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Fathomless Riches

Or How I Went From Pop to Pulpit

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Fathomless Riches

By: Richard Coles
Narrated by: Richard Coles
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About this listen

 'The best vicar ever' Caitlin Moran

'Sex, drugs, death, religion, more sex... it has got it all' Guardian

FATHOMLESS RICHES is the Reverend Richard Coles' warm, witty and wise memoir in which he divulges with searing honesty and intimacy his pilgrimage from a rock-and-roll life of sex and drugs in the Communards to one devoted to God and Christianity.

'All the humour, quirky characters and incidents that life - and death- serve up' Mail on Sunday

'One of the most immensely readable - and redeemable - memoirs of the year' Sunday Times

'A frank, worldly-wise, bleakly comic memoir' The Times

'Full of wit and humour ' Independent on Sunday©2014 Richard Coles Biographies & Memoirs Christian Living Christianity Entertainment & Celebrities Celebrity Funny Feel-Good Heartfelt Inspiring Witty Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

One of the most immensely readable - and redeemable - memoirs of the year. His book is an engaging account of eccentricity, curiosity and a profound spiritual journey. I give it a screamingly camp, happy-clappy thumbs up (Helen Davies)
Sex, drugs, death, religion, more sex, many more deaths - it has got it all. Like a sparkling old-style chasuble worn by a Spanish priest, it is difficult to ignore (Chris Bryant)
He writes with charm and erudition and his take on 1980s Britain is fascinating (Virginia Blackburn)
Beautifully written, disarmingly frank and utterly charming (James Delingpole)
Richard's devastating honesty makes his journey from gay pop-star to celibate parish priest comprehensible even to atheists (Linda Grant)
[O]ne of the most readable memoirs of 2014 (Helen Davies)
It is a tale of redemption and of a sinner come to transformation... The Church of England is all the better for having such a priest within its ranks. (Stephen Bates)
Full of wit and humour about finding god, and Jimmy Somerville. (Katy Guest)
Richard Coles has achieved a rare thing in writing an astonishingly honest autobiography, which, alongside the sex and drugs, presents Christian faith in a way that will surely be invitingly intriguing to an audience well beyond the church ... An immensely enjoyable memoir, whether a reader's primary interest is the music industry, the impact of AIDS, the Church of England, or a wonderfully Anglican combination of all three. (The Revd Christopher Landau)
Witty, honest and - no pun intended - irreverent, it is very much a personal and at times heartbreaking account about what it was like to be gay during the period with a bit of pop-world gossip thrown in as well. Readable to say the least.
All stars
Most relevant

Would you consider the audio edition of Fathomless Riches to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version so I cannot comment. Having said this I thoroughly enjoyed the audio version and was massively impressed by The Revd Richard Coles life's journey.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It has to be the author himself, there are many multi dimensional characters in this autobiography but they are all somewhat peripheral to the subject of the story.

What does Richard Coles bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He has a good broadcasting voice and without doubt I felt he was telling me his story which made it more personal than the written word.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The crossing and re crossing of the Tiber which describes his move from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism and back again. I can fully see where he is coming from in this. The Church of England is a broad church so much so that it struggles to encompass views that seem diametrically opposed. As an openly gay priest though The Revd Coles is able to be more 'honest' as an Anglican and this can only serve to make his ministry more pertinent in the early twenty first century.

Any additional comments?

A painfully honest book which might trouble some but will inspire many. Jesus was a man of and in his time and context, it is to be hoped that this honest autobiography will serve to help drag the Christian faith towards modern society, albeit in some areas kicking, screaming and dragging its feet!

Fathomless Riches

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My guess is that many people who read this aren't religious. That says something about Richard's ability to reach beyond that topic about his very objective perspective on his own beliefs and how others might view them. I find his voice very soothing and I love that the humorous bits are presented in almost the same the same tone but still recognisable as being meant humurously. I see that some people think his voice is soporific, but to me, it's not sleep-inducing but just calming, clear and easy to follow. Richard is often self-depricating and self-aware; he finds a nice balance in that, because it just comes across insightful and realistic about himself, not as insecure or victim-y. He's not afraid to be honest about others either, but that also feels authentic and considered, not nasty or vengeful. Great mix of the juicy 'behind the scenes in the 80s' bits that people might be looking for, personal development, atmospheric descriptions, honesty, different worlds, a whole range of emotions and humour.

Intelligent, soothing, humorous, honest.

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Fascinating life and loved the honesty, dry humour and intellect with which it was presented

Excellent & candid

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What a life. Beautifully read, as expected. The honesty of feeling’s was amazing and made me feel sadness for the situation at times but also great pride that Richard acknowledged his feelings. I can’t imagine the life he has lead and been apart of, but I can identify with his emotions, underlying need to be liked and depression.

What a journey.

Enlightening

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I love Rev Coles voice, a regular on Radios 2 and 4. He both reads and writes beautifully, and what a tale he has to tell, a journey (I know, I hate that too) from druggie, 80s gay activist Communard to same-sex-married country vicar. I’d recommend this tale-like-few-others to all broad-minded readers and listeners. And, as the High Campery of the High Church has quite a role to play in his transition, to currently-less-broad-minded church goers.

High Campery in the High Church

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