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Framley Parsonage (Chronicles of Barsetshire, #4)

Anthony Trollope

Discussion: Chronicles of Barsetshire

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Chronicles of Barsetshire

* The Series
By Elizabeth (Al… · 16 posts · 173 views

last updated Jan 12, 2014 04:31PM

Last Chronicle of Barset (possible minor spoiler)
By Paul · 3 posts · 10 views

last updated Nov 12, 2021 11:41AM

What Members Thought

Dec 15, 2018 Laura rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: on-dj, favorite-authors, yt-recs, on-dj2, 2018, classics, audible, victorians

4.5 stars. Oh, how I enjoyed this book! For years, I thought Trollope was stuffy and dry. I don't know where I got this idea from, but it's the furthest from the truth. This is the fourth book in the Chronicles of Barsetshire, and they get better and better as they go.

I truly believe that I may never have tried this author if it weren't for Katie of Books and Things on YouTube. She loves Victorian literature so much, and has read all of Dickens, Austen, Gaskell, Hardy, and others (and has video ...more

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Dec 08, 2016 Cleo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics, english-literature, 2016-reading-england, 2016-52-books-in-52-weeks, 2016-back-to-the-classics

4.5 stars!

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

Shelves: kindle, classics, barsetshire, author-trollope

As shown by the 3-star rating, this is not my favorite of the series so far, but it is a high 3 based on the last half of the novel. After the introduction of the characters at Framley Parsonage, Trollope led us down the path of mid-19th Century English politics. If there was humor accompanying it, I didn't get it. In fact this volume lacked the humor I have come to expect. (One character, however, was Lord Dumbello, a fellow who had no personality and little intellect.)

After the first 150 pages ...more

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Oct 21, 2020 Tom Britz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Framley Parsonage is both the fourth book in Anthony Trollope's Barchester series, it is also his fourth book I've read. I thoroughly enjoyed all of them so far and plan on finishing the series, but this book is not my favorite. It seemed to drag in the middle during the political events and at that time I still had not been invested in the characters like I had in the previous books. Though on a whole I am glad to have read it, I think it could have been a better and probably much shorter book ...more

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Sep 05, 2014 Trisha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This is the fourth in Trollope’s Barsetshire series of novels and although I’m reading them out of order it really doesn’t make that much difference as far as I’m concerned because it’s such fun to get reacquainted with the characters who keep appearing and reappearing in these books. This time the action revolves around a series of poor choices made by Mark Robarts who owes his position as the Vicar of Framely to his patroness Lady Lufton and her son Ludovic - who falls in love with Lucy Robart This is the fourth in Trollope’s Barsetshire series of novels and although I’m reading them out of order it really doesn’t make that much difference as far as I’m concerned because it’s such fun to get reacquainted with the characters who keep appearing and reappearing in these books. This time the action revolves around a series of poor choices made by Mark Robarts who owes his position as the Vicar of Framely to his patroness Lady Lufton and her son Ludovic - who falls in love with Lucy Robarts, the vicar’s sister. Naturally that will never do since she’s from the wrong social class and has no fortune – unlike the haughty Griselda Grantley who has been handpicked by Lady Lufton to marry her son. But Griselda is destined for an even loftier role as the wife of a marquis, the aptly name Lord Dumbello. Much of the fun of reading Trollope is following along as he merrily unravels several plot lines at the same time, jumping in occasionally with his own comments and observations as if he simply can’t keep from getting personally involved. He definitely doesn’t hesitate to let his readers know how he feels about the characters he creates and with few exceptions he is quite devoted to them. Even the ne’r do well Mr. Sowerby whose profligate lifestyle brings poor Mark Robarts to the brink of ruin merits a few kindly words of pardon from Trollope who suspects we are likely to be far too hard on him, adding that “there was yet within him the means of repentence…” On the other hand Trollope makes no excuses for the boorishly bad mannered behavior of another suitably named character – the arrogant and puffed up Mrs. Proudie (domineering wife of the Bishop of Barchester) who never fails to offend everyone who comes in contact with her – including the reader! As if Trollope isn’t fun enough on his own, I’ve added to the enjoyment by always reading one of his Barsetshire novels at the same time I’m reading one of Angela Thirkell’s. She’s written about the same fictional countryside and filled it with the descendents of the families Trollope has created. Her books begin almost a hundred years after Trollope’s end, and so it’s a lot of fun going back and forth to check on the families and what became of them and their fortunes. This time I’m reading The Duke’s Daughter which focuses on families I’ve met already in Framely Parsonage. Both books end with four marriages – involving people Trollope would have been very pleased to have known since he knew their great great grandparents so well!! ...more

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Feb 03, 2015 Joseph rated it really liked it · review of another edition

After posting reviews of the first three novels in Trollope's classic "Chronicles of Barsetshire" series, it gets a bit more difficult to compose anything meaningful for subsequent books. So let's just say that I read the fourth, enjoyed it, and will move on to the fifth. ...more

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Jan 13, 2018 Theresa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

I’m working my way through the series, and have loved each one. The overlapping characters provide continuity and comfort, while he focuses on the joys and problems of the current stars. There is so much more great reading ahead!

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