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Angels and Men
Parson's daughter Mara Johns arrives as a postgraduate student at a great northern cathedral city. Antagonistic to the church and fiercely independent, she repels all friendly overtures and seeks spiritual answers in her theological research. But when her past involvement in an extreme sect resurfaces, she finds her quest won't stay academic. Nor can she hold out against her persistent would-be friends. Gradually she unbends and laughs with Maddy and May; locks horns with the insufferable 'polecat' - and finds herself torn between the attentions of two suitors. But they are both ordinands, and she's vowed she'll never marry a vicar. When her carefully controlled world falls apart, it is these new friends she must turn to if she wants to survive.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
12 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Fox
14Ìýbooks64ÌýfollowersCatherine Fox was educated at Durham and London Universities and has a degree in English and a PhD in Theology. She is the author of Angels and Men, The Benefits of Passion and Love for the Lost, which explore the themes of the spiritual and the physical with insight and humour. In 2007, Yellow Jersey Press published Fight the Good Fight: From Vicar's Wife to Killing Machine in which Catherine relates her quest to achieve a black belt in Judo. More recently she published a YA fantasy novel, Wolf Tide, before starting work on her three volume Lindchester Chronicles. She teaches at Manchester Metropolitan University and lives in Sheffield. She is currently blogging a new novel in weekly instalments. It starts here:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
May 11, 2025
I don't know how many times I've read this since I bought it in 1997 but it must run into double figures. And yesterday I picked it up just to see if it was as good as I remembered ... and found myself reading it every available minute since. Some books just seem to fit into one's head and heart as if grown there, and this is one of them. Gets better each and every time.
And has repeated the trick once again. And ditto a year later. Maybe something to do with the sunshine
And has repeated the trick once again. And ditto a year later. Maybe something to do with the sunshine
June 25, 2017
This isn't my usual fare of reading but I read it for a number of reasons, namely:
(a) The author is married to my new boss, the Bishop of Sheffield. It seems only courteous to read one of her books;
(b) My wife picked it up for me at a local second hand book shop, and you should always read books bought for you by your wife;
(c) I did my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at Durham University at the same time as the book was written, so I have a personal interest in the story; and
(d) I spent three years at a Church of England theological training college (aka Vicar School) so was intrigued by a novel written by an (almost) insider.
And despite it not being my usual fare, I thought it absolutely brilliant. So much better than much of the tosh that gets put forward for the Booker Prize.
What makes it so good? The characterisation is very real, the people feel real. Even the sex scenes are brilliantly observed - so far from the usual awful descriptions of something that most people would probably rather not have described. The plot is unpredictable, and remains unpredictable to the end. Religion is present but not intrusive, and there is no attempt to proselytise or force a religious view down readers' throats. Those with an inside knowledge will pick up on the clues and the hints but they are there to be discovered. Fox writes with a wonderfully wry and dark sense of humour and raised a smile in unexpected places.
Flaws? Well the characters occasional slip into caricatures - though aren't most 20 year old students caricatures anyway? The pretentious spouting of poetry and Scripture is a bit too much (after all, even students of Milton will struggle to quote off by heart chunks of Paradise Lost). And Mara, the lead character, is so bitter (there's a clue in the name, Hebraists) that it's quite hard to see just how she manages to attract the men that she does. By the end of the book her character has developed enough to see something of her attractiveness, but it might have made for a more plausible tale had this been drawn out earlier.
A final note. I had an absolutely awful fourth year at Durham where, like Mara, I threw in the towel when it came to transferring to a PhD and took my life in a different direction. Reading this book has been less cathartic, and more digging up a whole load of stuff that I'd thought was well buried. There is real pain in this book and, for the many readers for whom those hellish early-twenties are well forgotten, it comes with a health warning as well.
(a) The author is married to my new boss, the Bishop of Sheffield. It seems only courteous to read one of her books;
(b) My wife picked it up for me at a local second hand book shop, and you should always read books bought for you by your wife;
(c) I did my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at Durham University at the same time as the book was written, so I have a personal interest in the story; and
(d) I spent three years at a Church of England theological training college (aka Vicar School) so was intrigued by a novel written by an (almost) insider.
And despite it not being my usual fare, I thought it absolutely brilliant. So much better than much of the tosh that gets put forward for the Booker Prize.
What makes it so good? The characterisation is very real, the people feel real. Even the sex scenes are brilliantly observed - so far from the usual awful descriptions of something that most people would probably rather not have described. The plot is unpredictable, and remains unpredictable to the end. Religion is present but not intrusive, and there is no attempt to proselytise or force a religious view down readers' throats. Those with an inside knowledge will pick up on the clues and the hints but they are there to be discovered. Fox writes with a wonderfully wry and dark sense of humour and raised a smile in unexpected places.
