Publication
[New York] : Random House Large Print, [2016]
Collection
Call number
Large Print Fiction H
Physical description
409 p.; 24 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
The pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, one hundred and eighteen cardinals from all over the globe will cast their votes in the world's most secretive election. They are holy men. But they have ambition. And they have rivals. Over the next seventy-two hours one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on Earth.
User reviews
LibraryThing member alanteder
Haiku review:
After many twists
The final one is the best
Habemus Papam!
After many twists
The final one is the best
Habemus Papam!
LibraryThing member Beamis12
4.5 The second book in as many days that I didn't want to put down. It initially appealed to me because I spent most of my school years in Catholic schools, was pretty young when Vatican two came around. All I really remember is that we no longer had to go to mass every morning at 6:30 am, before
The pope has died, descriptions of a peoples pope, a pope who refused to live in the grandeur of the Vatican apartments, point to this representing our current Pope, Francis. The dean of the Cardinals, is the Cardinal charged with making sure the Conclave runs smoothly, that all 118 cardinals from all over the world, adhere to the strict measures set within. Just like our political system, where each side represents different positions, there are factions with varying opinions on the future of the church. So the jockeying begins, votes are taken and the intrigue begins. Never expected to find myself completely enthralled by this inside look of what it takes to elect our next pope. Didn't expect so many revelations nor what extent some cardinals would to to hide offenses that would keep, them out of the running. Found myself totally glued to these pages, wanting to see what would happen next, who would ultimately be elected.
A well written novel, my first by this author, and a wonderful portrayal of not only the differences in the many cardinals but how many differences there are in their views of the Church's future. The ending, could it happen? Probably. Would it happen? Who knows but I am not sure it is realistic. Still, I applaud the author for this total surprise, one I did not see coming.
ARC from publisher.
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school started, that mass was no longer in Latin and that the nuns started wearing shorter habit, shorter veils and in different shades of pastel. Pretty big, though small in the scheme of things I suppose, to a small child.The pope has died, descriptions of a peoples pope, a pope who refused to live in the grandeur of the Vatican apartments, point to this representing our current Pope, Francis. The dean of the Cardinals, is the Cardinal charged with making sure the Conclave runs smoothly, that all 118 cardinals from all over the world, adhere to the strict measures set within. Just like our political system, where each side represents different positions, there are factions with varying opinions on the future of the church. So the jockeying begins, votes are taken and the intrigue begins. Never expected to find myself completely enthralled by this inside look of what it takes to elect our next pope. Didn't expect so many revelations nor what extent some cardinals would to to hide offenses that would keep, them out of the running. Found myself totally glued to these pages, wanting to see what would happen next, who would ultimately be elected.
A well written novel, my first by this author, and a wonderful portrayal of not only the differences in the many cardinals but how many differences there are in their views of the Church's future. The ending, could it happen? Probably. Would it happen? Who knows but I am not sure it is realistic. Still, I applaud the author for this total surprise, one I did not see coming.
ARC from publisher.
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LibraryThing member CatherineBurkeHines
Probably controversial, so calm down:
I very much liked that the narriator was genuinely Christian in his habits and outlook. Many books dealing with the Papacy are not so generous to Princes of the Church.
I very much liked that the narriator was genuinely Christian in his habits and outlook. Many books dealing with the Papacy are not so generous to Princes of the Church.
LibraryThing member MaggieFlo
This takes place in the near future and outlines the process for electing a new Pope in the Catholic Church. The main character is Cardinal Jacopo Lomeli who in his role of Dean, leads the other 117 cardinals in the election.
The pope has died in his sleep and the inner bureaucracy of the Vatican
This is a good, easy read as it provides really interesting insight into the workings of the conclave and the church. The intrigue regarding the candidates and their jockeying for the job is well done and the personal turmoil and decisions of conscience of Lomeli are very real. There are some very spiritual characters and some opportunists who make the story quite compelling and readable.
The pope has died in his sleep and the inner bureaucracy of the Vatican
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steps in to transition from the old guard to the new. There are three main contenders among the cardinals for the top seat but each has their own past secrets or sins that eventually narrow the field for a candidate from the periphery. The field includes traditionalists and reformers as in any election.This is a good, easy read as it provides really interesting insight into the workings of the conclave and the church. The intrigue regarding the candidates and their jockeying for the job is well done and the personal turmoil and decisions of conscience of Lomeli are very real. There are some very spiritual characters and some opportunists who make the story quite compelling and readable.
