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Starbridge #6
Absolute Truths
It is 1965, and Charles Ashworth has attained the plum position of bishop of Starbridge, an honor that keeps him in a heady whirl of activity that would exhaust the most seasoned corporate executive. With the invaluable support of his minions and his attractive, unsinkable wife, Ashworth stands against the amorality and decadence of the age—"Anti-Sex Ashworth." He slays his opponents by being a tough, efficient, confident churchman, the torments of his past long since dead and buried.
And then the unexpected, the unthinkable, strikes.
Suddenly Ashworth finds himself staring into the chasm of all the lies hes been telling himself for years: about his marriage, his children, even his views on the Church. And as he suspects his old nemesis and dean, Neville Aysgarth, of drinking too much, of financial chicanery, of—God forbid—having an affair, Ashworth discovers to his horror that he is tempted to commit the very acts that he has so publicly denounced....
And then the unexpected, the unthinkable, strikes.
Suddenly Ashworth finds himself staring into the chasm of all the lies hes been telling himself for years: about his marriage, his children, even his views on the Church. And as he suspects his old nemesis and dean, Neville Aysgarth, of drinking too much, of financial chicanery, of—God forbid—having an affair, Ashworth discovers to his horror that he is tempted to commit the very acts that he has so publicly denounced....
672 pages, Hardcover
First published January 15, 1995
About the author
Susan Howatch
88 books540 followersSusan Howatch (b. 1940) is a British novelist who has penned bestselling mysteries, family sagas, and other novels. Howatch was born in Surrey, England. She began writing as a teen and published her first book when she moved to the United States in 1964. Howatch found global success first with her five sagas and then with her novels about the Church of England in the twentieth century. She has now returned to live in Surrey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
April 14, 2014
This is the only book I have ever read that, at one crucial point, did not just bring me to tears. It elicited from me a convulsive bout of deep mourning, sorrow for all that had happened in the lives of the people Susan Howatch had created in this entire series. I had to put the book down and bury my head in my hands and work through the grief of all the entire Starbridge Series had meant.
And I loved it.
Start from the beginning of the series and work your way to this book. You will eventually need to read the St. Benet's Trilogy, but the six books of the Starbridge Series stand alone and apart.
Every year the Nobel Prize for Literature is announced and Susan Howatch is not the winner is an affront to any Justice in the Universe.
And I loved it.
Start from the beginning of the series and work your way to this book. You will eventually need to read the St. Benet's Trilogy, but the six books of the Starbridge Series stand alone and apart.
Every year the Nobel Prize for Literature is announced and Susan Howatch is not the winner is an affront to any Justice in the Universe.
October 8, 2021
A very busy book (though I kept thinking in the end was she going to have time to wrap up all the pieces?). And just like her, she surprises you by the narrator-let's go back to the first guy and back in time since book 5. I loved the way the books interweave and especially how the three main guys are brought together in the end (and oh the great aspects of the church they all represent and side note, I wonder if SH had a favorite, I'll never know how a writer's mind works...) Just like the God she reflects upon and these guys try to serve, this book cannot be labeled or put into a little nice box.
Its kinda sad to be reviewing this because it means this series is over and wow what a part of my life its been this past year. Another side note, I am doing Beth Moore's Bible study at church, When godly people do ungodly things, which is about making a big mistake as a believer and then being healed, and this book is a perfect story of all that and how God intermingles all for the GOOD of those who love him.
Second reading -
Again I loved the 3 characters coming together. The series was redeemed after me not enjoying 4&5 as much this time around.
I love reading about lives transformed and how that is not a straight line but such an up and down journey.
Also I bought a Book of Common prayer, these books, as well as a memoir, made me want to be more of a part of the historical universal church and all its wisdom.
I am going to read more of her books as well and definitely will read these again in a decade!
Its kinda sad to be reviewing this because it means this series is over and wow what a part of my life its been this past year. Another side note, I am doing Beth Moore's Bible study at church, When godly people do ungodly things, which is about making a big mistake as a believer and then being healed, and this book is a perfect story of all that and how God intermingles all for the GOOD of those who love him.
