The Complete Barchester Chronicles

A Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisation

By: Anthony Trollope

Narrated by: Alex Jennings, Amanda Root, Anna Massey, Brenda Blethyn, David Haig, Eleanor Bron, Emma Fielding, full cast, Kenneth Cranham, Leo McKern, Rosemary Leach, Simon Russell Beale

The acclaimed BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Anthony Trollope's gently satirical tales of provincial life

One of the most respected, successful chroniclers of nineteenth-century life, Anthony Trollope is still widely read and much-loved today. The Barchester Chronicles - witty moral comedies with a wonderful range of characters - are among his most popular tales.

The first in the series, The Warden, finds Rev. Harding forced to question the moral basis of the life he is leading; and in the sequel, Barchester Towers, the Reverend is now plain Mr Harding, bound up in a tale of intrigue, hypocrisy and ambition that will delight the listener.

Dr Thorne is a gripping drama of wealth and wedlock; while Framley Parsonage tells the story of a naive, ambitious young clergyman whose unwise associations bring him to the brink of ruin. The Small House at Allington explores the power of devotion, in the form of Lily Dale’s love for self-seeking Adolphus Crosbie.

Finally, The Last Chronicle of Barset sees the most popular characters from Trollope’s earlier novels, including the Proudies, Lily, Mr Harding and Archdeacon Grantly, reunited in a moving tale of honesty triumphing over hypocrisy.

Nearly twenty hours of ironic, witty and wonderfully written drama is contained in this collection. With a star cast including Brenda Blethyn, Eleanor Bron, Kenneth Cranham, Anna Massey, Leo McKern, Simon Russell Beale, Amanda Root, Alex Jennings, David Haig, Rosemary Leach and Emma Fielding, it is guaranteed to appeal to all fans of Trollope’s comic masterpieces.

©2008 BBC Audiobooks Ltd (P)2008 BBC Audiobooks Ltd

Good Heavens!

This was my first Audible book and I quickly became addicted. I enjoyed all the stories except the "Small House at Allington" because I felt that Lucy Dale needed to get over herself. The dramatization is wonderful and the best performances are Mrs. Proudie (she makes nails on a chalkboard more pleasant to withstand) and Dr. Grantley, whose common exclamation "Good Heavens!" makes you chuckle each time. I absolutely recommend this book- it has romance, drama, and fun all rolled into one. Take a break from television and treat yourself to this book!

Delightful!

Wonderful British stories. Wonderful voices, memorable characters, exciting story line. Don't miss out on these books.

Fantastic

I listened to this brilliant performance after the completion of the series. The acting and script are excellent. Lots of humour are evoked by the performance and I found it to be highly entertaining and faithful to Trollope's work. Excellent.

Hail, Dr. Sullivan!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Complete Barchester Chronicles (Dramatisation) to be better than the print version?

Truly brought the story to life. I may finally finish Trollope and Thackeray now. My favorite college professor loved all the Victorians. Hail, Harry Sullivan in heaven. I finally see the light!

Excellent dramatization for BBC radio

This is a very entertaining performance by multiple actors, many of whom you may know, of a British classic. Not quite as whimsical as Dickens, nevertheless tells multiple stories full of bright characters, with a slightly satirical tone. The Anglican church hierarchy in the late 19th century, in particular, receives gentle poking.

Who would have thought I'd like this?

I never read Trollope, although I have read most of his contemporaries. He just never seemed very interesting - and the idea of books about church politics - in the 19th century - in England!, well, it didn't seem appealing. But the BBC always does good work and I was desperate for a good read.
Eureka! This is a wonderful set of 'dramatisations' - the characters voices are well differentiated and the story is engorssing. If you like Dickens or Eliot - I think you'll like this.

The best audio production you’ll ever hear

These people became my friends. Trollops moral sensibility and emotional range is unsurpassed. How does he understand women the way he does? He remains one of the literary wonders of the world. The actors’ characterization, interpretation, humor and vigor are absolutely the best.

When the BBC was good.

Books are better, of course. Sweet, though.
Try THE EUSTICE DIAMONDS by Trollope, too. Unabridged audiobook, choose reader well.

Anthony Trollope's Small Affairs

This is a BBC production. What else could better express the excellence of this audio book? The music and performances are perfect. This version is even more accessible than the unabridged audio book. I think this is a result from the slimming down of the original while remaining true to the storyline. The story includes The Warden, Doctor Thorne and The Final Chronicles of Barset. This production fairly zips along without losing any essential element of the story during the dramatization process. It is an ambitious undertaking and faultless executed.

From one point of view, this is a story with strong willed women and is peppered with men with their usual failings. There are delicious misunderstandings about who is to marry whom. The intramural quarrels were fortunately conducted without resort to swords, axes, guns or bombs. In particular, I loved the proposal scene where Mrs. Bolts slaps the face of the odious Mr. Slope. If any man deserved a good solid slap, it was he. This is a thoroughly enjoyable performance to the very last line.

Great AudioBook

A Great listen, I throughly enjoyed listening to this book. All of the characters were distinctly individual. Loved the way all of the stories were smoothly intertwined. The romantic entanglements and life dramas were a listening pleasure. I will listen to this book again and again.