Good

took time to get into, politics boring. TW Irish accent not very good. mostly enjoyable

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Bed time listening

Always enjoy Anthony Trollope read by Timothy West. Hope audible will provide all of A.T. Works read by T.W.

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Masterful performance

Yet another brilliant narration by Timothy West. I don’t think anyone could do these books better.
I have to admit Emily was such a weak character, she drove me mad but still a wonderful story which I thoroughly enjoyed.

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Timothy West is best

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It is a real pleasure to listen to the leisurely narration of Timothy West of Trollope's Palliser series. The stories and manners depict another world, and the leisurely pace of the novels gives plenty of listening time for a long journey. Timothy West does justice to the characters and the narration perfectly.

What did you like best about this story?

It is amazing how relevant the sense of isolation and stress felt by the man at the top is still relevant for today's prime ministers and presidents. Trollope shows a real understanding of a dedicated and ambitious character who could be in parliament today.

Which character – as performed by Timothy West – was your favourite?

I felt a great sympathy for Planty Pal, even though he is sometimes a distant and unsympathetic figure.

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

Not at all. Like a good wine it needs to be sipped and savoured at a reasonable pace.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed listening to the whole series in order. It is a pity there aren't more, but the span of time and characters is quite long, so perhaps I am just being greedy in not wanting a good thing to end.

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4 people found this helpful

Trollope as relevant as ever

I believe that John Major is a great fan of Trollope and he must have grimaced at times when reading The Prime Minister. What insights from the 19th century! Striving in a limited way to satisfy his party but still having the arrogance of the aristocracy, Plantagenet Palliser made almost every error in the political book.

No wonder Lady Glencora found him hard to love, with his stubborn rigidity and lack of humour. A complete trial of a husband but one she had tried to please by making their grand property attractive to his supporters. A mistake but well-intentioned. She meddles, he frets, and they continue doggedly in their mismatched marriage.

I loved it.

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3 people found this helpful

Trollope and Timothy - Genius

Timothy West - brilliant reader, consummate actor - charmingly renders this all time classic an audio masterwork. Overall production as good as it gets.

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1 person found this helpful

A delight!

There are few pleasures in life like the entertaining wisdom of Trollope and I’m this occasion so well read

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This is now the full book. Bang up to date too.

Until last week if you bought this you only got the first third of the book. It is now all present and correct.

To me it is one of the most interesting of the Palliser series, contrasting an upright man trying to lead the nation with the bounders taking over the world at, as Trollope saw it, a time of moral decay. There is an arch-cad, involved in double dealings and who gets into Parliament. Lady Glencora is drawn into shady dealings, scandal is whipped up by the gutter press and falls on the Prime Minister's head. It was written shortly after a massive financial crash which led to a Great Depression which lasted over 20 years.

Sound familiar? So it should. And because Trolllope is a great psychologist it is gripping stuff, which really makes me feel there is nothing new in the world, though I will admit that the ingenue (Emily) is dull.

Superbly read by Timothy West, as ever.

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19 people found this helpful

x

If you could sum up The Prime Minister in three words, what would they be?

Riveting, tragic and frustrating. I wanted to shout at Emily to run away from the dreadful Ferdinand Lopez, the villain of the book whom she foolishly marries. The tragedy is the slow decline of our heroine Emily, the shameful waste of her youth, and supremely, the anguish of her loving father as he witnesses this. Lopez deceives many, gradually relieves his kind father-in-law of a fortune and is feted in society as he is making his wicked plans. One does get very involved with these characters.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Prime Minister?

Our villain, only too memorably, meets his death by a shocking form of unexpected suicide which is hard to forget. The happiest moment, right at the end, is disappointingly underplayed, being left mainly to the reader's imagination.

Have you listened to any of Timothy West’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Timothy West, as always, keeps us on the edge of our seat, or in my case, bed! Every scene is vivid in the mind's eye and we have an epic dramatisation in the imagination as his voice unfolds scene after scene in so many varied settings. West paces his narration at the optimum tempo for our absorbing a scene, event, or character. We also also catch a glimpse of the poverty of the era, as Lopez's partner is ruined with a large starving family and a wife who fights for the justice owed her.

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

At over 55 hours, one cannot listen quickly! I found it excellent value for the monthly sub. I lived in the book for quite some time, and still do so after finishing it.

Any additional comments?

The PM himself did not seem to me, to be the main character. It's a punchy title and maybe he defines the era by providing the backdrop to the novel. I noted with some amusement that his wife calls him the full 'Plantaganet' in private. Finally, I will listen again after a while, as I feel sure there is much that one misses after only one playing. Thank you Audible!

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3 people found this helpful

Joy

Timothy west is just magnificent , Trollope would no doubt have many a word for it.

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