Second reading -
Again I loved the 3 characters coming together. The series was redeemed after me not enjoying 4&5 as much this time around.
I love reading about lives transformed and how that is not a straight line but such an up and down journey.
Also I bought a Book of Common prayer, these books, as well as a memoir, made me want to be more of a part of the historical universal church and all its wisdom.
I am going to read more of her books as well and definitely will read these again in a decade!
September 10, 2013
I could have rated this as high as 4 stars if it had been 200 pages, but 600+ was bloating and exhausting. I plodded on because it is required for a spiritual direction practicum and I was determined to find out why. There is some good stuff here about forgiveness and the art of spiritual direction, so I forgive the teacher so long as he repents and finds shorter works. And that is the absolute truth.
August 7, 2023
Things in this book that I didn't see coming but should have come to expect by now: 2 tragic, untimely deaths, 1 suicide, an exorcism and a Ponzi scheme.
September 7, 2010
I thought this was the very best of the series. The characters were believable multi-faceted.
Maybe it's because I'd gotten to know them so well. Any way, I think I liked this one best. I also think that the spiritual message of 'integration' redemption and modeling of the MIddle Way of Anglicanism was brilliant.
Charles Ashworth's journey and the ruminations on the role of mysticism in a church rent to the breaking point by its Liberal and Conservative wings gives me further cause for hope.
I'll read this one again.
Maybe it's because I'd gotten to know them so well. Any way, I think I liked this one best. I also think that the spiritual message of 'integration' redemption and modeling of the MIddle Way of Anglicanism was brilliant.
Charles Ashworth's journey and the ruminations on the role of mysticism in a church rent to the breaking point by its Liberal and Conservative wings gives me further cause for hope.
I'll read this one again.
September 12, 2024
I have finally finished the Starbridge Series which I started in 2019. I have particularly enjoyed this final installment. Howatch offers solid writing with well-drawn and extremely interesting characters. I think it absolutely brilliant how she has interwoven these characters through the stories of six rather chunky books. She offers a very real depiction of the Church of England as well and makes it almost a character unto itself - with underbelly and all. And at the end she gives the reader a message of healing and redemption and hope. We see that change can be good, lives can be transformed and love can prevail. Just beautiful!
Read
March 14, 2020I wish this series kept going, but at least it ended on a high note.
December 29, 2017
This is the 6th and final book in the "Church of England" series. In this volume, we return to the original character towards the latter part of his life. It's always interesting to me that no matter how much you think you know, as life goes on, when you look back you realise you knew very little. The powerful message of forgiveness and redemption presented here is very comforting.
Here are some favorite quotes:
Charles Ashworth
"I must make it clear--if indeed it is not already obvious--that I am not a great spiritual athlete and in no way superior to the uneducated person who knows nothing of Platonic forms and just gets on with the job of praying without going through any intellectual hoops. In fact I envy such a person. My busy over-educated brain is a positive hindrance to prayer, and far too often my thoughts speed off on tangents which are intellectually fascinating but quite irrelevant to the task of praying in an acceptable manner."
Lewis Hall
"Oh, forget all about that bishop business for five minutes," said Hall crossly. "Ditch it along with the stiff upper lip, why not, and stop worrying about what I'd think of you because just at this moment I don't care who you are, I wouldn't even care if you were the Pope or Marilyn Monroe, all I care about is helping you bash your way out of this bugger-awful corner you're in."
Jonathan Darrow
At last when we were both utterly silent and utterly still he said: "I have but one comment to make on your behavior and that's this: it all seems a very long way from Jesus of Nazareth." And turning his back on us abruptly, he stalked away into his kitchen.
Neville "Stephen" Aysgarth
"All that matters," said Aysgarth firmly, "is that at the end of the day--and I'm glad to tell you the sun's just about to set on my activities--the accounts will be straight as a die and we'll all live happily ever after. I've just been living a little riskily for some months, that's all."
