Barchester Towers

In the early weeks of Covid, when we were stuck at home, my husband and I read Trollope’s “Barchester Towers” out loud.

We recently finished “Barchester Towers,” with its epic performance by Alan Rickman as the odious Mr Slope.

Today, the bestselling mystery novelist Alexander McCall Smith writes choral lyrics about his city, Edinburgh, Scotland, watches “Barchester Towers,” listens to Gregorian chants and reads an abbot’s timely advice on “monastic steps for everday life.”

Despite the urban setting, this is a village novel, like Emma or Barchester Towers, an ensemble piece about the way a small community of flawed characters who think they know each other all too well cope with newcomers and their own capacity for change.

Also, don’t miss your complimentary audiobook of Barchester Towers, a special gift from Audible.