Flaws? Well the characters occasional slip into caricatures - though aren't most 20 year old students caricatures anyway? The pretentious spouting of poetry and Scripture is a bit too much (after all, even students of Milton will struggle to quote off by heart chunks of Paradise Lost). And Mara, the lead character, is so bitter (there's a clue in the name, Hebraists) that it's quite hard to see just how she manages to attract the men that she does. By the end of the book her character has developed enough to see something of her attractiveness, but it might have made for a more plausible tale had this been drawn out earlier.
A final note. I had an absolutely awful fourth year at Durham where, like Mara, I threw in the towel when it came to transferring to a PhD and took my life in a different direction. Reading this book has been less cathartic, and more digging up a whole load of stuff that I'd thought was well buried. There is real pain in this book and, for the many readers for whom those hellish early-twenties are well forgotten, it comes with a health warning as well.
May 29, 2023
Compelling fiction about Mara, who has survived personal tragedy and is now trying to cope as an ordinary university student at Durham. Oddly, the undergraduates and the slightly older Divinity students at Durham University find themselves constantly interacting, although Mara, daughter of a clergyman and infuriated by religion, would rather avoid them all.
Impossible to find in the US, Fox's novels are unusual and difficult to put down, somewhat like Howatch's Glittering Prizes novels yet humorous and more accessible.
Impossible to find in the US, Fox's novels are unusual and difficult to put down, somewhat like Howatch's Glittering Prizes novels yet humorous and more accessible.
February 5, 2017
A book I love to hate and this is the only reason why I persevered with finishing it. If I could, I would give it a negative rating.
I want to give an objective and helpful review but I don't think I can. Instead, I am going to indulge in listing some of the things I disliked.
Here is a summary if you don't want to read on: the writing is simply lousy.
The cathedral bells are always chiming and it seems to always be around 4-4.30pm. At the beginning, there were various descriptions and mentions of pigeons; later, it was the smell of garlic in the air in every chapter (also quite often I would come across something like "__ was in the air" - I can't be bothered to fish out concrete examples).
The characters' eyes are perpetually filling with tears... If I had nothing better to do I would actually work out the frequency of characters crying and compare it to the number of pages in the book. On the whole, all the characters have been pathetically written into existence and their dialogue, stories and behavior felt so unnatural and implausible I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
I guess the above might seem like I am just nitpicking, but the plot and themes covered are perhaps even worse than the language used. I would frequently pause and wonder what on earth I was reading - soft porn, badly articulated 'feminist' stances, a book on religion? The list goes on... It feels like the author included certain references and elements just to make the content appear more substantial than it actually is (like a sixth form philosophy essay on a stupid question like "Does God exist? Discuss." in 1500 words.. unfortunately this book was 300+ pages).
Anyway, enough ranting. Here are some gems I bothered to note (although there is much worse buried in this book):
Now, if you don't think that the above is truly awful, I would love an argument with you.
I want to give an objective and helpful review but I don't think I can. Instead, I am going to indulge in listing some of the things I disliked.
Here is a summary if you don't want to read on: the writing is simply lousy.
The cathedral bells are always chiming and it seems to always be around 4-4.30pm. At the beginning, there were various descriptions and mentions of pigeons; later, it was the smell of garlic in the air in every chapter (also quite often I would come across something like "__ was in the air" - I can't be bothered to fish out concrete examples).
The characters' eyes are perpetually filling with tears... If I had nothing better to do I would actually work out the frequency of characters crying and compare it to the number of pages in the book. On the whole, all the characters have been pathetically written into existence and their dialogue, stories and behavior felt so unnatural and implausible I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
I guess the above might seem like I am just nitpicking, but the plot and themes covered are perhaps even worse than the language used. I would frequently pause and wonder what on earth I was reading - soft porn, badly articulated 'feminist' stances, a book on religion? The list goes on... It feels like the author included certain references and elements just to make the content appear more substantial than it actually is (like a sixth form philosophy essay on a stupid question like "Does God exist? Discuss." in 1500 words.. unfortunately this book was 300+ pages).
Anyway, enough ranting. Here are some gems I bothered to note (although there is much worse buried in this book):
"...And he bent down and kissed her full on her astonished lips."