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LibraryThing member bsquaredinoz
Although I seem to be in the minority I can’t quite see CONCLAVE as a thriller. For the bulk of the novel there are hints of vaguely nefarious goings-on but they are not front and centre and aside from the one revealed during the novel’s preposterous ending the characters’ secrets are a lot
For me the best part of the novel is its narrative voice. Our view of the events – the bulk of which take place over a three exhausting days – is via Cardinal Lomeli. He is 70ish and struggling with aspects of his faith but determined to fulfil his duties as Dean of the College of Cardinals in overseeing the election of the new Pope. Harris has done a good job bringing Lomeli to life, giving him the sorts of foibles, dreams and exasperations that any of us might experience and making him very human and relatable. This is a darned good achievement given that most of us probably can’t actually relate to the sort of life a politically powerful Catholic priest might live. And even if you think the idea of 118 men, the majority of them old and white, choosing one of them to be the leader of a heavily tarnished institution is nothing but irrelevant and amateur dramatics, Harris – through Lomeli – does a bang-up job of drawing the reader into a world of compelling secrets.
The rest of the novel was less successful for me. As in THE FEAR INDEX Harris once again displays an inability to hide his extensive research, literally filling the book with esoteric details, many of them repeated several times over. It didn’t bother me as much this time around but only because (a) I was expecting it based on my previous experience with his writing and (b) I already knew a lot of the details and was able to let them wash over me in a way that wasn’t possible with the arithmetical nuances of hedge fund management and cannibalism that clogged up THE FEAR INDEX. I’m sure the nuns would be thrilled at just how much of the nonsense they taught me was tucked away in my memory banks.
Ultimately though it was what the book wasn’t that bothered me most of all. Every now and again I thought Harris was going to seriously explore the intellectual and theological arguments facing this centuries-old institution but he only ever scratched the surface. I think I’d have preferred it if he hadn’t teased me. And the political shenanigans weren’t nearly as remarkable as the blurb had me believe they would be. To me the book felt too safe; as if its angles and contentiousness had been stripped out by a committee. I suspect the final product is something even the Church itself would struggle to oppose (they’d probably dislike the ending but it is so utterly stupid and implausible that they’d more likely laugh than sue).
I listened to the audio version of CONCLAVE which is superbly delivered by English actor and award-winning audiobook narrator Roy McMillan and think this is probably what made me feel more benign about the book than I otherwise might have done. It is a truly wonderful performance and highly recommended for fans of this format. Without this element the book would be, for me, a lightly enjoyable read that didn’t quite live up to its premise or promise but in the audio format it’s actually quite a treat.
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milder than what most modern readers would imagine when thinking “Catholic Church”. Towards the end there’s a bit of excitement (before the laughter generated by the truly ridiculous final reveal) but still I didn’t find the book thrilling. To me it is a somewhat contemplative study of an event – the election of a new Pope – and all the minutiae that make up a thing normally shrouded in secrecy. If you approach this novel expecting page-turning thrills you might be disappointed. If on the other hand you like the idea of delving deeply into an event that is at once political and spiritual then you’ll probably get something out of it. Though it’s worth noting here that the book is pretty middle-of-the-road as far as the views it expresses of the Church as an institution. References are made to recent sex abuse scandals and the Church’s failure to adequately address these and there is a hint of the ever-present struggle between the conservative and progressive theological camps but the book is far from a polemic. The result is that if you’re still a believer you’ll probably be OK with how far the book goes (don’t let the ending throw you, it’s preposterous and not to be taken remotely seriously) but those who have been directly affected by the Church’s failings or who otherwise take a more extreme standpoint may struggle with how lightly the Church itself gets off. I think it’s perfectly fair of the book not to be a rant but I know people who would feel let down by this.For me the best part of the novel is its narrative voice. Our view of the events – the bulk of which take place over a three exhausting days – is via Cardinal Lomeli. He is 70ish and struggling with aspects of his faith but determined to fulfil his duties as Dean of the College of Cardinals in overseeing the election of the new Pope. Harris has done a good job bringing Lomeli to life, giving him the sorts of foibles, dreams and exasperations that any of us might experience and making him very human and relatable. This is a darned good achievement given that most of us probably can’t actually relate to the sort of life a politically powerful Catholic priest might live. And even if you think the idea of 118 men, the majority of them old and white, choosing one of them to be the leader of a heavily tarnished institution is nothing but irrelevant and amateur dramatics, Harris – through Lomeli – does a bang-up job of drawing the reader into a world of compelling secrets.
