I love this book! It’s many years, now, since a friend recommended Susan Howatch’s work to me, commenting that her novels - and particularly the ‘Starbridge’ series - were essentially Christian psychological thrillers. That didn’t sound like a particularly appealing genre, but I trusted my friend’s judgement - and am so glad I did.
It took me a while to get into ‘Glittering Images’ the first time I read it. The second time, just a year later, I read a lot more quickly. I enjoyed it again in 2007, but that’s some time ago now. I picked it up again recently as I had come across a few quotations from it in a non-fiction book I was reading. I thought I might skim it - but was soon hooked again.
The story features 37-year old Charles Ashworth, an ordained minister who works in academic circles, and is a friend of the Archbishop. It’s set in the early part of the 20th century using some real people (or characters based on real individuals) but Charles is entirely fictional. He is given a mission by the Archbishop, to visit the Bishop of Starbridge and check whether he is or has done anything indiscreet, which might be pounced upon by the media.
Charles really doesn’t want to do this, but feels he can’t refuse this assignment. He is, in any case, quite interested to learn how the Bishop’s household functions: his wife Carrie is considered attractive but fluffy, while the Bishop is a strong-minded academic. Carrie has a companion, Lyle, who is known to be ultra-efficient.. and Charles is surprised at how attractive he finds her....
While the book is somewhat rambling in places, with a great deal of conversation, I found, once again, that it was remarkably difficult to put down. I could remember the broad outline of the plot, of course, and the eventual resolution - but much of the detail intrigued me all over again.
Perhaps Charles’ problems, which eventually surface in dramatic events, are caricatured and exaggerated. Perhaps the psychological investigation that follows - and helps him uncover them - is a bit too neat and tidy. But it makes very exciting reading, and Charles’ advisor - the mystical monk Jon Darrow - is a most intriguing character.
The writing is powerful, often quite terse (other than in the conversations) and dramatic, with very clever plotting as events and memories unfold. It didn’t grip me quite as much as it did that first time, and I didn’t feel as drawn to Charles as I did years ago - but still, it was a very enjoyable read, with some great insights into possible reasons for some behaviours.
The book has been criticised as suggesting that Anglican ministers are naturally as described in the book, but I don’t really think that’s fair: Charles and the Bishop of Starbridge are unusual, in contrast to the majority of other hard-working and ethical vicars around the country. My one reservation at recommending it widely is that there’s one somewhat explicit - and shocking - scene, and quite a lot of frank discussion about intimacies throughout the book. Perhaps it’s low-key compared to the majority of modern novels, but I would hesitate to recommend this to anyone under the age of about 16.
Still, it’s a book I will no doubt return to in future, yet again, and one that I recommend highly to friends.
Still in print, and now available inexpensively for the Kindle too.
Review copyright 2014 Sue's Book Reviews
I have enjoyed quite a few books by JoJo Moyes, a writer whom I only discovered about five years ago. Her novels encompass a variety of topics, often with a historical dimension, and are very well written. So I’ve started adding more of them to my wishlist. I received this one for my last birthday.
‘The ship of brides’ starts with an ambiguous and intriguing prologue, which didn’t make sense (indeed, I had quite forgotten about it) until nearer the end. This is followed by a scene full of action, set in 2002. A young British woman and her elderly grandmother are in India, doing some sight-seeing. The young woman is flouts convention and goes to visit a ship-yard full of discarded vessels; the old woman eventually follows her, and has an immense shock as she spots one of the rusting old ships...
The main part of the novel takes place in 1946, when a boatload of Australian brides are en route to the UK to be reunited with the husbands they married during the war. Although the characters are fictional, they are based on real people and the book is set around some actual historical events. At the start of each chapter is a brief quotation from letters or journals written by some of the people involved at the time. The author evidently did a great deal of research, and the general feel was of an authentic account.
At the start of the historical section we meet four of the Australian brides before they set out: the rather snobby Avice, of wealthy family; the nurse Frances, who has seen some terrible injuries; the cheerful (and very pregnant) Margaret, and sixteen-year-old Jean.
These four very different women find themselves sharing a cabin on their voyage, which is not on a liner but on a converted warship. The captain really isn’t happy about having hundreds of women on board, and some of his staff are not entirely sure how to deal with lively young brides.
Different chapters are written from the different perspectives of some of the main characters, giving a good picture of what life would have been like for these courageous women who crossed the world to be with their husbands, some of them uncertain whether they would ever see their home and families again. Worse still, some of the husbands were still on active duty - and some didn’t want their Australian wives. So there was constant stress there, quite apart from the unusual circumstances of crossing the ocean in cramped quarters.
I found the book interesting - it’s a part of history I knew nothing about - but as a novel, this didn’t really work for me. It felt more like a series of anecdotes than a real plot, and I didn’t warm to any of the main characters other than, perhaps, Margaret. I had forgotten all about the opening scene - perhaps I was supposed to guess what the relevance of the main part of the book was, but in the event it was quite a surprise to return to 2002 at the end. It was a satisfying ending which made sense, but didn’t feel like part of the book.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction that’s more anecdotal than having a strong storyline. The writing is good, as I have come to expect from JoJo Moyes, and at times I could almost imagine the situations. But somehow this book didn’t grip me. Still, perhaps I'll feel differently if I re-read it in another ten years or so...
