This last of the six Barsetshire novels is the best one, in my opinion, perhaps because its plot involves something other than a romance beset by stumbling blocks, as in so many Victorian novels. Yes, we have two courtships here, but the novel's focus is an impoverished curate who is accused of theft. Trollope gives us a remarkably sensitive portrait of the curate, Mr. Crawley, a conscientious and scrupulously honest man, but one who is so fanatically proud that he is often his own worst enemy, rejecting the assistance of the many who would wish to help him in his time of trouble. He is not only under indictment by the law, but also persecuted by the self righteous and domineering wife of the Bishop, Mrs. Proudie. Even though she is one of those priggish villains you love to hate, Trollope leads us to feel a bit sorry for her when she finally gets her comeuppance.
One of the primary fascinations of this series is the continued presence of characters from the earlier novels, much as you would find in your favorite television series or soap opera, so that they become as real to you as the people you actually know. The Mr. Harding from the first in the series, The Warden, is touchingly pictured here in his old age, and his death provides a fitting closure.
Some reasons to read Trollope:
#1 His characters are dimensional and seem absolutely real.
#2 He can be surprising. Not all his plots end as one would expect.
#3 His dialogue sounds very authentic.
#4 He is often quite funny, in a gently satirical manner.
#5 Even though his plots reflect the political and social situations of his time and place, the characters are universal.
#6 He is comforting. Reading Trollope is like gossiping with an old friend.
I will be moving on now to his Palliser series.
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