Here are some favorite quotes:
Charles Ashworth
"I must make it clear--if indeed it is not already obvious--that I am not a great spiritual athlete and in no way superior to the uneducated person who knows nothing of Platonic forms and just gets on with the job of praying without going through any intellectual hoops. In fact I envy such a person. My busy over-educated brain is a positive hindrance to prayer, and far too often my thoughts speed off on tangents which are intellectually fascinating but quite irrelevant to the task of praying in an acceptable manner."
Lewis Hall
"Oh, forget all about that bishop business for five minutes," said Hall crossly. "Ditch it along with the stiff upper lip, why not, and stop worrying about what I'd think of you because just at this moment I don't care who you are, I wouldn't even care if you were the Pope or Marilyn Monroe, all I care about is helping you bash your way out of this bugger-awful corner you're in."
Jonathan Darrow
At last when we were both utterly silent and utterly still he said: "I have but one comment to make on your behavior and that's this: it all seems a very long way from Jesus of Nazareth." And turning his back on us abruptly, he stalked away into his kitchen.
Neville "Stephen" Aysgarth
"All that matters," said Aysgarth firmly, "is that at the end of the day--and I'm glad to tell you the sun's just about to set on my activities--the accounts will be straight as a die and we'll all live happily ever after. I've just been living a little riskily for some months, that's all."
January 1, 2024
In 1965, Charles Ashworth enjoys a very privileged position in the Church of England as Bishop of Starbridge, with his beloved, faithful wife Lyle (his pillar of strength) at his side.
As a part of the Church's conservative wing, Ashworth is dead set against many of the reforms now taking place in the Church of England. He debates with any of his opponents in the Church in public forums all across England. Ashworth is good at what he does, and knows it. In the midst of performing this role, Lyle unexpectedly dies and he is in utter shock, wholly taken aback by this tragedy, which for him is catastrophic. Ashworth then experiences a spiritual crisis and undergoes a kind of epiphany in overcoming his self-doubt and depression.
Howatch does a masterful job in revealing Charles Ashworth from the inside out, from being a proud bishop at the zenith of his powers to an old man caught up in a spiritual crisis.
As a part of the Church's conservative wing, Ashworth is dead set against many of the reforms now taking place in the Church of England. He debates with any of his opponents in the Church in public forums all across England. Ashworth is good at what he does, and knows it. In the midst of performing this role, Lyle unexpectedly dies and he is in utter shock, wholly taken aback by this tragedy, which for him is catastrophic. Ashworth then experiences a spiritual crisis and undergoes a kind of epiphany in overcoming his self-doubt and depression.
Howatch does a masterful job in revealing Charles Ashworth from the inside out, from being a proud bishop at the zenith of his powers to an old man caught up in a spiritual crisis.
Read
June 19, 2010The last of the original six. The series was later expanded.
February 6, 2023
Third Reading Summary: The final book returns to Charles Ashworth as narrator and revisits many of the themes and characters raised in the previous books.
With all of the series' weaknesses, Absolute Truths is not only my favorite of the series but one of my favorite fiction books of all time. Again, like my post about Scandalous Risks, I cannot discuss the book without a few spoilers. I will try to keep it to a minimum, so I do not spoil the plot.
The narrator from the first book, Charles Ashworth, is now in the mid-1960s. At the end of the first book, he marries Lyle, pregnant with another man's child. Ashworth, who had discovered in during the first book that the man who had raised him was not his biological father, but had married his mother to protect her when she had become pregnant, felt like God was calling him to do the same. As we return to Charles as the narrator, they had been married for almost 30 years. Quickly after getting married, they had another son. And then Charles had been a chaplain in World War II and spent most of the war as a Nazi prisoner, eventually ending up in a concentration camp. It was not until several years after the war that the couple settled into marriage reasonably happily. Lyle's fear over Charles' potential death had helped her to understand that she loved Charles for himself, not just for helping to save her from being a disgraced single mother. Charles also loved Lyle, but the distraction of his teaching and writing, his work as a bishop, and the seemingly effortless ways that Lyle solved all the problems around her allowed him to take her for granted. That changes early in the book; Lyle has a stroke and dies soon after. (Again, I disapprove of using wives' deaths as a reoccurring plot device in almost every book.)