The rest of the novel was less successful for me. As in THE FEAR INDEX Harris once again displays an inability to hide his extensive research, literally filling the book with esoteric details, many of them repeated several times over. It didn’t bother me as much this time around but only because (a) I was expecting it based on my previous experience with his writing and (b) I already knew a lot of the details and was able to let them wash over me in a way that wasn’t possible with the arithmetical nuances of hedge fund management and cannibalism that clogged up THE FEAR INDEX. I’m sure the nuns would be thrilled at just how much of the nonsense they taught me was tucked away in my memory banks.
Ultimately though it was what the book wasn’t that bothered me most of all. Every now and again I thought Harris was going to seriously explore the intellectual and theological arguments facing this centuries-old institution but he only ever scratched the surface. I think I’d have preferred it if he hadn’t teased me. And the political shenanigans weren’t nearly as remarkable as the blurb had me believe they would be. To me the book felt too safe; as if its angles and contentiousness had been stripped out by a committee. I suspect the final product is something even the Church itself would struggle to oppose (they’d probably dislike the ending but it is so utterly stupid and implausible that they’d more likely laugh than sue).
I listened to the audio version of CONCLAVE which is superbly delivered by English actor and award-winning audiobook narrator Roy McMillan and think this is probably what made me feel more benign about the book than I otherwise might have done. It is a truly wonderful performance and highly recommended for fans of this format. Without this element the book would be, for me, a lightly enjoyable read that didn’t quite live up to its premise or promise but in the audio format it’s actually quite a treat.
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LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
Robert Harris has made a successful career out if carefully researched historical novels with gripping plots and soundly crafted characters (often based upon real counterparts). He has, for example, reinvented Cicero for a modern audience in his novels ‘Imperium’, ‘Lustrum’ and
With ‘Conclave’ he is back in the present – indeed, slightly in the future as the action takes place in some unspecified but not distant year in which one character can refer to recent events that happened back in 2017. Harris’s penchant for exhaustive historical research is not wasted, however. As the title would suggest, the novel is set in the Vatican during the election of a new Pope, and Harris provides a wealth of detail about the procedure undertaken by the Cardinals. The Pope is not just a spiritual leader, heading the Roman Catholic faith in his role as ‘God’s Vicar on Earth’; he is also the head of state of the Vatican State, and responsible for the appointment of the principal officers of state.
The book opens with Cardinal Lomeli, Dean of the Vatican State, being summoned to the (never named) Pope’s quarters, where he is informed of the Pontiff’s death. A few other senior Cardinals are already there, and the Pope’s room has been cleared and sealed before Lomeli’s arrival. As Dean of the Vatican, however, Lomeli is responsible for overseeing the Conclave, in which all the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic church gather together, shut away in rooms within the Sistine Chapel, to elect the new Pope from among their own number.
The secrets of the Conclave are even more sacrosanct than those of a jury, and little is known of how they arrive at their decisions. Harris draws upon the prescribed instructions, originating from the thirteenth century though formalised under seal by Pope John Paul II in 1996. He gives us a marvellous depiction of the exercise of ambition. I was reminded of
C P Snow’s excellent novel ‘The Masters’, which describes the election to appoint a new head of a Cambridge College in 1937. As with Snow’s book, ‘Conclave’ follows the machinations of the different factions to promote their preferred candidate. Some of the front runners are more reluctant than others, but eventually they are all caught up in the yearning to be first among equals.
This might make it all sound very dry. Nothing could be further from the case. Harris knows how to unwind a gripping yarn, and he draws the reader in completely, while managing painlessly to impart a considerable amount of theological history along the way.
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‘Dictator’, while his ‘An Officer and a Spy’ explored the Dreyfus Affair, succeeding in highlighting the dreadful exercise of anti-Semitism while simultaneously debasing some of the hagiography that had subsequently attached itself to Dreyfus himself, who, it seems, was not a particularly pleasant person.With ‘Conclave’ he is back in the present – indeed, slightly in the future as the action takes place in some unspecified but not distant year in which one character can refer to recent events that happened back in 2017. Harris’s penchant for exhaustive historical research is not wasted, however. As the title would suggest, the novel is set in the Vatican during the election of a new Pope, and Harris provides a wealth of detail about the procedure undertaken by the Cardinals. The Pope is not just a spiritual leader, heading the Roman Catholic faith in his role as ‘God’s Vicar on Earth’; he is also the head of state of the Vatican State, and responsible for the appointment of the principal officers of state.
