The Warden (Chronicles of Barsetshire, #1) in Exploring Anthony Trollope

Mar 17, 2016 Jane rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I really didn’t mean to set out on my journey through Trollope’s Barsetshire novels this year. I loved the Palliser novels, I planned to read a few more of his stand-alone novels before I began his other series; and, if I’m honest, I have to admit that I was a little wary of this first book, that many have said is weaker that the books that follow and that I gave up on back in the days before I came to understand what makes Trollope so very special.

A disappointing dramatisation of a book from th ...more

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Jan 18, 2023 Laura (Reading is a Doing Word) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2023-read, classics-trad-and-modern, trollope

This is the first book in the Barsetshire series, my first Trollope and the beginning of a yearlong Trollope readathon!

The Warden is a slow read. It's a gentle book, despite the main character experiencing some major life upheavals, the drama is conveyed in a somewhat detached manner and Mr Harding, the Warden's inner turmoil, although it feels distressing never really had me too worried for him.

The story centres around Mr Septimus Harding, warden of an alms-house who comes under scrutiny from r This is the first book in the Barsetshire series, my first Trollope and the beginning of a yearlong Trollope readathon!

The Warden is a slow read. It's a gentle book, despite the main character experiencing some major life upheavals, the drama is conveyed in a somewhat detached manner and Mr Harding, the Warden's inner turmoil, although it feels distressing never really had me too worried for him.

The story centres around Mr Septimus Harding, warden of an alms-house who comes under scrutiny from reformer John Bold. Bold deems the Warden's salary incommensurate with the income of the charity he represents and implies that he draws his salary at the expense of the men he looks after.
What ensues is a wrangle between reformers, the church, the law, the press and personal interest and conscience.

There's a lot from the Warden that could be applied to the world today - the power of the press to vilify public figures and the lack of accountability on their part; the conflict between public and private personas; the compromise between the letter of the law and moral justice; the unforeseen consequences of zealous reform compared with settled establishment; the concept of innocents as collateral damage.

Mr Harding is a meek and submissive man, usually dominated by his overbearing son-in-law Dr Grantly, the Archdeacon. Grantly represents the infallible belief in the institution of the church without embodying its better values. Harding comes into his own however, when he feels doubt about the justice of his position and here his true moral character shines through and allows him to stand up for himself and what he believes is right.

The aspects of this story that stuck with me were the friendship between the Warden and the Bishop, the Warden's personal sense of justice and the manipulation of the poor bedesmen.

The idea of shortsighted reform with no contingency plan really stood out. The occupants of the alms-house are caught up in the fervour of reform, the promise of wealth, the interests of the solicitors and the frenzy of the press. No one really cares for them individually or in the long term, and they end up worse off with the charity itself no longer operating efficiently.
This result begs the question - what was the real aim of all those involved? To better the lot of the bedesmen or to seek personal glory in the pursuit of a "cause"?

In the end I loved the Warden and the Bishop was let down by most of those surrounding them. I'm interested to see which of these characters reappear in the rest of the series and how they conduct themselves. An interesting introduction to Barsetshire!

SOME QUOTES
"You are going to make yourself, and her, and her father miserable. You are going to make us all miserable. And for what? For a dream of justice. You will never make those twelve men happier than they now are."

"The bishop had no further argument to adduce; he could not fight for the cause as his son would do; he could not prove all the precentor's doubts to be groundless; but he could sympathise with his friend, and he did so; and Mr Harding felt that he had received that for which he came."
...more

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Apr 16, 2025 Lisa (NY) rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics-19th-century-earlier, audiobook, 2025tbrshelf

[3.5] The Warden surprised me. After reading all the Palliser novels and the standalone, The Way We Live Now, I expected a more tangled, gossipy novel. It's a fairly straightforward, streamlined novel, focusing on Mr. Harding's moral dilemma. I liked it very much-I particularly enjoyed the narrator's commentary. I did miss the intricate meanderings of Trollope's longer works. Onward to the other Barchester novels! ...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Laura rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, owned, first-of-a-series, british, on-dj, on-laptop, 2017

3.5 stars. My first Trollope. I was warned not to start with this one, as it is a bit dry, and that's no lie. It is all about church politics and there is a Point, and at times, you are beaten over the head with it until you lose the will to press on. But then that chapter ends, and Trollope moves back into the lives of the Warden and his surrounding family and friends, and things pick up again.