A nearly 700-page book about a Bishop's grief may not be for everyone. But there are so many threads from the series that get raised and appropriately tied up. It is a big ask, but as much as I want to recommend Absolute Truths, it is a book where I think you do need to read the previous books to get the most out of it. And those previous five books are about 2500 pages on top of the 700 pages of Absolute Truths.
More than anything else, Absolute Truths attempts to show that we do not know what is happening inside other people's heads. We can perceive some, and we can be told parts. But no one, apart from God, can know all. This is a long quote from the book's last half, and I will quote it without context, but this gives a sense of what I mean when I say the book is about how only God can know all.
The first book was primarily about discovering your true self as God had created you to be. Charles, and all of us, are tempted to put up a false front to the world. This is protective, but it also keeps people away. Charles was scared of making the same mistakes as his father in raising him, so in some ways, he tried to do the opposite, creating new mistakes. In other ways, he unintentionally replicated his father's mistakes. In an attempt to protect children, we can sometimes shelter them inappropriately. In the attempt to not shelter them, we sometimes open them up to harm. In the attempt to allow them to become who God wants them to be, sometimes we do not give them appropriate guidance. I could go on.
It is a small portion of the book, but Charles discovers Lyle's spiritual journal after her death. He reads it, and the reader can hear a second narrator giving a different perspective on events that we have already seen from alternate perspectives. She felt she was being called to pray for Charles and Venetia from Scandalous Risks. Lyle had tried to serve as a mentor and guide to Venetia, but it hadn't gone well, and all she felt she could do was pray. Lyle never felt like she was a particularly spiritual person. She was organized, could solve problems, and had a sound mind. But her faith was more intellectual and practical acts of service to those around her. Prayer was something she felt utterly inadequate to do. In this short section, we both get an excellent guide to what it might mean to pray for others, to follow God's will when we don't know what we are being called to, and to see Charles from someone else's perspective so we can see how biased his narration of events had been. Of course, Lyle is limited in her perspective as well. But with the other narrators in the previous five books, the more narrators, the more facets of a situation we can see.
That holds with Ashworth and Aysgarth. The series, in some ways, has been a conflict, or at least a difference of opinion between the two, with both of them seeking out spiritual direction from Jon Darrow, the Anglo-Catholic/Mystic that is the third strand of their relationship. Like how Charles found additional perspective by reading Lyle's journal, Ashworth and Aysgarth end up in Darrow's cottage seeking spiritual direction simultaneously on two different occasions. That is not so much a coincidence as their need for spiritual direction because of their conflict. Darrow puts them together in the same room so they can recount their problems from their perspectives. While the reader already has some of the perspectives, there is a revelation when the person they thought had it all together externally is vulnerable enough to share the pain underneath.
The surface-level theme of the book is that Ashworth realizes that his pursuit of Absolute Truths has to be balanced with grace for the specific situations where individuals must be dealt with according to their needs and with a love that sometimes requires different things in different situations. This is not moral relativism but recognition that while God may be able to see how all things fit together correctly, we cannot. There are various discussions about Paul's statement about all things working together for good. Those discussions have nuance, and overall there is real theological and spiritual wisdom. But the summary finding is that God loves us, and even if we can't see it all, God continues to be with us and seek our good. This quote is one of those points:
That is partially about putting forth the effort to get into people's lives so that we express that love tangibly. We cannot take on the role of God in the world. We also cannot abandon the world or those around us. We all have a role as specially created people in the world as we seek God.
Fiction is important to explore what it can mean to pursue God and live in the world. We do not have to experience everything, there are things we can learn by observation, even if that observation is of fictional people.
