Barchester Towers

Summary

In the fictional cathedral town of Barchester, the arrival of a new bishop and his domineering wife sets off a comic power struggle among clergymen competing for influence and position. Trollope populates the contest with the scheming chaplain Mr. Slope and the formidable Mrs. Proudie, mining gentle satire from ambition dressed up as piety. The novel's warmth toward its flawed characters helped define Trollope's reputation as a keen observer of English institutional life.