Fathomless Riches cover art

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 (P)2014 Orion Publishing Group Biographies & Memoirs Christian Living Christianity Entertainment & Celebrities Celebrity Funny Heartfelt Inspiring Witty Feel-Good Thought-Provoking

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All stars
Most relevant  
A fantastic listen. So many good parts it is difficult to pick the best bit.

Sad I've finished it.

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Beautifully written and read. If only the CofE had more priests like Richard we would have a far more vibrant and successful church. Brutally frank and honest and a wonderful example to all of us as imperials we are. Cant recommend this book too highly whether you are a Christian or of any other belief. Richard highlights the complex and near impossible differences in the church.

A wonderful journey

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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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A brilliantly candid autobiography and a very entertaining read. Although I don't know Rev Richard Coles this book makes me wish I did.

Wonderful

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What an honest, brave and sincere autobiography, he never wavers in scooping out his most difficult traits to present them to the listener, in a layer of humour.

Fantastic

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One of the most honest and impressive autobiographical works you could listen to. Coles reading adds to the pleasure and directness.

Sincere, beautifully written

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Richard Coles is a very interesting man who has lived a crazy life. One thing that sold me this audiobook is that Richard reads it himself which, I find, adds a lot more depth to any memoir.

For anyone who doesn’t know, The Reverend Richard Coles has an insanely interesting life; from popstar in 80s group The Communards to a CofE priest turned comedian. I wanted to read this for a good period of time before I actually picked it up because Richard’s appearances on shows like QI and Have I Got News For You have turned him in to one of my favourite TV personalities. This book was not a disappointment, it made me laugh, it was interesting and also gave me a little spiritual lifting, something I really wasn't expecting to get from it in spite of his affiliation with the church!

This book is brutally honest, but still respectful of the others involved, and I admired that. There is an insane amount of drugs, sex and rock and roll, especially in the first half. There’s the rise and fall of The Communards, his life through the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, where he lost of many friends. The years that followed where he drifted and then found himself turning to religion, going to university to study theology and his subsequent path to the pulpit.

It does end quite abruptly, just has he has been ordained, but I have been assured (by several sources, I'm not sure how reliable they are) that there is a part 2 to come, as to when that will be I don’t know! I look forward to reading, or listening, to it because I’d quite like to hear about his life after being ordained.

I loved this and I think it would be a great place to start with the audiobook format!

Fantastic!

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Wow I wasn't expecting this to be such a fantastic audio book. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Enjoy

Possibly one of the best audio books ever

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What did you like most about Fathomless Riches?

I enjoyed the honesty of Richard's reflection on his life. It really made me think about homosexuality and Christianity and how they are meant to go together. I truly believe in Richard's conversion and absolutely respect him for his life choices and the things he has done. I still find it hard to connect homosexuality to the Biblical God who is so clearly against it. Very thought provoking.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I adored Richard's honesty

Have you listened to any of Richard Coles’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No but about to buy his new book

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

decadent, honest, real

Any additional comments?

Buy this book to hear a true Saul/Paul conversion. It will make you think and explore your beliefs as you try to place your beliefs into the Very Reverent Richard's life. I look forward to listening to his next book.

thought provoking as a Christian

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What a tale! I loved this book and will probably listen to it again. In the areas it covers, it is candid to the point of too much information but it also begs intriguing questions and has obvious areas of omission that I would quiz him about if I got the chance. TC is clearly a good writer and I hope now he has retired from the church, he will write in more depth because there are sections of this that would have benefitted from expansion. He was in the thick of pop and gay culture in the 80s and there is certainly more he could say about that.

Loved this book

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