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  • The Small House At Allington

  • By: Anthony Trollope
  • Narrated by: Timothy West
  • Length: 23 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (449 ratings)
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The Small House At Allington

By: Anthony Trollope
Narrated by: Timothy West
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Summary

Exclusively from Audible

The spirited Lily Dale, who longs to be loved, is devastated when her fiancé, the self-interested Adolphus Crosbie, jilts her for the aristocratic Lady Alexandrina. Although heartbroken, Lily still loves Crosbie and believes she must remain single despite him being unworthy of her affections. Even when the more deserving John Eame presents himself, she is still unable to see past her feelings for Crosbie.

Meanwhile, Lily's sister Bell is also under pressure to marry for money, not for love. With an array of wonderful subplots, this audiobook is full of subtle humour as well as heartbreak.

The Small House at Allington is the fifth audiobook in the series known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire and as usual, Trollope shows his skill at analysing the thoughts and emotions of his characters, a craft that makes them appear truly life-like. Each character feels human, even Crosbie who also suffers himself for the mistakes he makes. Trollope possesses the ability to take everyday events and turn them into a gripping tale.

The novel was written at the height of Trollope's popularity and contains one of his most admired heroines, Lily Dale. Former British Prime Minister, John Major, declared it his favourite book, propelling it back into the limelight in the 1990s.

Narrator Biography

Timothy West is prolific in film, television, theatre, and audiobooks. He has narrated a number of Anthony Trollope's classic audiobooks, including the six Chronicles of Barsetshire and The Pallisers series. He has also narrated volumes of Simon Schama's A History of Britain and John Mortimer's Rumpole on Trial.

Timothy West's theatrical credits include King Lear, The Vote, Uncle Vanya, A Number, Quarter, and Coriolanus and his films include Ever After, Joan Of Arc, Endgame, Iris, and The Day of the Jackal. On television, Timothy has appeared in Broken Biscuits (BBC), Great Canal Journeys (across 3 Series), and the regular role of Stan Carter on EastEnders (BBC).

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Small House At Allington

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Lily & co

Trollope writes the most wonderful women characters - far more varied and three-dimensional than Dickens - and makes them speak with individual voices. Timothy West manages to present each one so sympathetically and distinctively that it seems hard to believe they've been 'dead' for a century and a half or thereabouts. And he does the men just as well...the world-weary Adolphus, the testy and inarticulate Squire, the elderly but enthusiastic Earl and the half-baked but endearing not-hero, Johnny Eames.

This novel is less political and less satirical than the others in the Barchester cycle, and you just surrender to the enjoyment of letting Trollope and West, between them, engage your sympathy and interest in these memorable characters and the drama that flows from them. Wonderful.

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35 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brillant

I have come to Trollope late in life (as many people seem to to do) and am now an absolute fan. This may have something to do with Timothy West who is the perfect narrator. Excellent.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story and characters

Where does The Small House At Allington rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really enjoyed listening to this, Timothy West is a great narrator, I got to know the characters and was upset when I reached the end. They were all real, sharing their emotions and thoughts and didn't want to lose them.

I listened to it while on the bus going to work as I can't read while travelling - it makes me feel sick. The journey passed all too quickly.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Small House At Allington?

Lily's reaction to the news of Adolphus in London. Most people might think it wasn't proper but I could understand how she felt and why.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Triumph!

It is best to start this review with a note of gratitude to Audible. It was a stroke of genius to commission Timothy West to perform both the Barchester and Palliser series of Novels by Anthony Trollope. (I used the word ‘perform’ deliberately.) And so to ‘The Small House at Allington’; my fifth listen in the Barchester series of six novels. The performance given by Timothy West is compelling and commanding in its all-embracing triumph. I doubt you can truly perform a novel successfully without understanding it and being in sympathy with it. West’s voice skills are endlessly creative. He manages the transitions between scenes of tragedy and comedy with seamless ease. His voice characterisations are a joy. It is in Trollope’s greatness that he can craft a novel where the internal thinking, justifications for action, and feelings with such trueness. It is my favourite listen (so far) of the thirteen Trollope/Timothy West novels that I have in my Audible library. I would warmly recommend West's performance of this satisfying novel. Also, to note that these performances often appear in the wonderful audio-book sales that Audible make available to members. They should be snapped up greedily.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story - Well Read

Amongst my favourite audiobooks. Timothy West seems very well suited to reading Trollope and I would recommend this alongside all the others in the Barchester and Palliser Series. Other favourites are Ian holm reading The Wiman in White and Martin Jarvis's telling of David Copperfield

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • S
  • 20-07-15

Excellent book - book 5 of this series

Where does The Small House At Allington rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Amongst the best - Timothy West is a master at narrating these stories. His performance has ensured that I have 'read' the books in this series almost back-to-back. I loved the story too - all except the character of Lily Dale, whom I just found annoying (hence the missing star).

What did you like best about this story?

Apart from the wonderful narration, I liked the way that Trollope weaves the old stories into the new. I really wanted to know what happened to these characters.

What does Timothy West bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He bring the whole tale to life. He is so excellent that now I search for other novels that he has narrated, rather than for the authors or titles! He manages to give every character a different voice that fits the personality given to them by Trollope. My favourite 'voices' are the Bishop and Mrs Proudie.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes - although unfortunately it is so long this was not possible.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Very Tedious story

What was most disappointing about Anthony Trollope’s story?

Loved Dr Thorne, very much enjoyed Framley Parsonage, and so with this story was looking forward to perhaps picking up some of the characters from the previous parts of the chronicles.
I've persevered as far as chapter 11 and have had to give up. Notwithstanding Timothy West's excellent efforts, I just cannot feel involved with any of the people and actually find most of them dull and rather annoying.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not one of Trollope's best but still wonderful.

With clarity and razor-sharp humour somehow diminished compared to the other books in the series, "The Small House at Allington" has always been my least favourite instalment of Chronicles of Barsetshire. But despite not being up to Trollope's usual standard, the book is still witty, fun and just a treat to read.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not my favourite Trollope.

I love Trollope. Timothy West is an excellent narrator but this one aggravates me. I have read it and now i have listened for a second time but it doesn’t do it for me. I think it is Lily Dale who is just too much of a Victorian stereotype even though she has a great many fans.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Brilliant narration

I love the Barchester series! This is a lovely story - gentle, witty and rambling. Timothy West is flawless as ever.

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