The Warden by Anthony Trollope

 My late husband found this a bit dull and I did too, although I liked The Way We Live Now years ago. I have a feeling that watching the series again may bring this to life, however. I remember Malcolm Sinclair playing Dr Grantley brilliantly.

This is the first book of the Barchester Chronicles series which revolves around an English cathedral town and the Church of England in the Victorian period. A young radical doctor John Bold is concerned about the precenter of the cathedral’s large income and the discrepancy between his income and the amount that the men of the almshouse, Hiram’s Hospital, receive. He thinks that this difference between Septimus Harding’s income and the pittance that the old men receive is contrary to the founder’s will, especially when Harding lives in relative luxury and doesn’t seem to have to do much for his money! Is the money being distributed correctly?

The problem is that John Bold is in love with Eleanor, Harding’s daughter, which leads to conflict between the young would-be lovers. Harding has a social conscience so he isn’t sure what to do, and he is also somewhat bossed about by the self-serving and ambitious Dr Grantley, the archdeacon, who is married to his other daughter.

Harding is rather an insipid character, I thought, but Dr Grantley and his wife are interesting portraits of hypocritical Victorian high-church types and Eleanor’s relationship with John Bold is dramatic and tortuous. I really enjoyed the chapter about a long day in London, however. The events of the day are so exquisitely described that you really feel like you are spending the day with Septimus!

I reviewed this book for Rose City Reader’s 25 in ‘25 Challenge