Customer Reviews

Scandalous Risks

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

Author Susan Howatch unites Stephen Aysgarth, a married Anglican Dean of Starbridge Cathedral, with young aristocrat Venetia Flaxton in a passionate affair of the heart. Scandalous risks indeed! This affair serves as a mirror that reflects the human impact of a raging debate in the 1960's over the book, Honest To God, by Anglican Bishop John A. T. Robinson. The contents of this volume record an attempt to restate Christianity in modern terms to a "generation come of age." Howatch tracks the nature and implications of the debate in the lives of these all too human characters as they seek to live out their beliefs. The consequences of their actions highlight what was truly at stake in such a public debate. This clever devise puts real faces on the scandalous risk of theological "up-dating." The lively dialogue, passionate characters, and suspenceful developments make this book an engaging and thoughtful read about Church and society in a tumultuous era.

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

An emotion-charged, roller coaster ride on the subject of intergenerational love, Howatch's book deals close to the bone. Neville Asygarth is surely one of the sexiest protagonists in fiction, with his mass of frailties and weaknesses. Yet ultimately it is his belief in Love and its redemptive powers that lift the ending. And of course, he is right.

The subject of an old/young love has rarely been dealt with in fiction, albeit with such perception and sensitivity. As a younger partner in one such relationship, her observations strike very close to home, and the last few pages, describing the twilight of Aysgarth's life and his search for forgiveness left tears in my eyes.

I finished the book with a sense of loss and regret...too real, the book had been. Much too real...thank you Ms. Howatch. I thought you had peaked with the excelent Wheel of Fortune, but I'm glad you didn't.

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."

This books was the most difficult of the series for me to deal with. Perhaps because the main character is a woman. The woman's situation with the Archdeacon is almost a foretelling of the current Clinton/Lewinsky affair in America. This entire series covers just about every imaginable human relationship and spiritual struggle. Almost anyone who reads these books will see themselves or those close to them in some of the moral struggles described. These struggles are described with amazing objectivity in my view.

When you've been on a forced diet of spun cotton candy thanks to the "fluffy" nature of current works of fiction, coming across the C of E novels of Susan Howatch is like finding a two-inch thick, medium rare sliced roast beef sandwich on rye with a leaf of romaine and a large dollop of mayonnaise: you sink your teeth into it with gusto! Beautifully written, meticulously crafted, ingeniously plotted, the books are so charactor-driven you become personally invested in the outcome. And she uses polysyllabic words!

You must start with the first in the series, "Glittering Images" because the characters in each novel resurface in succeeding books and -- because you are privy to their private psychological and spiritual battles -- you are also aware of the deceptions and subterfuges they use in later books to cover their all-too-human failings.

The literary tone of the later novels, such as "Scandalous Risks," changes to reflect the modern idiom of the 1960's, and the narrator, Venetia Flaxton, possesses a breezy charm which makes her infinitely likeable and, therefore, underscores the tragedy of her youthful and ill-considered love affair with an older man, making it all the more poignant.

Like each of the clergymen highlighted in this series, Dean Asgarth is deeply flawed. All of these clergymen are the equivalent of corporate CEOs and enjoy the same failings as their more worldly counterparts, i.e. strategizing, manipulation, egotism, arrogance, ambition, abuse of power, prevarication, self-deception and self-interest. When they get too far afield of their spiritual calling, they are ordered by their particular hierarchical superior to seek spiritual counseling, usually from a member of the steely-disciplined Fordite monks. Sadly for the heroine, Dean Asgarth's penchant for pretty young girls coupled with his self-delusion and arrogance are not perceived by his superiors until the damage has been done. This is a priest whose capacity for compartmentalization has almost reached a psychotic art form. Venetia, while physically unharmed, is certainly psychologically scarred for life by her encounter with the wily, self-absorbed, deluded and manipulative Dean.

"Scandalous Risks" presents a portrait of the 1960's when everything seemed like a bright and gay adventure without lasting consequences but which had a price tag for which the bill has come due.

This is an incredibly meaty series, rewarding and satiating, although not for the reader who's looking for a breezy read. I'm sorry to see it end, and I may just turn around and re-read it to see what I missed in its richly textured depths.

I second the enthusiastic responses; I find Scandalous Risks the most compelling of the series (now the Nick-and-Lewis show), and Venetia a more-than-sympathetic character whose struggle to give her life meaning ends in disaster all round. My only quibble -- at this point, I'll out myself as a writer and an academic! -- is with Howatch's execrable style. I agree with the reviewer who praised her dialogue. But the narratives are littered with such infelicities as "Immediately all eyes swivelled to the derelict house across the road." (From The Heartbreaker, the most recent of her C of E series). Try picturing eyes swivelling, much less a group of them swivelling in unison. The hands that "crawl around in" psyches, the "swivelling eyes," the "curiosity...[that] accelerates]" do mar my enjoyment at times. But Venetia's dialogue is brilliant, [spoiler alert] subtly conveying her self-loathing and her addiction to self-defeating behavior that temporarily numbs her pain. Her scorn for the Oxbridge education she should have had is particularly painful for the reader who admires her intelligence and style. Stylistic quibbles aside, a crackerjack novel (and series) unlike anything else I know of. All eight rank high on my list of "comfort books," although I agree with the reviewer who finds Ultimate Prizes hard going. I've reread them repeatedly; if I can't manage all eight, I pick up Scandalous Risks and revel in the intellectual cut-and-thrust. "Literary" novelists" should take a cue from Howatch, and join her in creating novels of ideas, a difficult genre in which she excels. Interesting, isn't it, that only genre writers (novelists, screenwriters, writers for TV) tackle the Big Questions about why we're here and where we're going. Howatch makes it appear effortless, which I'm certain it isn't.