Product Description

Charles Ashworth is privileged, pampered and pleased with himself. As Bishop of Starbridge in 1965 he 'purrs along as effortlessly as a well-tuned Rolls-Royce' while he proclaims his famous 'absolute truths' to a society which he sees - with rage and revulsion - as increasingly immoral and disordered. But then a catastrophe tears his life apart and confronts him with the real absolute truths, truths which so shatter him that he finds himself stripped of his pride and struggling for survival. Grappling with the revelation that he has failed his wife, short-changed one son and distorted the personality of the other, Charles's guilt steadily drives him into the immoral and disordered life he has condemned so violently in others. Fighting against the threat of complete breakdown, he then embarks on a quest to rebuild not only his private life but his professional life, a quest which leads him to a final battle with his old enemy Dean Aysgarth in the shadow of Starbridge Cathedral.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13659 in Books
• Published on: 1996-07-22
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 672 pages

Review
'I read on, wriggling on a hypnotic storyteller's hook' Daily Telegraph 'Every bit as good as Trollope' Liverpool Echo 'A tour de force! Susan Howatch has been likened to a twentieth-century version of Trollope. To make such a comparison is to fail to do her justice' Church of England Newspaper 'Howatch writes thrillers of the heart and mind ! everything in a Howatch novel cuts close to the bone and is of vital concern' New Woman 'Riveting! extremely moving and often very funny! She is a deft storyteller, and her writing has depth, grace and pace' Sunday Times 'She is writing for anyone who can recognise that mysterious gift of the true storyteller' Daily Telegraph 'One of the most original novelists writing today' Cosmopolitan 'The best female writer in Britain today' Birmingham Evening Mail

About the Author
Susan Howatch was born in Surrey in England. After taking a degree in law at King's College, London, she emigrated to America where she married, had a daughter, and embarked on her career as a writer. In 1976 she separated from her husband, left America and lived in the Republic of Ireland for four years before returning to England. While living in a flat overlooking Salisbury Cathedral and "trying to hold my divided self together", she found herself inspired by the beauty of the cathedral and became a convert. She wondered if she should continue producing romantic novels. Instead, she wrote the series of six Starbridge novels about the Church of England in the 20th century, all of which reflect her own spiritual crises.

Customer Reviews

absolutely satisfying
Although this is the last book in the Starbridge series it is actually set in time before its immediate prequel, Mystical Paths. Howatch obviously had good reasons for doing this; no other book could have rounded up the series so perfectly, and certainly it was a delight to return to Chares Ashworh as narrator, who began the whole series. This time Charles is at the evening of his life. He has been the Bishop of Salisbury for some years.. Some of those nearest and dearest to him have passed away and he has to come to terms not only with the sense of loss, doubt and lack of direction, but also with his wayward Dean, Neville Ayesgarth, who still insists on going off on a tangent in affairs of the Cathedral. As in Scandalous Risks, scandal seems only around the corner and Charles has to develop very strong spiritual muscles in order to bring matters to an outcome worthy of a Christian.
I must not forget to mention that in this novel Starbridge Cathedral itself - in the other books merely a background stat - becomes a major character, and a star player during the Grande Finale The climax of this book is not only deeply moving, it is also absolutely perfect. As is the entire series.

Realistic account of the pressures of religion
I enjoyed this book. Its accurate depiction of the breakdown of a bishop ring true; it shows that the compartmentalisation of religion doesn't work and the book challenges its readers to rethink their own ways of believing.

What is particularly interesting to note is the play between ambition and success, and the rounded, authentic humanity which eventually emerges from Charles' breakdown. the Church of England should perhaps note this effect and take some action...

Excellent end to a series
I am not a churchgoer. I came to Howatch's 'Starbridge' series because they were recommended by Liz Greene, the astrologer, because of the ways the novels look at pitfalls in the spiritual life. I have now read all six novels and I particularly like this one because of the way it looks at the choices Ashworth makes when his crisis hits him. I find the many thoughts that go through his mind about the infinite variety of mistakes open to him in certain situations a true reflection of the difficulties faced by a person who does not wish to compromise with him or herself.

In this particular sense this book reminds me of the Old Testament in which all of Jahweh's prophets come short. David had his Bathsheba, even Moses never got to see the Promised Land.

I am not a great novel reader these days and when I do latch on to an author I sometimes am in for the long haul. In the last ten years I have read about fifteen books by Doris Lessing and about the same number by le Carre. I am now heading off to the next trilogy by Susan Howatch.