![]() First edition | |
Author | Ronald Knox |
---|---|
Country | England |
Language | English |
Genre | Fiction |
Publisher | Sheed and Ward |
Publication date | 1935 |
Media type | Hardcover |
Pages | 278 |
Barchester Pilgrimage is a 1935 novel by Ronald Knox, published in London by Sheed and Ward, in which Knox picks up the narrative of the original Chronicles of Barsetshire where Anthony Trollope breaks off. Knox follows the fortunes of the children and grandchildren of Trollope's characters up to the time of writing (1934), with some gentle satire on the social, political and religious changes of the 20th century. [1] The novel was reprinted in 1990 by the Trollope Society.
Knox narrates the plot through the eyes of Mr. Bunce. The novel begins with an introduction to some characters including Johnny Bold, Dean Arabin, Eleanor Arabin, Archdeacon Grantley and many more. Johnny Bold is placed as the protagonist, who becomes an atheist in a town where atheism is rare. This atheism is then reflected in Bold's progression into becoming a doctor, shadowing a certain Dr. Fillgrave. Meanwhile, Augusta Oriel, a conscientious and religious woman is introduced who seemingly falls ill and is then treated by Johnny Bold. Johnny then falls in love with Augusta, but is rejected by her upon confession of his love due to differing religious beliefs. He is then followed to France by Knox, where he meets Signora Vesey Neroni. Signora and Johnny are introduced to each other, and Johnny is later compelled to confess his love for her. Before Signora can respond, Johnny is called to serve an injured individual.
Knox begins the second chapter with an introduction to two brothers, Marmaduke and Francis Thorne. Marmaduke grows eager to take upon a clerical role in one of his family owned properties, "Chaldicotes". He discusses the prospects for this with Bishop Grantley who suggests him to take on such roles in smaller, country regions first in order to gain experience. Marmaduke then meets Miss Van Skulpit, who is later invited to a gathering by Francis at Chaldicotes. Meanwhile, Marmaduke's efforts are rejected by Bishop Grantley, sparking him to see Father Shoehorn. Marmaduke tells Father Shoehorn about his rejection from Grantley in such a way that it seems that it was Marmaduke who rejected Bishop Grantley's offer, causing Father Shoehorn to offer Marmaduke theological education for his pursuits. However, Marmaduke eventually weds Miss Van Skulpit and leaves for America, with no mention of his previous clerical ambitions again.
The plot then shifts to the Gresham family at the start of the third chapter, most importantly, Major Gresham. Major Gresham is an elected member of the parliament. He seems to grow fond of Miss Lookaloft, to which objection is raised by Countess de Courcy, an advisor of the Greshams. This is because Miss Lookaloft founded a Conservative party in Barsetshire, whereas the Countess is part of the Liberal party. This objection yields nothing, as Major Gresham eventually gets engaged to Miss Lookaloft in private. Meanwhile, Major Gresham hosts a gathering of politicians for political reform where he is informed of his opposition resigning from their political duties, leaving Major Gresham as the new leader of the nation. However, following a motor accident in which Miss Lookaloft suffers from concussion, Major Gresham loses his seat in Parliament through election. He is then informed of Miss Lookaloft leaving the hospital upon recovery for travels of the sea as her medicine, realising that she only courted him for his political power. This is then confirmed by Major Gresham receiving an invitation to the wedding of Miss Lookaloft to her personal escort at sea, Lord Porlock.
The fourth chapter leads with the ancestry of a new character, Theophylact Crawley-Grantley. Theophylact is the grandson of Archdeacon Grantley and Mr. Crawley. He takes upon a role in the clergy of Barchester, however, delivers his first sermon in the Cathedral in an unorthodox manner. This sermon is twisted and turned by the media and the gossip of the people, creating controversy around Theophylact, which he takes as a positive sign of newfound religious engagement within the people of Barchester. Theophylact eventually marries Mrs. Friedenzeit, who regardless of the controversy, applauds Theophylact for his courage in expressing himself and potentially bringing about change. He then proceeds to garner greater public notability by proposing the abolishment of the Tithe, and becomes the leading choice for the next Bishop of Silverbridge. This is stalled by the onset of the War on Barchester, and the consequences of the War eventually lead to Theophylact being forced out of his position.
