Do you like British period novels? Love Jane Austen? Then you will likely love Anthony Trollope. I listened to all of these novels several years ago and was very sad to get to the end of his library.
There are 2 series that I read: The Chronicles of Barsetshire and The Pallisers. You can find out about the order of the books in the series here.
The Palliser novels are six novels.
The common thread is the wealthy aristocrat and politician Plantagenet Palliser and (in all but the last book) his wife Lady Glencora. The plots usually involve English politics in varying degrees, specifically in and around Parliament.
The books are:
- Can You Forgive Her? (1864)
- Phineas Finn (1869)
- The Eustace Diamonds (1873)
- Phineas Redux (1874)
- The Prime Minister (1876)
- The Duke's Children (1879)
The Chronicles of Barsetshire is a series of six novels by the English author Anthony Trollope, set in the fictitious cathedral town of Barchester. These classics of Victorian literature concern the dealings of the clergy and the gentry, and the political, amatory, and social manœuvrings that go on among and between them.
The novels in the series are:
- The Warden (1855)
- Barchester Towers (1857)
- Doctor Thorne (1858)
- Framley Parsonage (1861)
- The Small House at Allington (1864)
- The Last Chronicle of Barset (1867)
The writing is brilliant and very clever and I was very happy to find these books after I finished all of the Jane Austen library. If you've never read these, give Can You Forgive Her? a try. I think you will be hooked too and they are not nearly as serious as the last book I recommended!
Thanks for the heads up. Those books sounds yummy.
Posted by: Ivory Spring | February 09, 2012 at 11:25 PM
I started reading one of the Palliser novels years ago but I don't think it was the first one. I loved the BBC adaptation of the Barsetshire novels, 'The Barchester Chronicles'. It had Donald Pleasance and Alan Rickman played a very convincing odious Obidiah Slope! Well worth looking for the DVD of that one.
Posted by: Rona Keith | February 10, 2012 at 12:55 AM
Great recommendation! I had completely forgotten about Trollope. Like you I ran the gamut of Austen novels and this would be a great idea. George Elliot is a good pick too for "English village life."
Posted by: Libby Fife | February 10, 2012 at 07:01 AM
I was going to write the same thing that Rona already posted. The Barsetshire Chronicles are available on Netflix, but not on watch instantly. They also star Nigel Hawthorne and Geraldine McEwan. The snarkiness of McEwan and Rickman is wonderful.
I also listened to the both book series. Have you listened to George Eliot's books?
Posted by: Barbara Atkins | February 11, 2012 at 10:23 AM