The book opens with Cardinal Lomeli, Dean of the Vatican State, being summoned to the (never named) Pope’s quarters, where he is informed of the Pontiff’s death. A few other senior Cardinals are already there, and the Pope’s room has been cleared and sealed before Lomeli’s arrival. As Dean of the Vatican, however, Lomeli is responsible for overseeing the Conclave, in which all the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic church gather together, shut away in rooms within the Sistine Chapel, to elect the new Pope from among their own number.
The secrets of the Conclave are even more sacrosanct than those of a jury, and little is known of how they arrive at their decisions. Harris draws upon the prescribed instructions, originating from the thirteenth century though formalised under seal by Pope John Paul II in 1996. He gives us a marvellous depiction of the exercise of ambition. I was reminded of
C P Snow’s excellent novel ‘The Masters’, which describes the election to appoint a new head of a Cambridge College in 1937. As with Snow’s book, ‘Conclave’ follows the machinations of the different factions to promote their preferred candidate. Some of the front runners are more reluctant than others, but eventually they are all caught up in the yearning to be first among equals.
This might make it all sound very dry. Nothing could be further from the case. Harris knows how to unwind a gripping yarn, and he draws the reader in completely, while managing painlessly to impart a considerable amount of theological history along the way.
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LibraryThing member jfe16
Following the sudden death of the pope, one hundred twenty cardinals from around the world have gathered behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel to cast their votes to elect the new leader of the faith.
The cardinals may be men of faith, but they are also men of ambition . . .
Hoping for a
How will the conclave react when they learn that, just before his death, the pope met privately with a powerful cardinal and removed him from all his offices, an act not made effective before the pope’s death?
The politicking begins, exposing secrets amid the procedures and rituals of the process. The maneuvering of power-mongers becomes a counterpoint to the efforts to fathom God’s will for the true believers.
Tensions mount; suspense builds; unexpected twists surprise . . . readers will find it difficult to set this book aside.
Recommended.
The cardinals may be men of faith, but they are also men of ambition . . .
Hoping for a
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swift decision, Cardinal Lomeli will officiate over the conclave. But the proceedings turn in a new direction when he learns the pope made some strange decisions and even appointed a new cardinal about whom the group knows nothing until he appears at the Chapel. How will the conclave react when they learn that, just before his death, the pope met privately with a powerful cardinal and removed him from all his offices, an act not made effective before the pope’s death?
The politicking begins, exposing secrets amid the procedures and rituals of the process. The maneuvering of power-mongers becomes a counterpoint to the efforts to fathom God’s will for the true believers.
Tensions mount; suspense builds; unexpected twists surprise . . . readers will find it difficult to set this book aside.
Recommended.
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LibraryThing member smik
I guess one could argue that this novel is at the very edge of crime fiction, but there is certainly mystery, and a plot that kept me listening until the very end.
The narration is excellent, and there is plenty of drama and suspense as the Dean of the College of Cardinals leads 118 cardinals
At the end we are left asking how much influence the former Pope actually had in choosing his successor.
The narration is excellent, and there is plenty of drama and suspense as the Dean of the College of Cardinals leads 118 cardinals
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through the process of electing another Pope, making sure that their final choice is worthy of the office.At the end we are left asking how much influence the former Pope actually had in choosing his successor.
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LibraryThing member janerawoof
A pope has died and the College of Cardinals has been called into conclave to vote and choose a new pope. I enjoyed seeing the little details of how these men go about their task, the protocol and also the interplay among the different personalities. Little by little various scandals in some of the
A page-turner and certainly worthwhile reading. This author certainly knows how to tell a good story in an interesting manner; I was up late finishing the book.
Highly recommended.
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men's past are revealed--a sex scandal; simony; etc.-- narrowing the field, ballot by ballot. The cardinal-director in charge of the conclave [and also the protagonist] winkles these out and his efforts influence the surprising outcome.A page-turner and certainly worthwhile reading. This author certainly knows how to tell a good story in an interesting manner; I was up late finishing the book.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member Brainannex
I've always had a soft spot for the inner workings of The Church and this was an engaging read about the election of a new pope.
LibraryThing member DramMan
A masterful thriller by the master story teller. Good characterisation, detail and pacing. Not labyrinthine or entirely unpredictable but a good read.
LibraryThing member writemoves
Conclave was a fun read and maybe the best fiction book I read in 2016. The story had scandals, violence, deception, villains and keep in mind it was about the election of a new pope for the Catholic Church. The twists and turns in this story to elect a new Pope made the Trump – Clinton election
You don't have to be Catholic to enjoy this book but it helps.
