Glamorous Powers (G.K. Hall Audio Series) [Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Susan Howatch (Author)

Book Description

Series: G.K. Hall Audio Series | Publication Date: January 1992

Reissue of the author's most famous and well-loved work, the Starbridge series, six self-contained yet interconnected novels that explore the history of the Church of England through the 20th century. Jon Darrow, a man with psychic powers, is a man who has played many parts: a shady faith-healer; a naval chaplain, a passionate husband, an awkward father, an Anglo-Catholic monk. In 1940 Darrow returns to the world he once renounced, but faced with many unforeseen temptations he fails to control his psychic, most glamorous powers. Corruption lies in wait for him, and threatens not only his future as a priest but his happiness with Anne, the young woman he has come to love.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jon Darrow is the Anglican priest and abbot with a charismatic presence and psychic abilities who figured in a small but memorable way in Howatch's Glittering Images , to which this is a sequel. Darrow's "glamorous powers" are both a blessing and a curse: he is subject to intense visions which may come directly from Godor from the Devil. Set during the early years of WW II, and told in the first person, the narrative appropriately holds the reader spellbound by the hints and gradual revelation of Darrow's character. The novel opens with a vision that Darrow interprets as God's instruction to leave his religious order and return to serve Him in the world. But he is forced to work with his superior, an old enemy, to ascertain whether this was indeed a true vision from God, and he finds himself revealing more and more of his life and motivations. When he does leave, the strain of the upheaval and the subsequent events provoke an intense spiritual crisis and breakdown; but this signals the collapse of the spiritually arrogant, intellectually superior persona that Jon Darrow had created to protect himself from the pain of being. In this witty, wise novel, the question, "Does God exist?" is always understood and, true to life, ambiguously answered. Howatch assures her readers that a third novel, about a peripheral but minor character here, is on its way. 75,000 first printing; BOMC alternate .
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

'Glamorous Powers is a brave and welcome new direction for Susan Howatch to take' Observer 'An intriguing and wholly involving story' New York Times Book Review 'This novel marks a remarkable departure for Susan Howatch' Today '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 'A mesmerising storyteller' Daily Telegraph 'One of the most original novelists writing today' Cosmopolitan 'She is a deft storyteller, and her writing has depth, grace and pace' Sunday Times --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: G K Hall Audio Books; Unabridged edition (January 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081619274X
• ISBN-13: 978-0816192748
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,392,230 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, Thought Provoking, Inspiring, and Enlightening, September 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Glamorous Powers (Mass Market Paperback)

When Susan Howatch's Church of England Series was recommended to me, the first book to fall into my hands was Glamorous Powers. I read it three times; once just for the captivating story she wove; a second time with the dictionary; and a third time to meditate on the psychology and theology. Few books have made such a profound impression, reaching beyond entertaining to mentally challenging and spiritually inspiring. This book and the rest in the Church of England series (I have read all seven) are unique in modern literature, grappling boldly and convincingly with the deepest concepts of faith through the most entertaining medium of master storytelling told by one of the best. I highly recommend every book in this series. Each is entertaining. Each is a study of hope in the face of despair. Each is a mystery skillfully unraveled. Most I have read more than once, but Glamorous Powers, by a narrow margin, continues to be my favorite. This book is a bargain at any price; this author, a treasure.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blends psychology and spirituality in a captivating manner., August 2, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Glamorous Powers (Mass Market Paperback)

"Glamorous Powers" is the second of the "Church of England" Series and centers around the character of Jon Darrow whom, if you have been reading the six books in this series in chronological order, you would have already met in the opening work: "Glittering Images." The "glamorous powers" of the title are Darrow's intuitive and Holy Spirit- inspired gifts of prophetic insight, counseling, teaching and healing. But Darrow is not just gifted, he is also suseptable to all the human weaknesses and psychological convolutions we all must face. How can he understand God's will for his life, reenter the world after years of monastic life, make peace with his family, face his own past faults and ultimately find his new calling? And how objective will his spiritual director be when he and Darrow have long shared a history of interpersonal conflict? As a Christian pastor who knows a bit about "glamorous" spiritual powers, I particularly related to Howatch's insights regarding the need for spiritual leaders to work out their personal "kinks" in order to properly platform God's power. Darrow shows us how vital, yet difficult this task is, especially since it almost inevitably means we must share our deepest weaknesses with another. As usual, Howatch's text reads briksly and is packed with story twists, insights and characters that leave you crying for more. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Bill Faris

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The church from the inside out, August 25, 2001

By 

Mark A. Tusken "saintmarker" (Geneva, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Glamorous Powers (Mass Market Paperback)

Susan Howatch may be a woman with training in the law, but she gets inside the mindset of male priests in the Anglican Church (Episcopal Church in the U.S.) better than anyone else. This is a mystery, a suspense novel, a love story and a deeply psychological look at spiritual direction all rolled into one. The book begins with a man having a vision of a small country chantry (chapel). Outside the chapel is a unique suitcase. Is this god telling him to pack his bags and leave the monastary he has known for so many years? After intense spiritual direction, that I found riveting, he decides to leave. He goes on holiday, and while walking down the hall of the inn he is at, he see the suitcase of his vision! He has to meet the owner of the valise. She turns out to be a beautiful woman (much younger than himself). Will love ensue? What is god's will? This book will encourage you to consider the power of prayer and god's direction for your life. It will call you to wrestle with the possibility of healing and evil. This book began my love affair with each of the books in the "Starbridge" series. It could be the start of something special for you, too.