The Perpetual Curate

The Perpetual Curate

Margaret Oliphant

What is The Perpetual Curate about?

The Perpetual Curate (1864) centers on Frank Wentworth, an Anglican curate stuck without promotion in Carlingford, navigating family pressure, romantic complications, and a scandal that threatens his career. The longest and most ambitious of the Carlingford novels.

auto_stories48 chaptersENFiction

Main themes in The Perpetual Curate

Anglican clergy

Anglican clergy emerges as a defining element in The Perpetual Curate, shaping character development.

Career frustration

The presence of career frustration in The Perpetual Curate connects readers to its enduring relevance.

Family pressure

In The Perpetual Curate, family pressure provides a lens for understanding the story's core message.

Romance

The theme of romance weaves through The Perpetual Curate, adding depth to its narrative.

Why The Perpetual Curate is still relevant today

Considered one of the greatest Victorian novels about clerical life, rivaling Trollope's Barchester series in depth and complexity.

About the author

Margaret Oliphant

More by this author

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Perpetual Curate about?

An Anglican curate in Carlingford struggles with blocked promotion, family demands, and scandal. Rivals Trollope's clerical novels.

Where can I read it?

Free on TextStack.

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