_________
Short Review: This is my second reading go Absolute Truths. It is the final and best of this excellent series. The series as a whole is about a group of Church of England clergy in the mid 20th century. The focus of this book is what it means when Romans says 'all things work together for good for those that love the Lord.' Charles Ashworth (now Bishop of Starbridge) has his third life crisis.
This is not traditional Christian fiction, I don't think US evangelical publishers would publish the series. But this is what Christian fiction should be, a real reflection of life, theologically rich, but not false perfection.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/absolute-truths-by-s...
With all of the series' weaknesses, Absolute Truths is not only my favorite of the series but one of my favorite fiction books of all time. Again, like my post about Scandalous Risks, I cannot discuss the book without a few spoilers. I will try to keep it to a minimum, so I do not spoil the plot.
The narrator from the first book, Charles Ashworth, is now in the mid-1960s. At the end of the first book, he marries Lyle, pregnant with another man's child. Ashworth, who had discovered in during the first book that the man who had raised him was not his biological father, but had married his mother to protect her when she had become pregnant, felt like God was calling him to do the same. As we return to Charles as the narrator, they had been married for almost 30 years. Quickly after getting married, they had another son. And then Charles had been a chaplain in World War II and spent most of the war as a Nazi prisoner, eventually ending up in a concentration camp. It was not until several years after the war that the couple settled into marriage reasonably happily. Lyle's fear over Charles' potential death had helped her to understand that she loved Charles for himself, not just for helping to save her from being a disgraced single mother. Charles also loved Lyle, but the distraction of his teaching and writing, his work as a bishop, and the seemingly effortless ways that Lyle solved all the problems around her allowed him to take her for granted. That changes early in the book; Lyle has a stroke and dies soon after. (Again, I disapprove of using wives' deaths as a reoccurring plot device in almost every book.)
A nearly 700-page book about a Bishop's grief may not be for everyone. But there are so many threads from the series that get raised and appropriately tied up. It is a big ask, but as much as I want to recommend Absolute Truths, it is a book where I think you do need to read the previous books to get the most out of it. And those previous five books are about 2500 pages on top of the 700 pages of Absolute Truths.
More than anything else, Absolute Truths attempts to show that we do not know what is happening inside other people's heads. We can perceive some, and we can be told parts. But no one, apart from God, can know all. This is a long quote from the book's last half, and I will quote it without context, but this gives a sense of what I mean when I say the book is about how only God can know all.
“One can never know the whole story about anyone—yet how we all rush to judgement! How we all love to ignore the truth that we know so little about what motivates other people, what shadows from the past distort their psyches, what demons haunt and enslave them. How readily we say with perfect confidence: ‘He’s despicable!’ or: ‘He’s behaved unforgivably!’ or worst of all: ‘I’d never behave like that!’ Yet how dare we pass judgement when so much of the evidence is beyond our reach? No wonder Our Lord said so sternly: ‘Judge not, that ye be not judged!’ No wonder he said: ‘He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone!’ Jesus wasn’t interested in rushing to judgement. He wasn’t interested in ‘keeping up a front’ or scoring points off those who found him intolerable. ‘Love ye your enemies,’ he said, ‘Do good to them that hate you.’ And time after time he said: ‘Forgive,’ and talked of the truth which sets us free … And so we come back again to our own current quest for truth, the truth about one another. As Charles pointed out just now, we can never see the whole truth; only God can see everything. But we can see so much more of the truth when our eyes are open, viewing people as Christ viewed them, than when they remain resolutely closed.”
The first book was primarily about discovering your true self as God had created you to be. Charles, and all of us, are tempted to put up a false front to the world. This is protective, but it also keeps people away. Charles was scared of making the same mistakes as his father in raising him, so in some ways, he tried to do the opposite, creating new mistakes. In other ways, he unintentionally replicated his father's mistakes. In an attempt to protect children, we can sometimes shelter them inappropriately. In the attempt to not shelter them, we sometimes open them up to harm. In the attempt to allow them to become who God wants them to be, sometimes we do not give them appropriate guidance. I could go on.
