Anthony Trollope

Author

Anthony Trollope was one of the most prolific and beloved novelists of the Victorian era, a writer whose warmth, wit, and acute observation of human nature produced some of the finest novels in the English language. His two great series — the Barsetshire novels and the Palliser novels — remain among the most enjoyable and rewarding... reading experiences available to any lover of fiction. Born in London in 1815 into a family beset by financial troubles, Trollope had a difficult childhood. His father was an unsuccessful barrister, and the family was often in debt. He was educated at Harrow and Winchester, where he was bullied and unhappy. At nineteen, he joined the General Post Office, beginning a thirty-three-year career in the civil service during which he was instrumental in introducing the pillar box to Britain. Trollope began writing in his spare time, rising early each morning to produce a set number of words before going to work. The Warden (1855) launched the Barsetshire series — six novels set in the fictional county of Barsetshire and its cathedral city, exploring the lives, loves, rivalries, and moral dilemmas of the clergy and gentry. Barchester Towers, Doctor Thorne, Framley Parsonage, The Small House at Allington, and The Last Chronicle of Barset completed the series. The Palliser novels — six books beginning with Can You Forgive Her? and concluding with The Duke's Children — explored the world of Victorian politics and high society through the lives of Plantagenet Palliser and his wife Lady Glencora. The Way We Live Now (1875) is often considered his masterpiece — a biting satire of financial corruption and social hypocrisy. Trollope died in 1882, leaving behind forty-seven novels and numerous short stories, travel books, and an autobiography. The audiobook editions of Trollope's novels are superlative — his witty, companionable narrative voice is perfectly suited to being read aloud. His books and audiobooks are essential for anyone who loves fiction that is wise, warm, funny, and deeply humane. Read more Show less