Anthony Trollope 
Barchester Towers 

Anthony Trollope, an essential novelist from the Victorian Period, was characterised by strict social and sexual morals. ‘Barchester Towers’, published in 1857, was, in some sense, a sequel to Trollope’s previous novel called ‘The Warden’. Both novels would be the first two of a six-novel series titled
The Chronicles of Barsetshire (AKA Barchester series). ‘The Warden’ introduced a particular society from which subsequent novels in the series spun off. ‘Barchester Towers’ is connected to the previous novel not only through a shared setting, but even more importantly by Eleanor Bold, who is the heroine of both novels.



‘Barchester Towers’ is the chronicle of personal and political manoeuvring within the Church of England in the mid-nineteenth century. The main plot concerns the controversy about who will be the new Warden of Barchester. There are several candidates and opposing sides scheme against one another. In addition, this search is related to the novel’s romantic plot, for winning the hand of Eleanor Bold will have great political ramifications for any potential warden. In ‘The Warden’, Eleanor had married John Bold, but we learn in ‘Barchester Towers’ that Bold has died. Thus, the search begins for a new husband. Three suitors emerge for Eleanor’s hand: Obadiah Slope, Bertie Stanhope, and Francis Arabin…



Novels in the
Barchester series:

1-The Warden

2-Barchester Towers

3-Doctor Thorne

4-Framley Parsonage

5-The Small House at Allington

6-The Last Chronicle of Barset