The pilgrimage to Barchester takes place in chapter five. Reverend Charles Awmbry and Dean Allcombe are introduced. Mr. Awmbry reminds Dean Allcombe that the present year, 1925, is the one-thousandth death anniversary of St. Ewold, the actual date in near sight. The church of St. Ewold lied close to the middle of Barchester, causing Mr. Awmbry to suggest a large, religious procession in Barchester to honour this specific event. The procession took place, gathering crowds from all over the nation, and was deemed a success by the people. The people of Barchester itself, however, were indifferent to the processions as it was no more than a regular Catholic procession to them. The pilgrimage aided the economics of Barchester, but became increasingly unpopular and no more a point of interest for the people of Barsetshire as the time went on. Simultaneously, Lord Dumbello and Miss Lufton are introduced. They are entangled romantically with one another, and eventually get engaged to each other. Upon informing his mother of the engagement, Lord Dumbello realises that due to his lack of devotion to any religious cause since a young age, there could potentially be an issue in marrying Miss Lufton. Miss Lufton had no issue with this, being a devoted Catholic herself. However, their families, the clergymen of Barchester, and some other people objected to this. This created issues in the lead up to the marriage, eventually causing the engagement to be broken off.
In the final chapter, Knox introduces Mr. Septimus Arabin who initially denies a role in the clergy only to return as the Warden of Hiram's Hospital. He oversees the conduction of yet another centenary celebration, albeit in a limited manner, this time the five-hundredth death anniversary of John Hiram. The celebrations would occur at Hiram's Hospital, prior to which Mr. Arabin became a married man out of the blue. This happened to discontent the people of Barchester, as the culture of the town despised "the suddenness of it all, and perhaps too, the secrecy". Simultaneously, Mr. Arabin was subject to great praise in the 'Jupiter' newspaper for being a well-suited Warden at the Hospital.
Later, a discovery is made by Dean Allcombe that Mr. Arabin's wife is a woman who has separated from her spouse due to mistreatment. This is looked down upon by the Dean, however, Mr. Easyman argues that as long as Mr. Arabin's teachings at the Hospital comply with the Church, it is up to the committee of the Hospital themselves to decide whether or not Mr. Arabin's personal life has much of an impact on his career. However, Mr. Septimus Arabin resigns himself prior to any of the gossip being spread, as he sees no future in his teachings and feels that his position is not fitted for the way the times and people are changing. Mr. Easyman tries to argue him into reversing on his decision, but this is of no yield in the end.
Ronald Knox (1888-1957) was an English priest, writer and the author of Barchester Pilgrimage. He was birthed in Kibworth, Leicestershire and attained his education at Eton and Oxford. He was born into a clerical family, and later became a Catholic converted from an Anglican. [2] Knox was known for his translation of the Bible which he completed in 1949. [3] Knox’ works spanned over multiple genres, including “parodies, apologetics, criticism, light verse, and memoirs”, along with being a “scholar and author of detective fiction”. [4] Through Barchester Pilgrimage, he authored the sequel to Trollope’s world of Barsetshire. Knox also created a map of the world of Barsetshire in his novel, which was based on his interpretation of Trollope's description of the setting in his original novels. This map of Barsetshire was part of Knox’ novel. [5]
According to scholarly interpretations, Knox was “obsessed with Trollope’s ecclesiastical novel cycle, The Chronicles of Barsetshire”. [4] Along with this, Knox explored the world of ‘Trollopeana’ throughout his literary career, and eventually adapted the works of Trollope into his own writings, leading to the publishing of Barchester Pilgrimage. [4] The novel served as a sequel to Trollope’s Barsetshire. He continued the story that Trollope left in 1867 by picking up the narrative with one of Trollope’s characters, Johnny Bold. He placed the beginning of this sequel-novel in 1877, a year following the point at which Trollope left the story. He slowly merges the narrative into his own by depicting the passage of multiple generations, leading to a 1934 setting, in the heart of Knox’ Barchester Pilgrimage. [5]
The style of the novel has been extrapolated to be a result of Knox’ admiration of Trollope’s Barsetshire. Knox used a “respectfully imitative prose style” to that of Trollope’s in his original writings, interpreted to be allowing him to continue the story in an authentic manner. [6] It has further been discussed that such allusive writing allowed Knox to write Barchester Pilgrimage in a manner that was “recognisably Trollopean”. [6] This is exaggerated by Knox consistently referring to Trollope as "my author" in Barchester Pilgrimage. [5]
The novel itself was around 300 pages long, contrary to Trollope’s lengthy novels such as The Warden, which spanned around 500 to 800 pages. This distinction has been suggested to be because Knox’ work was not to create the setting. Knox was hence able to maintain the “leisurely” nature of Trollope’s Barsetshire, due to a lack of excessive and detailed descriptions of the settings and the characters. [5]
