Scandalous Risks

Rating:
Summary: Honest to God, truthful, and a good read
Review: 1963. Venetia Flaxton, twentysomething, from an agnostic aristocratic family has a passionate adulterous affair with Neville Asygarth, who is now Dean of Sarbridge Cathederal (In 'Ultimate Prizes' he was Archdeacon of Starbridge). Both use Robinson's 'Honest to God' has an excuse, that all are called to 'love' but this 'love' has serious repucussions that damage Asygarth's family even further, sends Venetia into a spiral of depression and addiction, and rocks the immediate Cathederal community.

It is also interesting to see the regulars again, albeit twenty years older. Charles Ashworth is now Bishop of Starbridge, and his two sons have interesting 'psyches' as Jon Darrow would put it. Jon Darrow himself is a retired 'hermit' following the death of his wife, his son Nicholas is psychic himself, but is also highly immature. The multi-faced expolation of the characters and their '3-D descrpitions of their personalities makes you eel that you know them, and you soon find yourself rooting for various individuals and even feel compassion and concern for those you dislike

Rating:
Summary: May-December Affair Brilliantly Told!
Review: Here I had just settled into the idea that the rest ofHowatch's "Church" books were going to be just 4 star reads,when I read this one, her very best. Told from the point of view ofVenetia, a 26 year old daughter of the aristocracy, we see her affairunfold with 60 year old Neville Aysgarth, the narrator of the lastbook, "Ultimate Prizes." This is a very different book fromthe other three. First, we have the feminine "I" tellingthe story whereas before it has always been a male minister or monk ofthe Anglican Church. Second, the time period shifts to the 1960s,when all bets on morality were temporarily off and were argued as suchamong Anglican theologians. One real-life book becomes the focus fordoing what you want as long as you do it with love, per a leadingAnglican bishop of the day...I was a basket case by the end of thisbook and that is the ultimate compliment. Had you given me thepremise of the book as I've written above, I doubt I would have evenread it, wondering why I'd want to read about a 26 year old and a 60year old. I'm so glad I'd made the commitment to read the whole seriesbecause this is one of the best novels I've ever read. Since thisbook packs an emotional wallop that far exceeds the first three booksin the series, and since it is the only one involving a femalenarrator, I can't help but wonder if some or all of it happened toHowatch herself.

Rating:
Summary: May-December Affair Brilliantly Told!
Review: Here I had just settled into the idea that the rest ofHowatch's "Church" books were going to be just 4 star reads,when I read this one, her very best. Told from the point of view ofVenetia, a 26 year old daughter of the aristocracy, we see her affairunfold with 60 year old Neville Aysgarth, the narrator of the lastbook, "Ultimate Prizes." This is a very different book fromthe other three. First, we have the feminine "I" tellingthe story whereas before it has always been a male minister or monk ofthe Anglican Church. Second, the time period shifts to the 1960s,when all bets on morality were temporarily off and were argued as suchamong Anglican theologians. One real-life book becomes the focus fordoing what you want as long as you do it with love, per a leadingAnglican bishop of the day...I was a basket case by the end of thisbook and that is the ultimate compliment. Had you given me thepremise of the book as I've written above, I doubt I would have evenread it, wondering why I'd want to read about a 26 year old and a 60year old. I'm so glad I'd made the commitment to read the whole seriesbecause this is one of the best novels I've ever read. Since thisbook packs an emotional wallop that far exceeds the first three booksin the series, and since it is the only one involving a femalenarrator, I can't help but wonder if some or all of it happened toHowatch herself.

Rating:
Summary: Howatch does it again!
Review: In the fourth of the Starbridge books Howatch does it again - she proves her amazing versatility as a writer of fiction by giving us a completely new character in a completely new voice and a completely new style. It never ceases to amaze me how Howatch, in each case, actually BECOMES the narrator! Whereas the elderly churchman Jon Darrow of Glamorous Powers (for instance) speaks in a rather conservative, upper class voice, Venetia is racy, witty, full of verve and charm, and it is easy to understand why poor Neville is completely besotted with her.
In this book we have the only female narrator in the entire series, and the only non-clergyman. Venetia is a rebellious society woman who discovers a completely new dimension to herself when she falls in love with her dear "Mr Dean" - Neville Ayesgarth, the married Dean of Starbridge Cathedral. He too is carried away and it is quite alarming how both of they live in a cloud of self-deception as to the nature of their relationship... and more than once while reading this book the Clinton-Lewinsky affair came to my mind - especially when the question arises as to whether or not they have technically committed adultery.

