I loathed Trollope as a child, I think I was introduced to him far too early. My son, knowing my love of Alan Rickman, purchased this DVD set for me. I later paid him back(that is another story!). I watched it over two days with my husband(a bit of a non-literary person), and I cannot comment on the faithful adaptation. I can only say we enjoyed it so much, we identified with the corporate Church of England, we gasped,we chuckled, we laughed aloud. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Simply cannot recommend it enough. A triumph. And dear, talented Alan Rickman. He was amongst the greats - Donald Pleasence, Nigel Hawthorn, Gereladine McKeown, and more than made his own. Superb, beastly little creep! (Slope, not Rickman!!) Why was he not snapped up then and there for future glory? He had to wait for "Die Hard"? For shame! I count this as one of the best DVD's I have ever purchased, I will watch it again and again - and, yes, I will be revisiting the books! Even if you do not know Trollope, even if you do not know the machinations of the C of E, this is a must-have for a superb piece of a by-gone age. In more senses than one!
Review of The Barchester Chronicles