"Why do I always trust the wrong person? Tears began to roll down her face. And now I've driven him away. It always happens. Every time I love someone, I lose them. It's like a curse. She took a mug and went to the bathroom. The smell of expensive bubble bath lingered sickeningly. Oh, mother, she sobbed. I want to go home. She caught sight of herself in the mirror as she filled the mug. There were ugly red marks on her neck. Love bites. Oh God. Everyone will see and know. I'm a slut."
"But she could not banish the image of herself whimpering and writhing under Johnny's expert fingers."
Now, if you don't think that the above is truly awful, I would love an argument with you.
June 18, 2017
Ce livre m'a parlé comme si l'auteure me l'avait écrit personnellement en me disant "tiens lisa, lis-ça, tu verras tu comprendras mieux après.".
Ce genre de livres qui t'aident au final plus qu'ils ne te distraient sont très puissants et je pense restent dans l'esprit pendant longtemps, car ils représentent comme un pont te permettant de franchir une étape.
L'auteure nous parle d'une manière froide, sèche et injuste, mais au fond si belle et si véridique. L'honnêteté et la transparence qu'elle fait dégager de ses personnages les rendent si sensibles et humains qu'il est très facile de les identifier à nos proches et à nous-mêmes.
Je viens tout juste de le finir et je me sens un peu perdue comme si je me retrouvais toute seule avec moi-même.
Et c'est avec des spécimens comme ça que je me rend compte à quel point la lecture est quelque chose de vraiment cool.
Ce genre de livres qui t'aident au final plus qu'ils ne te distraient sont très puissants et je pense restent dans l'esprit pendant longtemps, car ils représentent comme un pont te permettant de franchir une étape.
L'auteure nous parle d'une manière froide, sèche et injuste, mais au fond si belle et si véridique. L'honnêteté et la transparence qu'elle fait dégager de ses personnages les rendent si sensibles et humains qu'il est très facile de les identifier à nos proches et à nous-mêmes.
Je viens tout juste de le finir et je me sens un peu perdue comme si je me retrouvais toute seule avec moi-même.
Et c'est avec des spécimens comme ça que je me rend compte à quel point la lecture est quelque chose de vraiment cool.
February 29, 2016
I picked up this book on the basis of other readers reviews on goodreads.com. Although story takes place in theological college this book is great for religious and not so religious people ( I am atheist myself with Catholic upbringing). This is best book I read in years,narration will keep your imagination active ( you will really think you are in Cathedral City yourself), dialogue will keep you entertained. Very deep book on psychological and spiritual level, many quotes show that author did her research! This is first book I am giving 5* on goodreads.com and it is well deserved
November 17, 2017
I have been absolutely glued to this book! It's superbly written and entrancing in its portrayal of troubled youth. Rarely does prose 'hit the spot' so exactly when describing people's innermost thoughts. I can understand why it might not appeal to all types of reader; some of the scenes could be quite disturbing. It is a book to think about, and it certainly left me breathless in its frank portrayal of how much people's words and actions can affect others' sensitivities.
As a huge fan of Susan Howatch's 'Starbridge' series as well as authors such as Elizabeth Pewsey, I found the background both familiar and interesting. Catherine Fox knows her subject inside out - and needs to, for this book to be so easily authoritative.
Fox is a new author for me, and I am delighted to have discovered her. Would I read this book again? Most definitely!
As a huge fan of Susan Howatch's 'Starbridge' series as well as authors such as Elizabeth Pewsey, I found the background both familiar and interesting. Catherine Fox knows her subject inside out - and needs to, for this book to be so easily authoritative.
Fox is a new author for me, and I am delighted to have discovered her. Would I read this book again? Most definitely!
October 30, 2012
Originally published on my blog in March 2001.
The name Mara, given by Fox to the heroine and narrator of her début novel, means bitterness; it is the name taken by Naomi in the Biblical story of Ruth, when the death of her husband left her effectively a beggar in a foreign land. As such it is a strange name to choose for a child, especially when one of the parents is in the clergy. It is, however, appropriate for the character at the particular time in her life dealt with in Angels and Men.
Mara is a student in a theological college of a northern university, not named but presumably Durham from the descriptions. She has a turbulent background, having rejected the mild Anglicanism of her father for an extreme charismatic cult, and then, rejecting them in turn, cut off from her beloved twin sister Hester who chose to remain with them. The novel basically follows Mara through the college year, as she makes friends despite a desire to keep to herself, which earns her the nickname Princess.
The novel is simply but effectively structured, with each chapter bringing in a new revelation about Mara's background and character. (This means that by the end we have a very well drawn study of a particular person indeed.) The intensity of her recent experiences - she has effectively come out of a mind controlling cult - makes Angels and Men an exciting if uncomfortable read.