The audio narrator for my library's cd copy was Simon Vance, who did a wonderful job. He changes voic ...more

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Apr 24, 2011 Elizabeth (Alaska) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, classics, author-trollope, barsetshire

First, let me say this surprised me. I guess I don't know what I was expecting, but a novel where the church/clergy was the defendant in a lawsuit wouldn't have appeared on a list. "The Queen on behalf of the Wool-carders of Barchester v. Trustees under the will of the late John Hiram" was instituted, The Warden being the primary Trustee so named.

Now, would you also expect humor? At least that was on the list. In a discussion where the bishop learns of the possible suit is: The bishop did not wh ...more

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Mar 22, 2014 Cleo rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014-52-books-in-52-weeks, 2014-read-dead-writers, 2014-european-reading-challenge, classics, english-literature, classics-club-challenge-5-yr, 2014-british-books-challenge, 2014-mount-tbr-challenge

The Honest Gossip Newspaper

In many a town in England there are given charitable bequests to church dioceses, and the honest public assumes that the monies are distributed in a fair and equitable way, in a manner that benefits all who have need of them. Yet this learned reporter has discovered that in a small holding in Barsetshire, there has been a shocking exploitation of this practice, resulting in twelve respectable old gentlemen being cheated out of their livelihood. And who is the avari The Honest Gossip Newspaper

In many a town in England there are given charitable bequests to church dioceses, and the honest public assumes that the monies are distributed in a fair and equitable way, in a manner that benefits all who have need of them. Yet this learned reporter has discovered that in a small holding in Barsetshire, there has been a shocking exploitation of this practice, resulting in twelve respectable old gentlemen being cheated out of their livelihood. And who is the avaricious fiend to be so bold as to expropriate funds which are not solely meant for him?

The Revd Septimus Harding, the warden of Hiram's Hospital in Barsetshire, it has been discovered, earns 800 pounds per annum for his position as warden and overseer of the legacy left by the philanthropic John Hiram, namesake of Hiram's Hospital, yet the gentlemen who were meant to benefit from his legacy, receive housing and a paltry one shilling four pence per day to meet all their needs in their tender and uncertain later years of life.

Ask yourself, can you as a common man remain indifferent to the plight of others? Can you remain indifferent to the misappropriation of funds by a man who not only takes bread out of the mouths of his brothers, but whose actions leaves a stain on the offices of the sacred and respected agents of mother Church? Oh, for shame you vainglorious men who have no respect for what is sacred, yet greedily engorge yourselves with money to line your already comfortable existence! Is it to be borne? No! Mr. Harding must be revealed as the avaricious culprit he is, and the money given to the rightful recipients, who deserve it far more than a warden who presently lives comfortably on this legacy while doing nothing to earn its bestowal. Who will see that justice is served in such a uncomfortable yet critical situation? This reporter knows just the man!

Our young and zealous reformer, Mr. John Bold, has been working industriously to illuminate this unfortunate circumstance and expose the corruption that has so carefully been concealed . Can we trust this gentleman in his noble purpose? Certainly! Not only does his estimable reputation speak volumes, but in spite of his relationship to the aforementioned's lovely daughter, Eleanor, he will not let possible future familial ties stand in the way of serving justice. We have learned that he has wisely consulted a respectable and reputable law firm to deal with this perplexing and delicate matter and that, once begun, nothing will stand in his way. The bishop and his pretentious son, the archdeacon Theophilus Grantly (also son-in-law to the accused), can puff and blow all they like, but we all know which side is valiantly trumpeting the truth. It will be heard, and the Reverend Harding will be made to choke on it.

This is a sample of what poor Septimus Harding, warden of Hiram's Hospital had to withstand: an unfair accusation, judgement, an attack on his character and the possible loss of his livelihood. His son-in-law, the archdeacon, attempts to defend his father-in-law, yet in a worldly, materialistic, dictatorial manner, which his father-in-law cannot respect or accept. Harding's simple, gentle, sacrificial nature, while at first bends under the pressure of his contemporaries, eventually asserts itself in his determination to act in an honourable manner. In a case where people's good intentions do more harm than good, we realize that law and justice followed blindly, can have unexpected negative repercussions. Love and friendship hold a human value that money can never equal, and the loss of the former can create an emotional deprivation that is felt long after the incident is over.