It is a small portion of the book, but Charles discovers Lyle's spiritual journal after her death. He reads it, and the reader can hear a second narrator giving a different perspective on events that we have already seen from alternate perspectives. She felt she was being called to pray for Charles and Venetia from Scandalous Risks. Lyle had tried to serve as a mentor and guide to Venetia, but it hadn't gone well, and all she felt she could do was pray. Lyle never felt like she was a particularly spiritual person. She was organized, could solve problems, and had a sound mind. But her faith was more intellectual and practical acts of service to those around her. Prayer was something she felt utterly inadequate to do. In this short section, we both get an excellent guide to what it might mean to pray for others, to follow God's will when we don't know what we are being called to, and to see Charles from someone else's perspective so we can see how biased his narration of events had been. Of course, Lyle is limited in her perspective as well. But with the other narrators in the previous five books, the more narrators, the more facets of a situation we can see.
That holds with Ashworth and Aysgarth. The series, in some ways, has been a conflict, or at least a difference of opinion between the two, with both of them seeking out spiritual direction from Jon Darrow, the Anglo-Catholic/Mystic that is the third strand of their relationship. Like how Charles found additional perspective by reading Lyle's journal, Ashworth and Aysgarth end up in Darrow's cottage seeking spiritual direction simultaneously on two different occasions. That is not so much a coincidence as their need for spiritual direction because of their conflict. Darrow puts them together in the same room so they can recount their problems from their perspectives. While the reader already has some of the perspectives, there is a revelation when the person they thought had it all together externally is vulnerable enough to share the pain underneath.
The surface-level theme of the book is that Ashworth realizes that his pursuit of Absolute Truths has to be balanced with grace for the specific situations where individuals must be dealt with according to their needs and with a love that sometimes requires different things in different situations. This is not moral relativism but recognition that while God may be able to see how all things fit together correctly, we cannot. There are various discussions about Paul's statement about all things working together for good. Those discussions have nuance, and overall there is real theological and spiritual wisdom. But the summary finding is that God loves us, and even if we can't see it all, God continues to be with us and seek our good. This quote is one of those points:
You and I, of course, would see this as an example of the redeeming work of the Holy Spirit. So perhaps one might argue that our task as priests is not primarily to condemn sinners but to facilitate the work of the Spirit so that all suffering, merited and unmerited, may be redeemed. Then indeed we would be able to say with St. Paul: ‘All things work together for good to them that love God.’ What a hard saying that is, and how easy it is to pay it lip-service in the name of piety while side-stepping the task of expending blood, sweat and tears to make it a living truth.
That is partially about putting forth the effort to get into people's lives so that we express that love tangibly. We cannot take on the role of God in the world. We also cannot abandon the world or those around us. We all have a role as specially created people in the world as we seek God.
Fiction is important to explore what it can mean to pursue God and live in the world. We do not have to experience everything, there are things we can learn by observation, even if that observation is of fictional people.
_________
Short Review: This is my second reading go Absolute Truths. It is the final and best of this excellent series. The series as a whole is about a group of Church of England clergy in the mid 20th century. The focus of this book is what it means when Romans says 'all things work together for good for those that love the Lord.' Charles Ashworth (now Bishop of Starbridge) has his third life crisis.
This is not traditional Christian fiction, I don't think US evangelical publishers would publish the series. But this is what Christian fiction should be, a real reflection of life, theologically rich, but not false perfection.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/absolute-truths-by-s...