The name Mara, given by Fox to the heroine and narrator of her début novel, means bitterness; it is the name taken by Naomi in the Biblical story of Ruth, when the death of her husband left her effectively a beggar in a foreign land. As such it is a strange name to choose for a child, especially when one of the parents is in the clergy. It is, however, appropriate for the character at the particular time in her life dealt with in Angels and Men.
Mara is a student in a theological college of a northern university, not named but presumably Durham from the descriptions. She has a turbulent background, having rejected the mild Anglicanism of her father for an extreme charismatic cult, and then, rejecting them in turn, cut off from her beloved twin sister Hester who chose to remain with them. The novel basically follows Mara through the college year, as she makes friends despite a desire to keep to herself, which earns her the nickname Princess.
The novel is simply but effectively structured, with each chapter bringing in a new revelation about Mara's background and character. (This means that by the end we have a very well drawn study of a particular person indeed.) The intensity of her recent experiences - she has effectively come out of a mind controlling cult - makes Angels and Men an exciting if uncomfortable read.
May 2, 2017
I preferred it to the first one I read by this author as I know the setting (my daughter was at the college this seems based on) and there was less bad language (though still more than needed!). Mara is not a particularly easy heroine to like and the female characters in general seem underdrawn or belittled somehow; the author seems to prefer exciting gay men to women! Family relationships and faith in all its forms (and challenges to it) are interesting elements in the story, but she does seem rather fixated on sex and death and how the church deals with them (or fails to).
January 11, 2015
This is a book I first read about 15 years ago, when it was a definite 5-star book for me. It is interesting to revisit after such a period of time. I have still enjoyed it, but I am further away in time now from my student days (and my evangelical Christian days!) and I feel it didn't have quite the same impact. At times I found Mara too insular, too intense, and the novel slightly overlong, but still worth 4 stars.
January 17, 2016
My Mum loaned me this, and I enjoyed it very much - the descriptive writing and scene setting was very well-done indeed (being familiar with some of the settings of the novel, this enhanced my enjoyment of the story) and the intelligently written characters navigated the usual trials of life and love without ever lowering themselves to 'chick-lit' cliche. An intelligent and touching contemporary novel, with some interesting things to say on theology and existentialism.
August 28, 2017
This was so incredibly well written and witty and intense and emotive. Mara is a cruel, self centred, reckless protagonist, but the contempt I felt for her only proves how enthralling Angels and Men was. Aside from Catherine Fox treating all other female characters like frivolous people who could disappear from the story without note, this book was excellent.
June 23, 2016
Mara goes to college, determined not to get close to anyone. Some people are persisent and become her friends. Gradually, she has to face why she is so cold towards others - events of her past, what has happened to her sister, her relationship with her parents.
A good read and thought-provoking. I enjoyed it.
A good read and thought-provoking. I enjoyed it.
November 23, 2015
First read in 1997 when my baby daughter was a few months old and I was still occasionally teaching seminars at Durham University, re-read in 2015 when the same daughter got a place to study languages at Durham Uni! We both love this book.
December 6, 2020
In the first of a trilogy connecting three female protagonists and an assortment of characters related to a theological college in the north east of England, we are introduced to Mara Johns. She is a prickly postgraduate student who has finished an English degree at Cambridge and startles, bemuses, and infuriates those who come to be her friends.
It took me a while to get into the story and I found the heroine hard to like. Then, as I reached the second part, I gave the author the benefit of the doubt that this was her intention, of drawing us into the world of a complex, damaged woman with a challenging and tragic backstory which has formed her into the difficult person she has become. Perhaps I was imposing my own experience of university onto the narrative, but I struggled to find the constant accidental meetings of the central characters convincing. I also found the romantic elements forced and unrealistic.
These grievances aside, the book really came into its own in the second part as Mara’s mental state comes undone from the pressure she puts herself under in her studies and the grief and resentments she is suppressing begin to crack and bubble to the surface. I began to understand her and I felt that here is where Fox seems more assured and confident. By the end of the book, I’d grown to care for Mara.
It is an admirable attempt at painting a prickly, complex heroine and captures a national Church on the cusp of radical change.
It took me a while to get into the story and I found the heroine hard to like. Then, as I reached the second part, I gave the author the benefit of the doubt that this was her intention, of drawing us into the world of a complex, damaged woman with a challenging and tragic backstory which has formed her into the difficult person she has become. Perhaps I was imposing my own experience of university onto the narrative, but I struggled to find the constant accidental meetings of the central characters convincing. I also found the romantic elements forced and unrealistic.