Furthermore, some interpretations suggest that Knox did add a personal aspect to the novel, as it is not entirely written in a Trollopean manner. Trollope made use of “epistolary chapters” in order to explicitly display character, which was a trait that Knox did not employ in Barchester Pilgrimage. [5] On the contrary, a style aspect of Trollope’s that Knox “embraced with glee” was the employment of “stylised names” to name his characters, which is demonstrated through characters such as “Drs. Killgerm and Motherwell”. [5] Another key aspect of the novel was the use of satire, which Knox had previously demonstrated in his texts such as 'Enthusiasm' and 'Absolute and Abitofhell'. [7] Knox is said to have maintained this satirical nature in the Barsetshire-based series. He follows Trollope’s lead yet again in executing a Horatian style of satire, rather than the general Swiftian style. [5]
The novel was subject to criticism as well. It has been critically discussed that Knox was unable to "grasp Trollope's general attitude - dual and paradoxical". [8] Another criticism that the novel received was the fact that Knox, especially in the first chapter, fails to depict the inevitability of Johnny Bold being rejected. This is argued to subdue the original style of Trollope, as the dilemma which Miss Augusta Oriel faced would have been a "first-class catastrophe" in the eyes of Trollope. [8] In addition, the same critics argue that the character of Arthur Gresham is perfectly designed to mirror the style of Trollope. Another personal element that Knox consistently reiterates is the manner in which the Roman Catholics win almost every encounter in the novel, something that is argued to be inauthentic to even a fair man like Trollope. [8]
The first publication of the novel was in 1935, a 278 page hardcover copy. [9] The availability of Knox’ works has become scarce as time has passed, and can “only be purchased at a shop that specialises in rosaries and missals”. Furthermore, one must search for the original Sheed and Ward publications in order to acquire one of Knox’s works as they were initially published. [6]
Barchester Pilgrimage itself was significant in Knox’ career, as it allowed for his transition into the field of writing sequel-novels. Along with the other texts, Knox established this particular venture of his literary career. Barchester Pilgrimage further enhanced Trollope’s originals works, as Knox broke down the Trollopean views of England, something that had become a literary trait of Knox’ due to his translation of the Bible previously. [5] The text also gave literary scholars an opportunity to study Knox' fictional works in conjunction with his personal context. [10]
Anthony Trollope was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels collectively known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, which revolves around the imaginary county of Barsetshire. He also wrote novels on political, social, and gender issues, and other topical matters.
Barchester Towers is a novel by English author Anthony Trollope published by Longmans in 1857. It is the second book in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series, preceded by The Warden and followed by Doctor Thorne. Among other things it satirises the antipathy in the Church of England between High Church and Evangelical adherents. Trollope began writing this book in 1855. He wrote constantly and made himself a writing-desk so he could continue writing while travelling by train. "Pray know that when a man begins writing a book he never gives over", he wrote in a letter during this period. "The evil with which he is beset is as inveterate as drinking – as exciting as gambling".
Ronald Arbuthnott Knox was an English Catholic priest, theologian, author, and radio broadcaster. Educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, where he earned a high reputation as a classicist, Knox was ordained as a priest of the Church of England in 1912. He was a fellow and chaplain of Trinity College, Oxford until he resigned from those positions following his conversion to Catholicism in 1917. Knox became a Catholic priest in 1918, continuing in that capacity his scholarly and literary work.
Framley Parsonage is a novel by English author Anthony Trollope. It was first published in serial form in the Cornhill Magazine in 1860, then in book form in April 1861. It is the fourth book in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series, preceded by Doctor Thorne and followed by The Small House at Allington.
Barsetshire is a fictional English county created by Anthony Trollope in the series of novels known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire (1855-1867). The county town and cathedral city is Barchester. Other towns named in the novels include Silverbridge, Hogglestock and Greshamsbury.
The Chronicles of Barsetshire is a series of six novels by English author Anthony Trollope, published between 1855 and 1867. They are set in the fictional English county of Barsetshire and its cathedral town of Barchester. The novels concern the dealings of the clergy and the gentry, and the political, amatory, and social manoeuvrings among them.
