A review by bethr
The Warden by Anthony Trollope

emotional funny informative reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This is a Victorian novel with a bit of social satire. The reader, the late actor Timothy West, helps convey this satire, along with the author’s Dickensian tendency to name characters according to their qualities (e.g., John Bold, Rev. Quiverfull who has 12 children), but there’s also an appearance of a parody Dickens-type novel titled “The Almhouse,” by an author called “Mr. Popular Sentiment.” The action is mostly conversational and emotional, though there’s a great episode of an evening party described as an extended metaphorical battle, that’s subtly hilarious. To some extent, the more you know about Victorian society and literature, the more you’ll enjoy this novel. But if you’re patient with it, the characters will get to you in the end.