A wonderful start to this series! This was my first Trollope and it far exceeded my expectations! ...more

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Aug 08, 2020 Tom Britz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I found The Warden to be a very good read. I'd heard that it was boring and tedious, but I didn't find it so. I enjoyed the characters and the plot moved forward at all times. Of course it doesn't read like a modern novel in that there are many references to things and events that were current at that time or that were still being referred to and were common knowledge. I found Mr. Harding to be a stalwart and a fully fleshed out character, for that time. In today's world, and even in his time, p ...more

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Apr 08, 2015 Pperkins rated it it was amazing

Shelves: big-fiction

Love Trollope. Big wordy novels, gorgeous language, and they are funny! In the way Jane Austen is funny, and touching.

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Jan 25, 2015 Trisha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Although I read this first book years ago, it was a treat to go back to the fictional Cathedral town of Barchester and be re-introduced to the principle characters – Septimus Harding, the gentle warden of the Hiram’s hospital for 12 aged old men, who live in what sounds like a19th century Assisted Living home where “. . .they have warm houses, good clothes, plentiful diet, and rest after a life of labor. . .” Other characters include the Warden’s daughter Eleanor who falls in love with John Bold Although I read this first book years ago, it was a treat to go back to the fictional Cathedral town of Barchester and be re-introduced to the principle characters – Septimus Harding, the gentle warden of the Hiram’s hospital for 12 aged old men, who live in what sounds like a19th century Assisted Living home where “. . .they have warm houses, good clothes, plentiful diet, and rest after a life of labor. . .” Other characters include the Warden’s daughter Eleanor who falls in love with John Bold, a fiery young reformer intent on exposing abuse of church funds; Archdeacon Theophilus Grantly whose loyalty to the church isn’t diminished by his love of the good life; and the Archdeacon’s father, the benevolent and much-loved old Bishop of Barchester. Trollope understood human nature very well and although he wrote about people trapped inside the societal and relational conventions of the Victorian age, the things that motivate them and the internal conflicts they grapple with aren’t much different than what drives people in the 21st century. Trollope is a master of satire and in this novel he aims more than just a few witty jabs at the Jupiter (meant to represent the popular press). What he had to say can just as easily be applied to Fox News: “Would it not be wise in us to abandon useless talking, idle thinking and profitless labor? Does not the Jupiter, coming forth daily with fifty thousand impressions full of unerring decision on every mortal subject, set all matters sufficiently to rest…. ridicule is found to be more convincing than argument, imaginary agonies touch more than true sorrows. , , We have but to read, to obey, and be blessed. . . . . None but the fools doubt the wisdom of the Jupiter; non but the mad dispute its facts.” Trollope isn’t simply an omniscient author, he practically becomes one of the characters because he regularly breaks into the narrative to lend his personal opinion about what is going on or, more frequently to tell us how he feels about various characters. As usual he wants to make sure we don’t judge them too harshly. Speaking of Archbishop Grantly, Trollope writes: “I fear that he is represented in these pages as being worse than he is; but we have had to do with his foibles and not with his virtues. We have seen only the weak side of the man . . ..on the whole he is a man doing more good than harm and it is a matter of regret to us that the course of our narrative has required that we should see more of his weakness than his strength.” As usual there are a sprinkling of minor characters, whose names speak volumes about them, including Dr. Pessimist Anticant, Sir Abraham Haphazard and Mr. Popular Sentiment. And as always happens with any good 19th century novel, I came away with a list of new words like this one: “Bosky” as in “…through a bosky vista along which ran a broad green path…” ...more

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Oct 24, 2014 Joseph rated it liked it

Shelves: fadiman

Clifton Fadiman once wrote that he believed Trollope to be "the perfect novelist for the bedside" because he "never fails to interest, but not too much; to soothe, but not too much." I'd have to agree. This is the first Trollope I've read and I, too, found it to be light, pleasant, and amusing. He's no Charles Dickens, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Occasionally, reading Dickens takes a little more work than I'm in the mood to exert and, for times like that, Trollope is a nice alternati ...more

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Sep 17, 2015 Dianna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: anthony-trollope

Trollope draws his characters authentically. His humor is never cruel, but indulgently teasing. I am always ready to learn life’s lessons along with the characters. Every book in this series is a pleasure. Although I have always been a fan of Dickens, Trollope may be my favorite of the two writers.

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Dec 18, 2011 Rachel rated it it was amazing

I loved this book, I think I'm becoming addicted to the marvellous Trollope. I wanted to hug poor misguided Septimus, he was right but wrong! He'll be my new favourite hero! ...more

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