The Last Chronicle of Barset
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Narrated by:
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Timothy West
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By:
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Anthony Trollope
About this listen
Exclusively from Audible
In the last and most complex of the Barsetshire audiobooks, many of Trollope's best-loved characters appear, but the mood of the recording is darker and more uneasy than in earlier volumes.
At the heart of the audiobook is the penniless Reverend Josiah Crawley, first encountered in Framley Parsonage, who in the opening of the story is accused of theft, creating a public scandal that threatens to tear the community apart. As well as this central mystery we find Johnny Eames attempting to woo Lily Dale and the now grown-up Major Henry Grantly falling in love with Reverend Crawley's daughter, Grace, against the wishes of his father, the Archdeacon. The Bishop Proudie and his formidable wife also receive their most dramatic portrayal with Mrs. Proudie finally meeting her match.
This final volume manages to resolve many threads started in the first volume and is a fitting conclusion to the series.
The Last Chronicle of Barset is considered by many, including Trollope himself, to be his best work. A prolific and respected novelist of the 19th-century he created 47 novels and many short stories that have continued to be popular and well-loved.
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 Palliser series. He has also narrated volumes of Simon Schama's A History of Britain and John Mortimer's Rumpole on Trial.
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 and The Day of the Jackal. On television, Timothy has held the regular role of Stan Carter on EastEnders (BBC), as well as appearing in Broken Biscuits (BBC), three series of Great Canal Journeys, Last Tango in Halifax; Bleak House, Bedtime and Brass.
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- Length: 22 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Prince Myshkin, is thrust into the heart of a society more concerned with wealth, power, and sexual conquest than the ideals of Christianity. Myshkin soon finds himself at the center of a violent love triangle in which a notorious woman and a beautiful young girl become rivals for his affections. Extortion, scandal, and murder follow, testing the wreckage left by human misery to find "man in man."
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Intense and painfully sad
- By Tad on 04-27-12
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Dombey and Son
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 36 hrs and 59 mins
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In this carefully crafted novel, Dickens reveals the complexity of London society in the enterprising 1840s as he takes the listener into the business firm and home of one of its most representative patriarchs, Paul Dombey.
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Perfect pair
- By Philip on 03-25-08
By: Charles Dickens
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Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded
- By: Samuel Richardson
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Full Cast
- Length: 21 hrs and 50 mins
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Samuel Richardson's epistolary novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded, published in 1740, tells the story of a young woman's resistance to the desires of her predatory master. Pamela is determined to protect her virginity and remain a paragon of virtue; however, the heroine's moral principles only strengthen the resolve of Mr. B and Pamela soon finds herself imprisoned against her will. The young woman's affection for her captor gradually grows and she becomes aware of a love that combines eros and agape.
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The one, the only, Pamela!
- By Eve Howard on 09-07-17
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The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 30 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby is closely modelled on the 18h-century novels that Charles Dickens loved as a child, such as Robinson Crusoe, in which the fortunes of a hero shape the plot. The likeable young Nicholas, left penniless on the death of his father, sets off in search of better prospects.
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loved it much more than expected!
- By Blue Ridge Book Lover on 05-29-12
By: Charles Dickens
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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
- Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!
- By: Seth Grahame-Smith, Jane Austen
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem.
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One word - Awesome!
- By Katelyn on 05-22-09
By: Seth Grahame-Smith, and others
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The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
- By: Anne Brontë
- Narrated by: Alex Jennings, Jenny Agutter
- Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Fleeing a disastrous marriage, Helen Huntingdon retreats to the desolate mansion, Wildfell Hall, with her son, Arthur. There, she makes her living as a painter. Finding it difficult to avoid her neighbors, she is soon an object of speculation and gossip. Brontë portrays Helen's eloquent struggle for independence at a time when society defined a married woman as her husband's property.
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Excellent performances of an abridged version
- By LSK on 04-21-19
By: Anne Brontë
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Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
- By: Jane Austen, Ben H. Winters
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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From the publisher of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies comes a new tale of romance, heartbreak, and tentacled mayhem. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters expands the original text of the beloved Jane Austen novel with all-new scenes of giant lobsters, rampaging octopi, two-headed sea serpents, and other biological monstrosities.
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I wish they'd turn this into a movie!
- By Kat on 10-10-09
By: Jane Austen, and others
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Wonderful tale, wonderful reader
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Fantastic Narrator
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What listeners say about The Last Chronicle of Barset
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Kay M Bell
- 12-14-22
Good (with some frustrating characters)
I love Trollope, & I would listen to Timothy West read almost anything. A couple of the characters in this book sort of irritate me, & the book is mighty long. Now that it’s over, though, I’m going to miss Barsetshire.
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- Amazon Customer
- 05-20-23
Timothy West at his best
The only thing better than a Barchester novel is one read on Audible by Timothy West. What a delight!
