The Warden

The first of Trollope’s Barsetshire novels, __The Warden__ concerns the moral dilemma of the Reverend Septimus Harding, who finds himself at the centre of a bitter conflict between defenders of Church privilege and the reforming impulses of the mid-Victorian period. Appointed warden of an almshouse, he is given a comfortable salary from its founder’s will to oversee the institution and the small weekly incomes given to the men who live there. Mr. Harding’s disproportionate salary, however, becomes a source of concern for a local reformer who denounces the allocation of funds as a Church abuse. Interweaving the complexities of the Victorian world, the novel draws on ecclesiastical scandals, criticizes the power of the press, satirizes the law, and examines the growing influence of London on provincial life. Based on the most authoritative text published during Trollope’s life, that of 1878, the Broadview edition also includes appendices with material relating to the novel’s genesis, Trollope’s revisions, the sources of his literary parody, the historical background to the novel’s topical references, its reception by contemporary critics, and Trollope’s views on the Church of England. "The first of Trollope's Barsetshire novels, The Warden concerns the moral dilemma of the Reverend Septimus Harding, who finds himself at the centre of a bitter conflict between defenders of Church privilege and the reforming impulses of the mid-Victorian period. Appointed warden of an almshouse, he is given a comfortable salary from its founder's will to oversee the institution and the small weekly incomes given to the men who live there. Mr. Harding's disproportionate salary, however, becomes a source of concern for a local reformer who denounces the allocation of funds as a Church abuse." "Interweaving the complexities of the Victorian world, the novel draws on ecclesiastical scandals, criticizes the power of the press, satirizes the law, and examines the growing influence of London on provincial life. Based on the most authoritative text published during Trollope's life, that of 1878, the Broadview edition also includes appendices with material relating to the novel's genesis, Trollope's revisions, the sources of his literary parody, the historical background to the novel's topical references, its reception by contemporary critics, and Trollope's views on the Church of England."--BOOK JACKET *The Chronicles of Barsetshire*, Book 1: *The Warden* The tranquil atmosphere of the cathedral town of Barchester is shattered when a scandal breaks concerning the financial affairs of a Church-run almshouse for elderly men. In the ensuing furore, Septimus Harding, the almshouse's well-meaning warden, finds himself pitted against his daughter's suitor Dr John Bold, a zealous local reformer. Matters are not improved when Harding's abrasive son-in law, Archdeacon Grantly, leaps into the fray to defend him against a campaign Bold begins in the national press. An affectionate and wittily satirical view of the workings of the Church of England, The Warden, the first of the Barchester Chronicles, is also a subtle exploration of the rights and wrongs of moral crusades and, in its account of Harding's intensely felt personal drama, a moving depiction of the private impact of public affairs. Mr. Harding, a clergyman of great personal integrity who is nevertheless in possession of an income from a charity far in excess of the sum devoted to the purposes of the foundation. On discovering this, young John Bold turns his reforming zeal to exposing what he regards as an abuse of privilege, despite the fact that he is in love with Mr. Harding's daughter Eleanor.

when An Honest Clergyman Finds Himself Charged With Financial Impropriety By A Fleet Street Tabloid, Scandal, Pathos, And Humor Result. Features An Amusing Narrative And Cast, Realistic Dialogue, And A Lively Plot.