The Warden, by Anthony Trollope, 1855

‘The Warden’ tells the story of a chapter in the life of Mr Septimus Harding, warden of Hiram’s Hospital and precentor of Barchester cathedral. (Readers requiring an explanation of the term ‘precentor’ may already be getting the impression that they are not the target audience for this novel). An introduction of this kind would normally refer to the “adventures of Mr Septimus..” etc but readers of Trollope will expect no such thing. Adventure, indeed incident, is devoid from this novel. Trollope almost seems to disdain the need for such things. Portraits, conversations, lectures – these are the principal building blocks of ‘The Warden’.