This story takes place in the 60's, and is the first in the second trilogy; the first trilogy was set in the 30's and 40's so now the three major protagonists of those books are a greta deal older. Mr Dean could be Venetia's father, and in fact his daughter is her best friend, which only adds to the delusion (mostly HIS) that the relationship is mainly spiritual in nature.

I feel that of all the Starbridge books, this one works as well as a stand-alone as part of a series, and for anyone who would like a taste of post-saga Howatch but is not quite decided whether or not to plunge into an entire six-book series, I would recommend this one. Another great book for our online discussion group!

Rating:
Summary: A theological beach novel
Review: Like all the books in Susan Howatch's Church of England series, "Scandalous Risks" has a page-turning plot and a good dose of romance and intrigue, while also being an exploration of 20th-century Anglican theology and spirituality. In this novel, the sexual tension is between a young woman and a married Anglican priest, and theologically, it's about a certain type of liberal theology (specifically, the 1960s book "Honest to God" by Bishop John Robinson) and its potential for misuse.

The six books in the series, plus "The Wonder Worker," which might as well be part of the series, move through the 20th century and have overlapping characters, but there's no need to read them in order. My favorites are this one, "Glamorous Powers," and "Absolute Truths."

Rating:
Summary: Made me squirm, but I stayed with it
Review: Something about Susan Howatch's writing reminds me of a Barbara Michaels novel. But despite the traces of fluffy contrivance, as Howatch's characters struggle with their humanness and hubris they sometimes say something important or even profound. Jonathan Darrow, the worldly ex-monk, seems an especially worthwhile character in that respect (this is only the second Howatch novel I've read so far). My main complaint was that this book makes women look awfully silly! I kept wanting to tell Venetia to get over it already.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, powerful themes
Review: Though one need not be religious to enjoy Susan Howatch's work, a delight of her C of E series is that she is equal in gifts as novelist, theologian (with a Jungian flavour), and scholar. The integration of certain powerful themes is seamless with the "romance" plot, and thus painless for those without religious interests, yet, for those who have studied the spiritual life, the classic conflicts between faith and behaviour are placed into clear focus.

Neville Aysgarth is a classic study in self-deception - one of genuine faith, but blinded both by perceived personal needs and the desire to defend a Liberal Modernism credo. Susan Howatch brilliantly sets forth, in this character, how such conflict can not only justify behaviour one would insist was immoral with a clear vision, but glorify it by linking it to a supposed "higher ideal" which differs from the norm. The non-religious who thrive on characterisation will have ample food for thought in the depiction of Aysgarth's bizarre marriage.

Venetia, young, intelligent, and restless, provides the themes of the intense drives to find spiritual and sexual fulfillment. Though the reader is tempted to see from the beginning that Venetia's affair with Aysgarth is doomed to be a catastrophe, there is more to this than "love is blind" cliches. Aysgarth's intense personality, and brilliant (if flawed) integration of his self-deception with theological concepts, makes it both understandable and tragic that Venetia can both find the affair exciting and be led to believe that certain of its aspects are indicative of an extraordinary religious commitment and morality on Aysgarth's part.

The characters of Charles and Lyle Ashworth, the main characters in Glittering Images, are presented now as the long-married, wise "Rev and Mrs Bishop." Their involvement in the plot has a special dimension, showing that wise, considerate, mature advice, given with the best of intentions, often not only fails to divert misery but increases its impact.

This book's providing an engrossing tale (and, for all its bizarre turns, actually one less melodramatic than some others of the series) is enhanced by its giving one the food for thought that distinguishes the entire series.