Framley Parsonage

By: Anthony Trollope

Narrated by: Timothy West

Exclusively from Audible

In the fourth audiobook in Anthony Trollope's series known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, the values of a Victorian gentleman, the young clergyman Mark Robarts, are put to the test. Though he lives a comfortable life, has a doting wife, children and a patroness in Lady Lufton, his ambitions stretch beyond the little village of Framley. Through a combination of naivety and social climbing, Robarts is compromised and brought to the brink of financial and social ruin by the disreputable politician, Sowerby.

Meanwhile, a romance develops between Mark's younger sister, Lucy, and Lady Lufton's son. He proposes, but the marriage is firmly opposed by his mother. Lucy recognises the difference in their social positions, which forces her to reject Lord Lufton's proposal unless his mother asks her to accept him.

Working with the prose of one of the most successful and respected English novelists of the Victorian era, narrator Timothy West captures Trollope's customary humour, offsetting the drama of the tale with great compassion. Like all in the Barsetshire series, it is an extraordinarily evocative picture of everyday life in 19th-century England that delves deep into the social issues of the time.

Narrator Biography

Timothy West is prolific in film, television, theatre, and audiobooks. He has narrated a number of Anthony Trollope's classic audiobooks, including the six Chronicles of Barsetshire and The Pallisers series. He has also narrated volumes of Simon Schama's A History of Britain and John Mortimer's Rumpole on Trial.

Timothy West's theatre roles include King Lear, The Vote, Uncle Vanya, A Number, Quarter, and Coriolanus and his films include Ever After, Joan Of Arc, Endgame, Iris, The Day of the Jackal. On television, Timothy has appeared in Broken Biscuits (BBC), Great Canal Journeys (across 3 Series), regular role of Stan Carter on EastEnders (BBC); Last Tango in Halifax; Bleak House, Bedtime and Brass.

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Trollope + West = Amazing

Trollope is an incredibly good writer and his words are brought to life by the incomparable Timothy West, who may be the best audiobook performer I've heard. I've read all 4 books in the series and now, less than an hour after finishing Framley I'm off to Allington.

Victorian Entertainment at it’s finest!

Hard to be Trollope for his language and characters. Timothy West is superb and adds such depth. His vocalizations and nuance fill out the plot and the characters so well I can’t imagine Barchester any other way!

The one about the bounder, the vicar & the heiress

This is the fourth in the Chronicles of Barsetshire and old characters reappear and their story continues and new characters are introduced. As always Trollope paints a wonderful rural picture but its not all chocolate box sweetness - there's poverty, illness and bailiffs alongside the fun and frivolity of wooing, hunting and sermon writing.

I'm loving this frolic through 1850s Victorian England and a complete convert to Trollope as read by Timothy West. This is as good a listen as it gets when you love the classics and I am already to listen to the next instalment in the series - you really can't have a better recommendation than that after some 50+ hours of listening!

Simply Wonderful

The series is developed in this story. Human fragilities abound and philosophical problems are presented and examined. Marriage as a love match and an economic and practical matter are found in this and other Trollope novels. Manners and social gender roles are described and this adds to the story. A delightful addition to a fabulous series.

Excellent book, superb narrator

I have enjoyed reading Trollope since I discovered him in college ages ago, and listening to him in audio is even better. Especially with a superlative narrator such as Timothy West. West doesn't just perform the book. He brings it to life. I will be looking for more of his work. Lots more.

Charming & Engaging

Here we witness several characters make mistakes. Some bad choices were terribly obvious from the outset; while others developed from unforeseen mishaps. What are the consequences and how they will be resolved make for great storytelling.
It's a delightful book chock full of intriguing characters.

I loved every minute!

A great, long, engaging book read by one of the best! A recording to be savored!

Timothy West is the Voice of Trollope

Trollope can be awfully repetitive and he is at his best when writing a comedy of manners rather than insipid romances. Thankfully this fourth volume in the Barchester series has more nuanced portraits than usual. And he lays bare the economic and class underpinnings of the marriage market with precise details and at least a few dollops of appropriate sentiment.

Wonderful story and Timothy West is brilliant!

Timothy West brings all Trollope's characters and his wit to life. They are all the best possible companions in an anxious world. Many thanks, Mr. West.

One of Trollope's best, excellent narrator

The twists and turns of the plot (or plots) of Framley Parsonage make this a highly entertaining tale. As always, Trollope provides the romantic struggles of at least one couple as a unifying thread, and their trials and tribulations are especially witty and ironic here in Framley Parsonage. His cast of characters runs the gamut, from the sublime to the absurd; Lucy Roberts, her too easy-going brother, Mark, Mark's nemesis, Sowerby, the wealthy and raucous heiress Miss Dunstable, the statuesque beauty, Griselda Grantly, &c. Trollope has a gift for imbuing his villains with likable, or at the very least, sympathetic, personalities. Haven't we all known an engaging knave, like Sowerby? Yet, in spite of the rich complexity of plot and character, Trollope keeps hold of the reins throughout and brings all to a satisfying conclusion.