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- C. HAUGE
- 07-14-21
Farewell, Barset
I studied the first two novels of Barset with great joy. Over the years read one or two more, but oh, how I wish I had been able to listen to Timothy West’s superb narration for the entire series. Before I picked up a continuation of the novels, I sampled multiple narrators on Audible. Hands down Mr. West was the best. His pacing is perfect and he is a genius at creating the characters with differing voices. Is it any wonder this fine actor brings Trollope to life so brilliantly? I can’t wait to listen to additional Trollope narrated by Timothy West!
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- Walter F. Kailey
- 11-01-21
Falls short of its predecessors
New characters in London appear, and the story from the fifth book drags on interminably to a disappointing denouement. The new characters are a mixed blessing, one we esteem and a number with whom we do not much care to be acquainted. The book is perhaps too long by half, but it must nevertheless be read by those who find themselves washed up on its shores.
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- windinthewillows
- 09-18-22
Simply Marvelous
Anthony Trollope’s last book of the Chronicles of Barsetshire is a fitting and wonderful sixth book of this series. The Lives of country clergy we have met in the previous five and other associated persons come together. The authors humor and eye to the vagaries of Victorian society create a delightful journey. Tim West is superb again as narrator.
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- Gary Holsapple
- 01-18-22
I enjoyed every minute
I have recently been listening to many books by Trollope. This was the best! The narrator has been superb throughout, but this story was the most interesting of all I've heard. It was a treat to visit all my old friends and tie up any loose ends. Now I want to go back to the beginning of the series and start again, bringing my husband along with me this time.
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- Cariola
- 03-16-12
A Fitting Conclusion
Trollope has really mastered the art of creating irritating characters in this last volume of 'The Barchester Chronicles'--which doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Some are familiar to readers of the earlier novels. There's Mrs. Proudie, for example, the bishop's wife, who seems to think that SHE is the bishop, yammering on about "the souls of the people" while she bullies her husband and everybody else. The namby-pamby bishop is quite irritating on his own accord: he never silences or reprimands his wife until near the end, and then it takes the form of whining and blaming. The focal figure of the novel, the reverend Mr. Crawley . . . well, I wanted to whack him over the head with a 2x4! I understand his forgetfulness and his adherence to principles, but refusing to hire a lawyer (even taking on a free one) when you've been charged with a crime, thus putting your family on the brink of total destitution and disgrace, is unforgiveable, not to mention just plain stupid. Then there's Lily Dale, abandoned in an earlier installment by her lover in favor of a wealthier woman. Devoted not only to him but to her role as martyr, she refuses the love of a good man, refuses to marry the now-widowed lover, and takes a vow reflected in her diary: "Lily Dale: Old Maid."
By now, you're probably wondering why I didn't hate this novel. Well, while all of these characters are maddening, somehow Trollope also manages to makes their trials and tribulations quite intriguing. And at least one of them gets his or her comeuppance. Trollope weaves in several subplots as well, inlcuding that of Grace Crawley, a young woman as principled as her father who refuses the proposal of the man she loves, reluctant to tie his family to her father's possible shame. And John Eames, who has loved Lily Dale forever. There are plenty of other characters to admire, among them those trying to help the beleaguered Mr. Crawley. (Most memorable is the goodhearted lawyer Mr. Toogood.)
As others have mentioned, the subplot surrounding John Eames's friend, the painter Conrad Darymple, doesn't quite fit. Perhaps it's true that Trollope stuck it in to come up with the number of pages required by his publisher. Nevertheless, The Last Chronicle of Barsetshire is an entertaining and engaging book, a fitting conclusion to Trollope's delightful six-volume chronicles.
Timothy West is one of the finest narrators around. I've greatly enjoyed his readings of Trollope and Hardy, among others.
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8 people found this helpful
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- Caroline
- 01-20-12
Simple elegant story performed magnificently
If you could sum up The Last Chronicle of Barset in three words, what would they be?
Good Day Sir!
What other book might you compare The Last Chronicle of Barset to and why?
Pride and Prejudice- unrequited love, social standings, gatherings, frocks, marriage and flirtation that is all so innocent but terribly enthralling.
What about Timothy West’s performance did you like?
Best part- he does the voices superbly. Tone, pace and pronunciation- complements Anthony Trollopes writing style perfectly
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Oh yes- pesky work gets in the way!
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Linda J. Sandahl
- 07-27-16
Some of Trollope's Greatest Characters
In this volume Trollope winds up the stories of some of his greatest characters -- Dr. Grantly, Mrs Proudie, Mr Harding, Lily Dale, (the former) Miss Dunstable -- and even adds several more. The reading , by the great Timothy West, is simply incomparable. His characterizations of every conceivable type of person , rich or poor, old or young, make or female, is simply phenomenal.
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- CT Amazonians
- 06-04-21
The Last Chronicle of Barset
Absolutely wonderful. Timothy West brought this book to life for me. Yes, it is long but it is grand. Each day I looked forward to sitting down with my needlework and becoming part of the milieu of Barsetshire, I have listened to other Trollope books and this one was as good as all the others. If you haven’t read or listened to any of Trollope’s works go to Audible and start at the beginning. The characters you meet in Book one will be alluded to in the next books you listen to. This book was the ending of the folks in Barset so don’t start here. I highly recommend Anthony Trollope.
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