September 5, 2020
'Absolute Truths' is the sixth and final book in Susan Howatch's 'Starbridge Series' about the Church of England. This volume brings the story full circle as we once again encounter Charles Ashworth (now the Bishop of Starbridge) who started the ball rolling in the very first book, 'Glittering Images'. Although the books stand alone, I highly recommend reading them in order to fully grasp the dynamics between the characters. Howatch does a nice job rounding out the stories of past characters such as Neville/Stephen Aysgarth (Ashworth's nemesis) and Jon Darrow (Ashworth's advisor), who were featured in previous volumes. The characters are complicated with lots of twists and turns taking place. Just when you think it might get boring, Howatch switches things up. She is a great storyteller and if you are a Susan Howatch fan, you will like this series. Even though, this is the last book, I understand that Howatch's 'St. Benet's Trilogy' picks up some of these same characters and continues their stories with the next generation. I have already gotten the first of these three books and look forward to reading it.
November 6, 2018
This is my first attempt in my current plan to listen to all of these books that I can find in audio format this year. I have, for no logical reason started with the last book. (!) It's a variation of the old "Read the Last Page of the Book Syndrome."
Audible has Glamorous Powers, Mystical Paths and Scandalous Risks as well as this one available. I plan to buy one each month. Glimmering Images and Ultimate Prizes are available at outrageous prices in cassette tape format. I think I will pass on them but I will reread them in book format.
I re-read these books every once in a while. I am always amazed at how much I am attracted to these books because they are not the kind of books that generally appeal to me. I think it's the writing. Susan Howatch is a magical writer. I don't really like the characters in these books or am in sympathy with the things they do. But the honesty of these people's faith and the fact that they really really try to be good Christians comes shining through. It's almost enough to restore one's faith in Christianity.
Audible has Glamorous Powers, Mystical Paths and Scandalous Risks as well as this one available. I plan to buy one each month. Glimmering Images and Ultimate Prizes are available at outrageous prices in cassette tape format. I think I will pass on them but I will reread them in book format.
I re-read these books every once in a while. I am always amazed at how much I am attracted to these books because they are not the kind of books that generally appeal to me. I think it's the writing. Susan Howatch is a magical writer. I don't really like the characters in these books or am in sympathy with the things they do. But the honesty of these people's faith and the fact that they really really try to be good Christians comes shining through. It's almost enough to restore one's faith in Christianity.
May 20, 2020
Whew! It took time, but I made it through this series. These are some of those books that I found very intriguing, I'm glad I read them, but I'm just not sure I could recommend them to anyone else.
These books are an odd mix of psychology, theology, sex, spirituality, and perhaps the supernatural. It takes a certain type of person to enjoy this type of book. I quite enjoy them - and I needed to read them back to back so I could remember all the relationships, characters and connections - but, my, am I glad to have a break.
Already, it has been a while since I read the first in the series, and by the time the final book circled back to revisit this character, I found I had forgotten much of his "first crisis," which he only alludes to sideways. In fact, we never hear about the main point of book 4 in this book, even though all the characters are still there. So, you could probably read these books in any order you wish!
These books are an odd mix of psychology, theology, sex, spirituality, and perhaps the supernatural. It takes a certain type of person to enjoy this type of book. I quite enjoy them - and I needed to read them back to back so I could remember all the relationships, characters and connections - but, my, am I glad to have a break.
Already, it has been a while since I read the first in the series, and by the time the final book circled back to revisit this character, I found I had forgotten much of his "first crisis," which he only alludes to sideways. In fact, we never hear about the main point of book 4 in this book, even though all the characters are still there. So, you could probably read these books in any order you wish!
October 31, 2018
Re-read of last book in the series and my last chance to reuse the phrase 'clerical bonkbuster' - which this isn't really, but kind of is at the same time.
A sprawling, technicolour melodrama, the engine of which is made up of the interlocking relationships blighted by lies and self-deceptions. Thoroughly enjoyable, not least for the nailed-on page-turner technique and theological, philosophical, psychological and paranormal digressions. Turning full circle back to the first book develops the overall sense of irony when it comes to how the characters' relate their stories, and allows for a satisfying curtain call.
(finishes on page 666. Nice touch)
A sprawling, technicolour melodrama, the engine of which is made up of the interlocking relationships blighted by lies and self-deceptions. Thoroughly enjoyable, not least for the nailed-on page-turner technique and theological, philosophical, psychological and paranormal digressions. Turning full circle back to the first book develops the overall sense of irony when it comes to how the characters' relate their stories, and allows for a satisfying curtain call.
