The Last Chronicle of Barset

What It's About

The sixth and final novel in the Chronicles of Barsetshire, this book centres on the Reverend Josiah Crawley, a proud, poverty-stricken curate accused of stealing a cheque for twenty pounds. As the accusation spreads through the county, it draws in the Grantly, Arabin, and Dale families and forces a reckoning between pride, poverty, and the rigid social codes of the English clergy and gentry. Alongside the scandal, the novel also brings a long-running thread from earlier books in the series, the on-again courtship of Lily Dale, to its conclusion.

Key Concepts

Pride and its cost, both to Crawley and to those around him, sits at the centre of the book, alongside the precarious position of underpaid clergy within a class-conscious society. Trollope also examines how reputation and rumour operate in a small community, and how personal honour can collide with practical justice.

About the Author

Anthony Trollope (1815-1882) was an English novelist of the Victorian era who spent much of his career as a civil servant with the Post Office, reportedly writing for several hours each morning before starting his day job. He was known for his disciplined, businesslike approach to writing and for his sharp, sympathetic observation of English social and clerical life.