Book excerpt: The Chronicles of Barsetshire (or Barchester Chronicles) is a series of six novels by the English author Anthony Trollope, set in the fictitious English county of Barsetshire (located roughly in the West Country) and its cathedral town of Barchester. The novels concern the dealings of the clergy and the gentry, and the political, amatory, and social manœuvrings that go on among and between them. Together, the series is regarded by many as Trollope's finest work. The Palliser novels are six novels, also known as the "Parliamentary Novels", by Anthony Trollope. The common thread is the wealthy aristocrat and politician Plantagenet Palliser and his wife Lady Glencora. The plots involve British and Irish politics in varying degrees, specifically in and around Parliament. Table of Contents: Anthony Trollope: An Autobiography The Chronicles of Barsetshire: The Warden The Barchester Towers Doctor Thorne Framley Parsonage The Small House at Allington The Last Chronicle of Barset The Palliser Novels: Can You Forgive Her? Phineas Finn The Eustace Diamonds Phineas Redux The Prime Minister The Duke's Children Anthony Trollope (1815–1882) was one of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era. Some of his best-loved works, collectively known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, revolve around the imaginary county of Barsetshire. He also wrote perceptive novels on political, social, and gender issues, and on other topical matters. Trollope's literary reputation dipped somewhat during the last years of his life, but he regained the esteem of critics by the mid-twentieth century.