The Last Chronicle of Barset - Book 38

This book is so good!  This is the sixth and final novel in the Chronicles of Barchester series by Anthony Trollope.  The novels weave a colorful, rich tapestry about the lives of many of the inhabitants of Barsetshire and their many loves, heartaches, escapades, trials and triumphs.   This last book in the series ties everything up bringing in characters from every one of the other novels.

There were so many themes and story lines going on, I started cataloging them.

Marriages:
Bishop and Mrs. Proudie
Archdeacon Grantly and Susan Grantly
Rev. Josiah Crawley and Mrs. Crawley
Dobbs Broughton and Maria (Clutterbuck) Broughton

Mrs. Proudie is a virago and domineers her husband in a terrible way that leads to ruin.  Both Mrs. Grantly and Mrs. Crawley know how to deal with their eccentric, prickly husbands who are both deeply flawed and yet lovable.  Both women are wise and honest.  They know when to speak and when to remain silent.  Their loyalty is unwavering.  Mrs. Broughton is a shallow thing who married for money it turns out her husband didn't have.  She has no control or even a real relationship with her husband, two utterly vapid and selfish people. 

Courtships:
Johnny Eames and Lily Dale
Major Grantly and Grace Crawley
Johnny Eames and Madalina Demolines
Conway Dalrymple and Clara Van Siever

Grace Crawley is the lovely eldest daughter of Rev. Josiah Crawley and his wife.  Rev. Crawley being a great scholar, had educated her highly (homeschooling!).  She takes the best from both her parents' characters.  Major Grantly has a lot of hurdles put in his way just has he has fallen in love with Grace and plans to ask her to marry him.  The difficulties make him even more determined to marry her.  Conway Dalrymple and Clara Van Siever are a rather funny side story kind of thrown into the novel for good measure.  Poor Johnny Eames still loves Lily Dale and he longs to marry her and is always crushed when she rejects him, but he manages to stave off boredom of London living by carrying on flirtations that almost but don't quite get him into desperate scrapes.  So he is faithful in his way but it is a weakness in his character.  But he's a good foil to Adolphus Crosbie who loses his flirting game and will suffer all his life for his poor judgment. 

Other relationships:
Archdeacon Grantly and Major Grantly - there is conflict between the father and son.  Archdeacon Grantly doesn't want his son to marry the daughter of a poor curate who has been accused of stealing.  But Major Grantly is determined to marry Grace.

Mr. Harding and his daughters and granddaughter, Posy - Dear, dear Mr. Harding is here in the novel largely in the background but he is as loving and simple as ever.

Dr. Arabin and Mr. Crawley - the friendship between Arabin and Crawley is a complicated one, mostly because Crawley hates that Arabin is rich and he isn't.  He was competetive with Arabin when they were at school together and he was the better scholar but now Arabin has money and Crawley must beg him for money. 

Mr. Robarts and Mr. Crawley - Poor Mr. Robarts, he has the best of hearts but he can never best Crawley in an argument.  Yet, he sees what is good in the man and genuinely pities him.

Ironically named hero:
Dr. Tempest - the most even-handed, fair, steady, good but exacting character!

Delightful new hero:
Mr. Thomas Toogood - a lawyer who is hero!!!  Another Atticus Finch!  Well not quite.  But Mr. Toogood finds out that his wife's distant cousin, Mr. Crawley is trouble with the law and resolves to help the man out, no matter the sacrifices he must make.  He is the cleverest for he is the first to realize what probably happened and he pursues the line of inquiry until he's tied up the case. 

Most tragic figure:
Dr. Proudie - poor thing, such a weak man who has been browbeaten and domineered over by his ruthless and manipulative wife.  But still, she's a more complex figure at the end of the story.  Her flaws were great and for all her ambition, she is a failure.

Adolphus Crosbie runs a close second.  His stupid marriage has ruined him.  Good!

Weird thing that kept bothering me:

 Why does Trollope never mention people like Mr. Harding and Eleanor and Susan's mother?  Same with the Archdeacon, he only remembers his father and not his mother.  She's never even thought of.

Major Grantly just lost his brand new wife in childbirth.  Now it's 3 years later and he's head over heels in love with Grace Crawley.  No one ever, ever speaks of his first wife!

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The Last Chronicle of Barset was an excellent ending to a wonderful series.

I absolutely loved reading the Chronicles of Barchester and I highly recommend them.  For more book reviews, go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.