The Warden and Barchester Towers, by Anthony Trollope

These are fairly enjoyable books.  But the lightness of their plot, and the ultimate insignificance of the events described, even to those living through them, explains why Trollope doesn't have the modern popularity of say, Dickens or Austen.  Still, if you want to know why Europeans ultimately gave up on religion, books like these can go a long way to explaining it.  Religion in 19th century England, if these books are any guide, seems to have been more about sinecures, societal heirarchies, and nice architecture, than about Christian love, service, or least of all, doctrine.

Completed: 2011
Rating: 6/10

The Way We Live Now Anthony Trollope

It's a shame more people don't read Trollope.  If he were as popular as Dickens then the character of Melmont, from this book, would be better known.  And being able to call someone a "Melmont" and have people know what you are talking about (a person who is only treated with respect because he is rich, despite being vulgar, uncouth, and having come by his riches in untoward ways) would be extremely helpful cultural shorthand.

It's also a shame that, in the real world, the Melmonts don't always get their comeuppance.  But when it happens in a novel it's an enjoyable read, especially when you have Timothy West narrating it to you on an audible.com audiobook.  Listening to a great British-accented voice read 19th century British literature is like drinking hot chocolate by a warm fire on a snowy day.  Awesome.

Completed: 2011
Rating: 7/10