Anthony Trollope's The Warden is the first of his well-loved Chronicles of Barsetshire, edited with an introduction and notes by Robin Gilmour in Penguin Classics.

The tranquil atmosphere of the cathedral town of Barchester is shattered when a scandal breaks concerning the financial affairs of a Church-run almshouse for elderly men. In the ensuing furore, Septimus Harding, the almshouse's well-meaning warden, finds himself pitted against his daughter's suitor Dr John Bold, a zealous local reformer. Matters are not improved when Harding's abrasive son-in law, Archdeacon Grantly, leaps into the fray to defend him against a campaign Bold begins in the national press. An affectionate and wittily satirical view of the workings of the Church of England, The Warden is also a subtle exploration of the rights and wrongs of moral crusades and, in its account of Harding's intensely felt personal drama, a moving depiction of the private impact of public affairs.

In his introduction, Robin Gilmour examines Trollope's background and his influences, especially his use of contemporary newspaper scandals. This edition also includes suggestions for further reading and notes.

Anthony Trollope (1815-82) had an unhappy childhood characterised by a stark contrast between his family's high social standing and their comparative poverty. He wrote his earliest novels while working as a Post Office inspector, but did not meet with success until the publication of the first of his 'Barsetshire novels', The Warden (1855). As well as writing over forty novels, including such popular works as Can You Forgive Her? (1865), Phineas Finn (1869), He Knew He Was Right (1869) and The Way We Live Now (1875) Trollope is credited with introducing the postbox to England.

If you enjoyed The Warden, you might like Trollope's The Way We Live Now, also available in Penguin Classics.

About the Author

Anthony Trollope (1815 - 1882) had a successful carrer in the Post Office, alongisde which he wrote. His first novel was published in 1847, and he went on to write over forty novels as well as short stories. The Barsetshire Chronicles are by many regarded as his masterpieces.
Robin Gilmour was Reader in English as the University of Aberdeen, and author of The Novel in the Victorian Age and The Victorian Age: The INtellectual and Cultural Context of English Literature 1830-1890. He died in 1999.

Reviews
"Trollope will remain one of the most trustworthy . . . of the writers who have helped the heart of man to know itself." -Henry James



Book Information
ISBN 9780140432145
Author Anthony Trollope
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Penguin Classics
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 191g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 15mm