These grievances aside, the book really came into its own in the second part as Mara’s mental state comes undone from the pressure she puts herself under in her studies and the grief and resentments she is suppressing begin to crack and bubble to the surface. I began to understand her and I felt that here is where Fox seems more assured and confident. By the end of the book, I’d grown to care for Mara.
It is an admirable attempt at painting a prickly, complex heroine and captures a national Church on the cusp of radical change.
October 3, 2018
Moving, dramatic, heart-burningly sad at times. Sparky characters, witty dialogue. Despite the title, there are few angels and it certainly isn’t a slushy, ‘everyone prays and gets converted� novel, but is far more complex, insightful and serious. The protagonist, Mara, is a deeply conflicted woman, trying to overcome the hurts of her past, including losing her twin sister to a twisted Christian cult. At university, studying ‘Women and Religious Fanaticism� and trying to avoid connections in order to protect herself from further pain, she is forced into the world, into friendship, and into real life. The novel is about her learning that relationships are worth the risk.
March 19, 2019
This started strong for me - I was entranced by the first few pages - and drew me in quickly to be emotionally hooked on Mara's journey. I noted and agreed with another review comment that the women in this (apart from Mara) are very one-dimensional whereas the male characters are given much more space to grow. It's not an easy read but it was rewarding. However, for me, it went on a bit too long and I found the ending a bit of a muddle. There's a rather-too-convenient letter that turns up and I guess maybe I was hoping for a bit more of a resolution. It still remains a solid 4* for me and I will be keeping it to re-read, perhaps one day on a trip to Durham.
February 10, 2025
I enjoyed reading the book on Borrowbox and thought the character of Mara was convincingly portrayed. The descriptions of Durham and the university and cathedral environs were beautiful. I liked the protagonist’s flights of fancy. Her emotional journey and various romantic entanglements kept me gripped to the end. I was desperate for the story to resolve itself but it didn’t. I was hoping it would be a love story but the other characters let me down. When I finished reading, I thought the last chapter had got lost. I wanted a satisfactory ending but it left me hanging. A really good read but an unresolved story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2021
I read this soon after it first came out and remember loving it. This 2nd reading around 25 years later left more mixed feelings. As a Durham graduate about 5 years ahead of the author I could identify with the place, which she captured well. Some of the students, the dons and even Nigel struck chords. I liked the premise of the story but somehow found the agonising and introspection a bit too much. Didn't find Johnnie convincing.
Not sure if I can be bothered to re-read the other 2 volumes I own.
Not sure if I can be bothered to re-read the other 2 volumes I own.
April 27, 2020
A elegantly written, complex story, with memorable, well-developed characters who seem to leap from the page. I loved the unpredictability of the storyline because it constantly made me re-evaluate my assumptions and question my beliefs! I also loved the dry, dark humour which ran threadlike through the story. The fact that the story is set in Durham (one of my favourite cathedral cities) added a very special dimension as I felt immersed in teh location.
November 5, 2021
Liked this far more than I expected - it was also quite different than what I expected. Probably would have enjoyed it even more in my early 20s when I went to study in a similar sort of place - although the characters do seem a bit overemphatic and OTT at times - but then, weren't we all like that at that age?
June 26, 2023
Durham theological college has neer been so scandalous. Mara is a bit extreme and the sex stuff feels dated now in terms of consent. But it's psychologically engaging and I really like the cross-polination with the Lindchester chronicles ( Pole Cat)
August 19, 2018
I loved this book at the outset and the realism of its evangelical Anglican setting and will certainly read more by this author but I confess that Mara’s self-destructive edge became distressing.
November 7, 2018
I sort of enjoyed this. I liked the academic atmosphere, the seasons, the clothes, the humour.
What spoilt it for me was the lachrymose melodramatic Mara, who I found irritating.
What spoilt it for me was the lachrymose melodramatic Mara, who I found irritating.
April 30, 2019
This is a book that is etched on my heart. I first read it in 1997 when originally published. As in life, the characters are by turns true but unresolved.
May 5, 2020
Rather unconvinced by the story line.
June 2, 2020
One of my all-time favourites.
September 20, 2020
I just love everything she writes, just love them
February 15, 2021
Amazing!
I literally read it in a day. I couldn’t stop myself!! I’m more looking for the next one this very instant!
I literally read it in a day. I couldn’t stop myself!! I’m more looking for the next one this very instant!
December 3, 2021
The chapters are too long
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