The Last Chronicle of Barset is a novel by English author Anthony Trollope, published in 1867. It is the sixth and final book in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series, preceded by The Small House at Allington. The novel is set in the fictional county of Barsetshire and deploys characters from the earlier novels, whilst concentrating on the personnel associated with the cathedral. The main narrative thread is catalysed by the loss of a cheque which had been in the possession of the Reverend Josiah Crawley, and the subsequent reactions of his friends and enemies. Trollope drew inspiration from his father and mother in the creation of the Rev. and Mrs. Crawley. In his autobiography, Trollope regarded this novel as "the best novel I have written.", although later commentators do not agree with this judgement. The serialisation was illustrated by G H Thomas who was selected by the publisher, though Trollope had wished for Millais who had illustrated The Small House at Allington.
The Barchester Chronicles is a 1982 British television serial produced by Jonathan Powell for the BBC. It is an adaptation by Alan Plater of Anthony Trollope's first two Chronicles of Barsetshire, The Warden (1855) and Barchester Towers (1857). The series was directed by David Giles. Location work was videotaped in and around Peterborough Cathedral, using locations such as the Deanery and Laurel Court.
Doctor Thorne is the third novel written by Anthony Trollope in his Chronicles of Barsetshire series, between Barchester Towers and Framley Parsonage. It was published by Chapman and Hall in London in 1858. The idea of the plot was suggested to Trollope by his brother Thomas. Though set in Barsetshire, Barchester and its residents take little part in the proceedings. The novel is mainly concerned with money and position.
The Warden is a novel by English author Anthony Trollope published by Longman in 1855. It is the first book in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series, followed by Barchester Towers.
The Palliser novels are six novels written in series by Anthony Trollope. They were more commonly known as the Parliamentary novels prior to their 1974 television dramatisation by the BBC broadcast as The Pallisers. Marketed as "polite literature" during their initial publication, the novels encompass several literary genres including: family saga, bildungsroman, picaresque, as well as satire and parody of Victorian life, and criticism of the British government's predilection for attracting corrupt and corruptible people to power.
Angela Margaret Thirkell was an English and Australian novelist. She also published one novel, Trooper to Southern Cross, under the pseudonym Leslie Parker.
He Knew He Was Right is an 1869 novel written by Anthony Trollope which describes the failure of a marriage caused by the unreasonable jealousy of a husband exacerbated by the stubbornness of a willful wife. As is common with Trollope's works, there are also several substantial subplots. Trollope makes constant allusions to Shakespeare's Othello throughout the novel. Trollope considered this work to be a failure; he viewed the main character as unsympathetic, and the secondary characters and plots as much more lively and interesting, but it is one of his best known novels. It was adapted for BBC One in 2004 by Andrew Davies.
The American Senator is a novel written in 1877 by Anthony Trollope. Although not one of Trollope's better-known works, it is notable for its depictions of rural English life and for its many detailed fox hunting scenes. In its anti-heroine, Arabella Trefoil, it presents a scathing but ultimately sympathetic portrayal of a woman who has abandoned virtually all scruples in her quest for a husband. Through the eponymous Senator, Trollope offers comments on the irrational aspects of English life.
The Claverings is a novel by Anthony Trollope, written in 1864 and published in 1866–67. It is the story of a young man starting out in life, who must find himself a profession and a wife; and of a young woman who makes a marriage of convenience and must accept the consequences of her decision.
Rachel Ray is an 1863 novel by Anthony Trollope. It recounts the story of a young woman who is forced to give up her fiancé because of baseless suspicions directed toward him by the members of her community, including her sister and the pastors of the two churches attended by her sister and mother.
The Vicar of Bullhampton is an 1870 novel by Anthony Trollope. It is made up of three intertwining subplots: the courtship of a young woman by two suitors; a feud between the titular Broad church vicar and a Low church nobleman, abetted by a Methodist minister; and the vicar's attempt to rehabilitate a young woman who has gone astray.
The Three Clerks (1857) is a novel by Anthony Trollope, set in the lower reaches of the Civil Service. It draws on Trollope's own experiences as a junior clerk in the General Post Office, and has been called the most autobiographical of Trollope's novels. In 1883 Trollope gave it as his opinion that The Three Clerks was a better novel than any of his earlier ones, which included The Warden and Barchester Towers.
Arabin is a family name originating in Provence in the south of France, as d'Arabin or D’Arabien.
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