Scan barcode
A review by jameskeates
The Warden by Anthony Trollope
4.0
A short novel about potential abuses of charitable funding in a church-run Victorian almshouse doesn’t sound that exciting but I enjoyed this! The ironic tone as Trollope lampoons the press, church and reformers actually had me chuckling, and humour doesn’t always translate well over time.
Some bits remind me of a lighter Dickens (who Trollope caricatures in the book so probably wouldn’t appreciate the comparison) with silly names like Sir Abraham Haphazard and the timid warden bullied into acting in his own interest could pop up as light relief to a depressing Dickensian lead (nothing wrong with a depressing book but this wasn’t it). But surprisingly enjoyable in its own right and I look forward to trying the rest of the series.
Some bits remind me of a lighter Dickens (who Trollope caricatures in the book so probably wouldn’t appreciate the comparison) with silly names like Sir Abraham Haphazard and the timid warden bullied into acting in his own interest could pop up as light relief to a depressing Dickensian lead (nothing wrong with a depressing book but this wasn’t it). But surprisingly enjoyable in its own right and I look forward to trying the rest of the series.