Available in both paperback and Kindle form.
Review copyright 2014 Sue's Book Reviews
This is a book that had been recommended to me several times. So, eventually, I bought it, when I saw it on special offer. I hadn’t previously heard of Les and Leslie Parrott, both of whom are apparently doctors of some variety, but reviews made it sound like an interesting book, well worth reading.
‘Real relationships’ is written from a Christian perspective. However it can still be of use to those of other (or no) faith. The Christian aspect is quite low-key until the final chapter, which is about relating to God. Earlier chapters deal in constructive and practical with human relationships of different kinds.
The book begins with a useful and thought-provoking introduction about the needs we all have for connection to other people. It demonstrates the importance of looking at our background and childhood - particularly if relationships have proved difficult - to see if there are unhelpful patterns that may translate into relationship difficulties later on.
The first relationships to be considered are those in the family, since that’s where we all begin. Later in the book romantic relationships are described, with some interesting - and, I thought, realistic - comments about built-in differences between men and women. There are also chapters about friendship in general, and some thought-provoking points about the contrast between life-long friends and those who are important to us for a period or place in our lives, but who then move on.
In my opinion, the book was well-written and very interesting, on the whole. However it was rather annoying to discover that, to make the best use of it, I should also have bought a related workbook - costing almost as much as the book itself - with exercises to help me determine how ready I was for various relationships, and how my emotional health was in general.
I like filling in questionnaires so I was quite tempted by the Kindle version of the ‘Real Relationships Workbook’. However the ‘look inside’ feature is so limited that there was no way to find out whether it would actually be helpful. I didn’t buy it - and doubt if I missed out on anything important - but the frequent directions to do another exercise became irritating.
Still, other than that, I thought it a helpful book which I would recommend to anyone having difficulties in either friendships or romance; or, indeed, anyone who is interested in learning more about the ways in which relationships of many kinds can work.
Available both in paperback and Kindle form on both sides of the Atlantic.
Review copyright 2014 Sue's Book Reviews
I happened to notice that the last book review I wrote was my 1499th on this blog. I don't usually notice numbers of that kind, but I started wondering if something extra special could be my 1500th review, since I started writing them back in 1999.
It just so happened that I saw a Facebook 'challenge' to choose ten books that had stayed with me over the years - that had, perhaps, affected my worldview. I jotted notes and eventually turned it into a review on another blog. In doing so, I checked to see how many of my 'top ten' had been reviewed here - in other words, which of them had I re-read in the past fifteen years? I was pleased to find that eight of them had reviews on this blog: evidently they were, indeed, books that had truly stayed with me.
One of the books is long out of print and I haven't been able to get hold of it. But the tenth in the list is one that I have read many times in the past few years. I haven't reviewed it because it's a picture book for children, and I read so many of those that it's hard to keep track.
But then it occurred to me that it would make an excellent subject for my 1500th review.
If I had to choose just one children’s picture book, from all those I have ever come across, I would opt for ‘Dogger’ by Shirley Hughes. She is a writer and illustrator, probably best known for her series about Alfie and Annie Rose, which I also like very much.
I first came across 'Dogger' when my sons were little. I bought a hardback edition as part of a set which I have kept, even when moving abroad with no small children. The story is about a small boy called Dave who is, I suppose, about three. Dogger is his greatly-loved toy. Dave also has a big sister, who likes teddies and a baby brother. And they live in a very English home which, like most of Shirley Hughes' illustrations, is nicely cluttered.
The plot gets going when Dogger gets lost - sharp-eyed children may spot what happens to him, though probably not the first time they hear the story. Naturally there's a happy ending, but it comes after a dramatic and very moving climax.
The pictures look somewhat dated, by today's standards, but they are part of what makes this book (and others by this author) so very special. They match perfectly with the text, and provide inspiration for a great deal of discussion from children listening to the story. Even now, when I re-read it for the umpteenth time to some small friends, we have to stop on the page illustrating a fancy-dress parade so they can decide which costumes they like best, and which will suit various relatives and friends.
I particularly like this book because, rather than being overtly educational, there’s a powerful theme of family love. In a gentle way, showing rather than telling, this book emphasises how important it is to listen to a child's concerns, however trivial they might seem to the rest of his family. As for the ending - it's a wonderful example of sacrificial love that even a small child can understand. When I haven't read the book for a while, I get choked up as I read it, despite knowing the story almost word for word.
Dogger' is still in print, available fairly indexpensively in paperback at Amazon UK. it can sometimes be found second-hand, too, or on offer in children's book shops.
I highly recommend this as a read-aloud book for any child from the age of about three; older children enjoy the story too, and it makes an excellent early reading book for a child of around five or six who is just beginning to read on their own.
Review copyright 2014 Sue's Book Reviews
