dry, but again Trollope has addressed the reader directly and admits the difficult nature of a conclusion, unable to satisfy every reader, the ease of ending too quickly, or dragging it out too long. Trollope succeeds in sufficiently wrapping up his novel, each character is complete and no fate is left hanging for the reader to wonder at. If one can get through the introduction to this novel I would recommend reading it as it is thoroughly engaging and thought provoking.