(finishes on page 666. Nice touch)
April 26, 2020
A clergyman friend of mine recommended this author to me and she does not disappoint. Her themes revolve around those driven by human foibles: faith, love, envy etc. she builds her characters so well, showing their inner thoughts as they navigate their world of God and humanity. Her characterization of the relationships and struggles each person goes through shows how weary we can become when we face our inner demons. I can see how a member of the clergy would find her writing relatable. Charles and Neville, John and Lyle are like the Greek chorus, dipping in and out of each other’s lives. A long read, but good for a quarantine.
June 7, 2020
I re-read this book in audio form after first reading it in print the moment it came out. These books (the "Starbridge series") changed my life. But how different (and appropriate) to read this novel about a priest in his mid-60s facing many of the problems that deviled him in his 30s now, as I too am in my mid-60s!
In a novel, Howatch depicts many of the themes and wisdom that spiritual non-fiction writers like Richard Rohr write about: that coming to terms with our "shadow side" is a blessing, not a curse.
In a novel, Howatch depicts many of the themes and wisdom that spiritual non-fiction writers like Richard Rohr write about: that coming to terms with our "shadow side" is a blessing, not a curse.
August 1, 2022
I have no idea how I ended up with this book, I normally shy away from anything overly religious but it’s been on my shelf for a very long time and it fitted a reading theme so I picked it up. At times I did wonder why I was bothering to read it, it does explore faith quite a lot which isn’t really up my street. But I did like the way it dealt with relationships between friends, family and acquaintances. I didn’t know it was part of a series until I finished, and it did stand on its own pretty well, however I don’t think I will be seeking out the rest of the books.
February 29, 2020
The writer has done a great job of creating this complex interwoven world of some of the members of the Anglican church in the twentieth century. The historical and theological stuff is really well done and the characters well rounded out. She is not a great novelist but nonetheless a significant writer, particularly in these later works. Her earlier books are patchy and at times superficial but this series is formidable in its breadth of scope and profound insights.
June 17, 2018
Reading this book reminded me of a miniseries on Masterpiece Theater. This story evolves around the Church of England. Like a miniseries it has a slow start as the author introduces the players and past wrongs. Everyone carries their own baggage from childhood they spend a lifetime trying to fix! Forgiveness heals all.
December 22, 2020
A very good end to a very good series. This one is not quite as memorable (at least, I found nothing in it that I remembered from reading it some 20 years ago, other than who the narrator is), but does a very good job of wrapping up the series, not only in terms of the characters but also the theological themes.
June 23, 2017
I've typically rated her novels with 3 stars as excellent fictional stories. However, the entire series is utterly engaging relatable emotive redemptive. I love the people she created. It makes me wonder about her life and experiences...
November 7, 2022
This book completed my reading of the Starbridge series. While a fictional series, it's a reminder of all human frailties, whether ordained clergy or layman. I love the Austin Ferrar quotes at the beginning of each chapter. I'm definitely adding some of his writing to my theological library.
January 11, 2024
A satisfying end to a brilliant series of novels.
I adored the mixture of psychology, theology & Anglican church history. The characters in these novels are explored in great detail and if you read all six novels, you see how they interacted with each other in very believable ways.
I adored the mixture of psychology, theology & Anglican church history. The characters in these novels are explored in great detail and if you read all six novels, you see how they interacted with each other in very believable ways.
August 9, 2018
Surprised me with how looking into the life of a pastor struggling with his faith could be so compelling. Plot is not so focused, but the day-in-day-out is fascinating and heartbreaking.
August 20, 2018
Love this book series.
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August 2, 2019Loved this entire series. Just wonderful.
August 19, 2019
I think I found my favorite author. I hadn’t realized this was the last in a series when I started. Still, It was easy to get on board but hard to have it end. Brilliant.
December 16, 2019
utterly tedious
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