I was eagerly anticipating my delve into this book because I really liked Jon Darrow in the previous book. In fact, the scenes in Glittering Images where Charles is working out his issues with Darrow were the best of that novel. So when I started this book, it was with much enthusiasm and the beginning did not disappoint. The book begins with Darrow having a vision that leads him to conclude that God is calling him away from his life as a monk and into a new life back out in the world. The whole first third of the book is Darrow discussing this possibility with his superior, the Abbott-General. The interesting thing about this discussion is that the Abbott-General was someone that Darrow had known from adolescence when they were at Oxford together and their relationship became somewhat strained at that point. When Darrow has to reveal personal dramas from his life, he balks at having to reveal this information to someone whom he had a hard time trusting. This led to a fascinating back and forth as the reader learned more about Darrow and as the reader grappled with whether or not the Abbott-General was trustworthy (I have to say, I pretty much admired Francis Ingram from the moment he entered the novel).Then Darrow takes off into the real world and this is where the reading got hard for me. As the novel continued to progress, I liked Darrow less and less. There were many times where I thought a good slap administered to the back of his head might not have gone amiss. Many of his decisions seemed questionable to anyone with good sense (which is what I thought Darrow had in spades as he was so great at directing others) and his reactions to some of the consequences of his decisions seemed also out of line with what I had to come to expect of Darrow from the last novel and the first third of this one. Eventually, I was just wishing that the novel would start to wrap itself up because I was so tired of disliking Darrow and I was tired of coming up to yet another situation that he would just hopelessly bungle. The presence of the secondary characters in this novel ended up saving it, for me. I loved Anne from the moment she stepped onto the page and I felt that her behavior, at least, reflected some kind of normalcy even if her decisions weren't so great. And Father Ingram...bless that man. He was witty and humorous.The writing itself is excellent, just as it was in the first novel in this series. Howatch has an amazing ability to explore all kinds of areas of a person's brain and how they think. She explores motivations and connects them with past feelings quite beautifully. I love the way she works through her characters neuroses through witty dialogue. I wasn't happy with what Darrow became in this novel and I feel it wasn't as successful as the first, but I will go on to read the next because I love how this author works with her characters.
This is the second book in the Howatch series about the Church of England. I enjoyed it just as much as the first.Our protagonist, Johnathan Darrow, is a character from the first book. He is a priest who has led an interesting life and who struggles with difficult issues. When we met him in the first book, he was the abbot of a Fordite monastery and that is where we pick up in this story as well although it is some years passed.Mr. Darrow has some very unique psychic powers which have at different times through Christian history, been attributed to mystics. He is very charismatic and has become accustomed to using his talents to help others but also for some small gratification. Darrow's chief sin is pride. He is proud of his abilities and sometimes sees himself above others because of it.I will not spoil the tale by revealing the storyline but I will tell you some small things. Mr. Darrow has skeletons in his closet! He has daddy issues and mommy issues and wife issues and children issues. He is more than 60 years old and yet he can't decided what he wants to be when he grows up.In short, he is quite like many of us, with the hidden mysteries of our personal lives that we like to keep hidden from the world and which impact us in ways that most people could never imagine. He is proud and arrogant and does like to admit his faults.Of all the characters in all the books that I have read throughout my life, I identify with Jonathan Darrow more than any other. He is a man who wants to live a spiritual life for God. He wants to understand his relationship with his parents. He wants to be a better father to his children. He wants to overcome his personal struggles and find peace.Just like the first, this book is not for the amateur reader. You are going to be challenged by them and you can't simply ignore the challenging parts and think it is an enjoyable story. Howatch's books are like a small child who keeps poking you in the side. Eventually you have to acknowledge the poking, it won't go away until you do.
What do You think about Glamorous Powers (1996)?
Susan Howatch has been a favorite author for 30+ years. I took a break from her fiction for years but have once again taken it up with her Starbridge series (six books) that deal fictionally with the Church England. I think she has a rare gift at intertwining fiction and non-fiction. For reasons I have been unable to unearth, few of this series are available in audio format and the ones that I've been able to find are priced from $60-$150+. I am totally baffled by the high cost and difficulty in locating them. Local libraries here had the first in the series only and even then, it was a well-worn set of cassettes and not CDs. Even 1st edition hardback copies are priced beyond their original cost.
—Elizabeth
Short review: I have now read this twice, about 2 years apart. I liked it much better this time. First time I enjoyed it, but it just didn't catch me as much as the other books in the series. This time I really appreciated the subtle critique of pietist christians (although without actually condemning those that are serious about their Christian work.)Much of the main plot points are fairly similar to the first book, a bad previous marriage, father issues, etc. But this time it was not so much about how sin keeps us from God, but how our prideful following of what we think God's will is can keep us from properly caring for our family and others around us and violating some of the basic principle of loving those around us. The I Cor 13 passage comes to mind. The main character Jon Darrow and have 'glamorous powers' to serve God, but if he can't love his wife and pay attention to those around time (and listen to their advice seriously) then his own powers are not worth much in the end. First reading review on my blog http://bookwi.se/glamorous-powers/Second reading review on my blog http://bookwi.se/glamorous-powers-2/
—Adam Shields
If I could I would have given this book 2.5 stars. The second book in the Strabridge sereies it takes one of the characters from the first story and tells us his story. Jon Darrow is an Anglican monk who comes to the realisation that it's time to leave the monastery and go into the world. It then tells of his trials and tribulations and his problems with reconciling his faith with what he finds there.Although I enjoyed this book I think in many ways it would be enjoyed better by a non-Christian
— Northern Light
