One of the most respected, successful chroniclers of 19th-century life, Anthony Trollope is still widely read and much-loved today, and The Barchester Chronicles - witty moral comedies with a wonderful range of characters - are among his most popular tales.
The Small House at Allington explores the power of devotion, in the form of Lily Dale's love for self-seeking Adolphus Crosbie.
©2008 BBC Audiobooks Ltd; (P)2009 BBC Audiobooks Ltd
"Never palls"
You just can't beat Trollope - and this is a lovely dramatisation. The odious Adolphus Crosbie slimes to perfection. One to listen to over and over again.
"A good novel to sleep by"
I enjoyed my regular listening slots throughout, but I really can't say that an awful lot happens in this book, although at the end I am aware that I have come to sympathise with a collection of rather ordinary, everyday, slightly flawed but very decent people who inhabit this privileged corner of historical England. And THAT's the charm, I guess. Patrick O'Brian,say, engages the reader much more directly - but this is authentic in a way that modern historical novels can never be.