The Warden by Anthony Trollope

 I am reading non-fiction about a person bent on power (The Power Broker by Caro) and a depressing collection of fictional stories by a depressed woman (The Complete Stories by Clarice Lispector). So, I had to have some relief fiction with a good and moral protagonist. Enter The Warden. I have watched quite a few Trollope books that have come to life on the small screen (Dr. Thorne, He Knew He was Right, The Way We Live Now, The Pallisers), but I had never read him. 

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

Septimus Harding (the Warden) is a moral protagonist. What a relief and pleasant break.

I listened to Version 2 on Librivox, and I loved her enthusiasm, but she tended to make me giggle as she mispronounced many words. I can relate. I read many books not knowing how to pronounce certain words. When I would discuss them with my husband, he would giggle at my mispronunciation. 

So, the picture above is from the Nick Whitley Librivox version. He pronounces the words correctly. Plus it is always so great to hear a Brit read Brit Lit with such dramatic flair! (He does it more slowly than Version 2 though.) 

Here are some quotes I lifted from IMDB rather than the book because they are just so good:

Quotes 

• Rev. Septimus Harding : I am safe because the church has more money than the reformers. And because of a fine legal quibble, I'm safe.

  Archdeacon Grantly : Yes.

  Rev. Septimus Harding : Does Sir Abraham say anything about the morality of the situation?

  Archdeacon Grantly : Certainly not! The legal profession does not concern itself with morality.

  Bishop Grantly : Our department, is it not?

  Rev. Septimus Harding : Forgive me, Bishop, Archdeacan: if the world considers me to be a thief, it is of small comfort to know that a "fine legal quibble" says that I am not! Excuse me.

  [exits] 

  Archdeacon Grantly : My father in law can be a very difficult person.

  Bishop Grantly : He has persistent bouts of Christianity.

• Rev. Septimus Harding : If there is no music, there is no mystery. If there is no mystery, there is no God. If there is no mystery, there is no faith. Have I lived for sixty years on a misunderstanding?

• Archdeacon Grantly : Now for heaven's sake, don't let's have a division in the ranks, unless you wish to be ruined quietly.

  Rev. Septimus Harding : If I am to be ruined, I'd much rather be ruined quietly.

• Rev. Septimus Harding : It seems to be a very fine legal quibble.

  Archdeacon Grantly : Sir Abraham specializes in fine legal quibbles.

• Sir Abraham Haphazard : Give up this idea, Mr. Harding. A man is never the best judge of his own position.

  Rev. Septimus Harding : A man is the best judge of his own feelings. I would rather beg than see those words written about me in the Jupiter, and know that the man who wrote those words has truth on his side. My God knows whether I love my daughter, but I would rather that she and I begged in the streets, than that she should live in comfort on money which is rightly the property of the poor! I'm sorry. And now you should know that from tomorrow, I shall no longer be Warden of Hiram's Hospital.

  Sir Abraham Haphazard : You should sleep on this, Mr. Harding. Make no hasty decisions.

  Rev. Septimus Harding : I have slept on it. I have done more than sleep upon it, I have lain awake on it, and that night after night. I found I could not sleep upon it. But now - now that I have made my decision, I think I shall sleep again. I shall sleep tonight.

• Susan Grantly : What are you going to live on?

  Rev. Septimus Harding : God that feedeth the young ravens will take care of me also.

  Archdeacon Grantly : Pish! If the ravens persisted in refusing the food prepared for them, they wouldn't be fed.

• Bishop Grantly : We need you in the town.

  Rev. Septimus Harding : Do you really think so?

  Bishop Grantly : Yes, to talk to, to take wine with.

  Rev. Septimus Harding : And to poke the fire.

  [walks over to the fireplace] 

  Bishop Grantly : If you would be so kind. You know, when anybody else does that, the room fills with smoke. I think it is because you are a pure man adrift among sinners. Sinners are so much easier to cope with.

• Eleanor Bold : It seems a remarkable coincidence that you should return minutes after Mr. Slope's departure.

  Rev. Septimus Harding : Not at all a coincidence, my dear. I walked up and down at a safe distance until I was quite sure he had gone.

  Eleanor Bold : It is an awful lot of trouble to go to, father.

  Rev. Septimus Harding : I would do the same for Mr. Slope anytime.

• Rev. Septimus Harding : I have listened to the word of Obadiah Slope. More important, I have listened to the music of his soul, and I found the melody somewhat tasteless.

  Mary Bold : But you must consider the possibility that you misunderstand him.

  Rev. Septimus Harding : Yes. And you must consider the possibility that I understand him TOTALLY! And that is why I prefer to wait upon the bishop and his decision - which, I suppose, means Mrs. Proudie's decision.