Anthony Trollope's Barchester Towers satirizes Victorian ambition and moral bankruptcy as he examines the antics of characters within the Barchester Diocese caught in a storm of religious controversy, political and social power struggles, and romantic and sexual entanglements.

The Bishop of Barchester is on his deathbed. His son is widely expected to be appointed to his father's position, but a Dr. Proudie from London has been appointed instead. Proudie is under the influence of his chaplain, the slimy and calculating Obadiah Slope. Slope and Mrs. Proudie engage in a battle for control of the diocese as the hapless and helpless bishop looks on.

ANTHONY TROLLOPE (1815-1882) was a British novelist and journalist, one of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era. He wrote insightful novels on political, social, and gender issues, and on other topical matters. Among his masterworks are the Palliser novels, The Warden, Barchester Towers, and The Way We Live Now.