Angell, Pearl and Little God

by Winston Graham

Was it Pearl Friedel’s fault she was beautiful? If she had been plain, William Angell, the self-indulgent solicitor and lover of beautiful things, would never have given her the chance to escape the tedium of everyday life. It was a very satisfactory arrangement – until Little God stepped in. An ambitious boxer with a vicious reputation, he wanted Pearl for himself, no matter what the cost...

‘Superb... inevitably a bestseller.’ Daily Mirror

‘The incomparable Winston Graham... who has everything that anyone else has, then a whole lot more.’ Guardian

Genres: Fiction, British Literature

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Winston Graham was an English novelist best known for the Poldark series of historical novels set in Cornwall, though he also wrote contemporary thrillers, period novels, short stories, non-fiction, and plays. Born in Victoria Park, Manchester, he moved to Perranporth, Cornwall in 1925 and lived there for 34 years. Graham published his first novel, The House with the Stained Glass Windows, in 1934 and married Jean Williamson in 1939, who inspired the character Demelza in Poldark. During World War II, he joined the Auxiliary Coastguard Service. Graham became a member of the Society of Authors in 1945, serving as chairman from 1967 to 1969, and was a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, receiving an OBE in 1983. His Poldark series began with Ross Poldark in 1945 and concluded with Bella Poldark in 2002. He wrote 30 additional novels, short stories, and non-fiction works, including the acclaimed thriller Marnie, adapted by Alfred Hitchcock in 1964. Several other novels, including The Walking Stick and Fortune Is a Woman, were adapted for film. Graham also wrote plays, some adapted from his novels. His works have been translated into 31 languages, and his autobiography, Memoirs of a Private Man, was published posthumously in 2003.

Reviews

[Kate Vane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angell, Pearl and Little God is a dark and fascinating story of three people brought together by mutual need and mistrust.

Angell is a wealthy and respected lawyer, product of a public school. Pearl is a young woman from a middle-class family, working on a perfume counter, but discontented with her limited prospects. Little God has grown up in an orphanage and is trying to make his way as a boxer, while working as chauffeur to an aristocrat.

Angell, the lawyer, has intellect, wealth and social status. Little God has strength and aggression. Pearl is at first underestimated by both of them. What does she have, apart from beauty? Yet as the story unfolds, Pearl’s character emerges as stronger and more complex than even she knew.

The book was first published in 1970 and is a fascinating insight into a changing society. Three people who would normally be separated by their class are not exactly mixing as equals, but the old certainties are breaking down. They may be willing to break the rules to get what they want, but they’re no longer quite sure what the rules are.

As in all the greatest stories, the characters are not only in conflict with one another but with themselves. Angell thinks his interest in Pearl is aesthetic rather than sensual, Little God thinks he’ll never care about any woman but finds it’s not so simple after all. Pearl arguably has the greatest inner conflict of all.

Graham’s twisty plot and simple, elegant prose combine beautifully to tell a compelling story of power and desire.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book - the three main characters were really well developed and stayed true throughout their interactions. Beautifully with great attention to detail but without becoming tedious.

Quite hard to pigeonhole the genre - not a romance or a thriller or even a murder mystery! Possibly a sporting biography tinged with a tale of manners... who know, or cares really - its simply a good story!

[Rusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a most interesting read about a beautiful young shop girl, Pearl, who marries a rich fat man, Angell, but falls in love with a tough and handsome boxer, Little God, who hopes to obtain the title in his weight class. Yes, he is a ladies man and has no trouble picking any woman he chooses. The problem is that he cannot get Pearl out of his mind and pursues her until their romance blossoms. Of course, the husband eventually discovers their affair but since he has fallen so deeply in love with Pearl that he finds he cannot let her go. There is a climax that would reveal too much about where the author is taking these characters and the ending is delightful. I chuckled as I read the last two pages.

Why did I choose to read this book? There are a number of reasons: 1) Graham is author of the Poldark series, historical fiction, which I have yet to read; 2) I found the reviews and book description enticing; and 3) The title first grabbed my attention which prompted me to find out more about the book and the author who wrote 22 different novels.

[Diane Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meticulously crafted by a mature writer who understands human nature, and good plot design, Winston Graham kept me spellbound with this story of a love triangle from beginning to end. This book is a classic.

[Merike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who would have thought a book about a plump lawyer, his pretty young wife and the featherweight boxer who loved her would make for a tale of love, betrayal and suspense?
A very good read.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pearl Fridell is a truly beautiful woman; yet is she also to blame for her beauty? All she knew was that the self-indulgent but successful solicitor, Wilfred Angell would never have looked at her twice if she had been plain. Mr. Angell was a self-described lover of beautiful things, and through her relationship with him, Pearl was exposed to a fashionable lifestyle that she otherwise never would have experienced had she stayed in the background for her entire life. It was quite a satisfactory arrangement for the both of them.

That was until an ambitious boxer named 'Little God' enters their lives. Little God has earned a vicious reputation for himself - both inside and outside of the ring - and he is known as a man who consistently gets what he wants - no matter what the cost. Now, Little God has set his sights on Pearl, and he decides he wants her for himself. In the end, just what problems will arise because of Pearl's beauty?

First of all, let me say that I wasn't planning on reading this book. I was actually wanting to read something from Winston Graham's Poldark Series, as PBS will begin airing the new series on 'Masterpiece' starting in June. Mareena couldn't find any books in the Poldark Series for me on any of the swapping sites that we belong to, so she requested three of Winston Graham's other books instead. I'm so glad that she got this book for me, because it was so good.

I must admit that I wasn't expecting to enjoy reading this book as much as I did. A main component of the story involves the sport of boxing, and since I don't know the first thing about boxing - and don't find the sport interesting at all - I wasn't sure how boxing itself would figure into the story. To be perfectly honest, the story starts out slower than I expected - I was tempted to set the book aside and stop reading for a while.

I'm so glad that I stuck with the book, though, it was quite a hidden gem for me. This was quite an interesting story, with an intriguing and dramatic plot. All in all, I found this to be an unexpectedly excellent book; and I would give it an A+!

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fat solicitor Wilfred Angell is very set in his ways. He is rather wealthy, an art collector. A bachelor, He loves to eat oysters, and has exact amounts of change in his wallet. All this is about to change when he meets Pearl on an aeroplane to Switzerland. Little does he know she already had an encounter with Godfrey, or "Little God" as he is known in the boxing world.
So begins a tale of treachery and revenge as Wilfred is drawn into the world of criminals - but is he really any better than them?
A wonderful novel, set in London in the 1960's about a silly old fool, a beautiful girl and an opportunist who changes all their lives forever......

[Lili · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not my review but the review from the book itself. It's a book I read years ago and need to read again.

Pearl Friedell is beautiful, and with that beauty comes problems. On one hand, William Angell is a self-indulgent solicitor and lover of beautiful things. On the other, Little God is an ambitious boxer with a vicious reputation. He wants Pearl for himself, no matter what the cost.