The Warden introduces us to the lives of some of the most beloved characters in all literature. Septimus Harding, the warden of the title, is a kindly and naive clergyman who finds himself caught between the forces of entrenched tradition and radical reform amid the burgeoning materialism of Britain in the 1850s. The deeply insightful portrayals of figures such as the booming Archdeacon Grantly and the beautiful Eleanor Bold at the heart of this moving and deliciously comical tale launched the enduringly popular Barsetshire Chronicles series of six novels, and won Anthony Trollope an eternal seat in the pantheon of great literary figures.