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Framley Parsonage cover art

Framley Parsonage

By: Anthony Trollope
Narrated by: Timothy West
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Summary

Exclusively from Audible

In the fourth audiobook in Anthony Trollope's series known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, the values of a Victorian gentleman, the young clergyman Mark Robarts, are put to the test. Though he lives a comfortable life, has a doting wife, children and a patroness in Lady Lufton, his ambitions stretch beyond the little village of Framley. Through a combination of naivety and social climbing, Robarts is compromised and brought to the brink of financial and social ruin by the disreputable politician, Sowerby.

Meanwhile, a romance develops between Mark's younger sister, Lucy, and Lady Lufton's son. He proposes, but the marriage is firmly opposed by his mother. Lucy recognises the difference in their social positions, which forces her to reject Lord Lufton's proposal unless his mother asks her to accept him.

Working with the prose of one of the most successful and respected English novelists of the Victorian era, narrator Timothy West captures Trollope's customary humour, offsetting the drama of the tale with great compassion. Like all in the Barsetshire series, it is an extraordinarily evocative picture of everyday life in 19th-century England that delves deep into the social issues of the time.

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 Pallisers series. He has also narrated volumes of Simon Schama's A History of Britain and John Mortimer's Rumpole on Trial.

Timothy 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, The Day of the Jackal. On television, Timothy has appeared in Broken Biscuits (BBC), Great Canal Journeys (across 3 Series), regular role of Stan Carter on EastEnders (BBC); Last Tango in Halifax; Bleak House, Bedtime and Brass.

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Framley Parsonage

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Framley Parsonage

An absolutely brilliant reading. Timothy West reads with real feeling and expression, and gives each character their own unique and recognisable style and voice. Buy this audio book. You will not be disappointed. Timothy, please let's have some more!

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Everything an audiobook should be

Timothy West is one of the best audiobook readers. His narrator is humane, wise and engaging, despite Trollope's prolixity. His characters are beautifully realised - distinct and alive without exaggeration. More please.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful West!

This was the fourth Trollope/West audiobook I have listened to with such pleasure. Mr West is a superb reader: clever, clear, delicious.

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

The perfect narrator

Timothy West reads Trollope with intelligence, subtlety and warmth. I cannot imagine a better narrator to convey the wit and wisdom of Trollope. Framley Parsonage is my favourite of the Barsetshire Chronicles so far, but they are all perfect in their own way.

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5 people found this helpful

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Perfection

I listen to these stories over and over again. Anthony Trollope and Timothy West - made for each other.

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars

Star performance by Timothy West

These stories are woven together with consumate skill - bringing the period alive with all It’s complex webs of social connections and rigid class distinctions
Timothy West effortlessly creates convincing characters with the skill of the great actor that he is - and his timing is perfect
These novels are a marvellous escape into another world made fascinating by the brilliant observation of relationships and situations of another time and very different social values Anthony Trollope is masterful in understanding and expressing the
Various female roles in acute , well observed detail / so much so that I bought the Anthony Trollope Audible autobiography to try and discover the source of such a superior grasp of the female point of view - but that is another story

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4 people found this helpful

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The best Barsetshire novel?

I've read and listened to Trollope's Barsetshire novels several times. I was constantly struck, while listening to Framley Parsonage this time, by how witty, moving, and beautifully written this novel is. It's a masterpiece. The language constantly delighted my ear, and there is the great satisfaction of the intelligent and acerbic Miss Dunstable finally finding a worthy spouse in the good and kind Dr Thorne, so dear to our hearts from his eponymous novel earlier in the series. Of course the main plot lines of the swindling of the naive Mark Robarts by sly Mr Sowerby, and the path of Lord Lufton and Lucy Robarts' romance against unfair opposition, are engaging and interesting as the narrative backbone of the book. Although this book contains favourite characters from previous novels, I think it would stand alone very well - no need to have read the previous novels, you can always go back to them later to read the prequels to this story.

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3 people found this helpful

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Tim triumphs again

I am going through the whole Barchester Chronicles series, following the Pallisers!, as read by Timothy West. Superb. Thoroughly enjoyable. Tim's excellent voice and phrasing is a joy.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Bramley Parsonage

Narration perfect. A joy to hear time and time again.. A classic in my opinion.

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1 person found this helpful

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Fabulous as always

Brilliant narration for a wonderful story brought to life by Mr West once again. Highly recommend the whole series, although you could just about get by as a standalone, but many characters traverse the books so you get to known them.

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1 person found this helpful