Thefirst 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.

Comments:

"Prepared with meticulous scholarship, and with a deep sympathy for Trollope himself, this edition has everything the student or the general reader could require. I recommend it unreservedly." - T.T. Bareham, editor of The Barsetshire Novels: A Casebook and Anthony Trollope

Geoffrey Harvey is a Senior Lecturer in English at The University of Reading. He is the author of a number of books on British literature, including The Art of Anthony Trollope.

Academics please note that this is a title classified as having a restricted allocation of complimentary copies. While the availability of bound complimentary copies is restricted to desk copies only, electronic complimentary copies are readily available for those professors wishing to consider this title for possible course adoption. Should you choose to adopt the book after viewing an electronic copy we will be happy to provide a bound desk copy.

Table of Contents: [Back to Top]

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Anthony Trollope: A Brief Chronology

A Note on the Text

The Warden

Appendix A: Trollope’s Revisions in the 1878 edition of The Warden

Appendix B: Trollope’s Comments on the Genesis of The Warden

Appendix C: Sources of Parody: Thomas Carlyle and Charles Dickens

Appendix D: The Major Scandals alluded to in The Warden

Appendix E: The St. Ervan’s Case

Appendix F: Leading Article in The Times on the St. Ervan’s Case

Appendix G: Contemporary Reviews of The Warden

1. Examiner, 6 January 1855
2. Spectator, 6 January 1855
3. Athenaeum, 27 January 1855
4. Leader, 17 February 1855
5. Eclectic Review, March 1855

Appendix H: Trollope on Clergymen of the Church of England

Appendix I: Contemporary Views on The Times and the Press