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look like a contest for president of the high school chess club. Four Cardinals are vying to be Pope and their "campaign tactics" involved hushing up a youthful indiscretion, buying the votes of other Cardinals and plotting to undermine the other candidates through rumor and innuendo. Plot surprises are found liberally throughout the book, even to the last page. I found the ending of the book to be a little bit of an imaginative and intellectual stretch but then again that's what I thought when Trump got elected president.You don't have to be Catholic to enjoy this book but it helps.
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LibraryThing member starkravingmad
Interesting read on the Vatican process to elect a Pope. Not as textured, in depth as his other novels. Plot was very simplistic
LibraryThing member john.cooper
A very credible look at the hidden workings of a modern papal conclave. Unlike so many authors of novels about the Catholic Church (cf. Anthony Burgess' Earthly Powers), Harris eschews cynicism, yet he doesn't fall into the corresponding trap of naïvety. His protagonist, an elderly cardinal with a
Politics in the church, the crisis of gender imbalance, the abuse scandal, corruption in the Vatican Bank, they're all touched on here with the same amount of attention you'd expect the characters to give them. Prominent figures in the real church, past and present, are prominent figures in the book under other names (an introduction claiming that similarities are coincidental should be dismissed with a chuckle). What drives the plot, though, isn't intrigue, although there's plenty of it: it's the question of which of all these fallible candidates should be entrusted with the crushing responsibility of shaping the church for the next generation? If you believe, with so many of our contemporaries, that none of the red-robed men of the Vatican are interested in anything but power, you may not like this book. But if you'd prefer to believe that the celibates at the highest levels of the global church are free of the common human failings of lust and greed, you may not like it either. Most of these cardinals really do want what they think is best for all. But it's continually surprising how well what each of us thinks is best for all fits with what we think is best for us.
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long career in the Vatican hierarchy, is an honestly devout man dealing with an ongoing spiritual emptiness and an all too vivid awareness of the ways that prelates fall short of their ideals—himself not excepted. As Dean of the College of Cardinals, he is in charge of running the conclave to select a new pope—a task not made easier by what he learns about the cardinal in the room next to his in the sequestered Casa Santa Marta next to St Peter's, or by the efforts of a loyal minority to make he himself the new pope, a conclusion he both wishes for and deeply dreads.Politics in the church, the crisis of gender imbalance, the abuse scandal, corruption in the Vatican Bank, they're all touched on here with the same amount of attention you'd expect the characters to give them. Prominent figures in the real church, past and present, are prominent figures in the book under other names (an introduction claiming that similarities are coincidental should be dismissed with a chuckle). What drives the plot, though, isn't intrigue, although there's plenty of it: it's the question of which of all these fallible candidates should be entrusted with the crushing responsibility of shaping the church for the next generation? If you believe, with so many of our contemporaries, that none of the red-robed men of the Vatican are interested in anything but power, you may not like this book. But if you'd prefer to believe that the celibates at the highest levels of the global church are free of the common human failings of lust and greed, you may not like it either. Most of these cardinals really do want what they think is best for all. But it's continually surprising how well what each of us thinks is best for all fits with what we think is best for us.
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LibraryThing member 66usma
Even though I am not Roman Catholic, I thought that it was extremely interesting to be made aware of the process and protocol associated with the election of a pope. The plot was rather simplistic. The conclusion of the election was very much a surprise.
LibraryThing member LARA335
Robert Harris knows how to write a page-turner. This time he turns his attention to the choosing of a new pope. The cardinals are segregated away from the outside world in the Vatican, and doubt, politics, ambition, corruption are exposed after each round of voting. It had the momentum of a
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thriller, shed a little light on a process I knew nothing about, and a totally unexpected ending. Show Less
LibraryThing member Parthurbook
A masterclass in how-to structure a story, weave character and setting, keep multiple personae in focus (as Harris has done throughout his 'Cicero' books), and educate while entertaining. A one-sitting read.
LibraryThing member BraveKelso
A pt-boiler. A 21st century take on the conclave story. With Islamic terrorism and oppression of Catholics in the Islamic countries, a trans papal candidate etc. Shoes of the Fisherman, in its day, was better, but in the same hyper drama key.
LibraryThing member sensitivemuse
I love these kinds of novels. I’m always up for a plot filled with intrigue, who’s going to backstab who, who’s got the dirty secrets and who’s the horrible but cunning bastage that will expose these secrets and so on….
I had to whip out my dictionary for these latin/Catholic terms that
I love how it in the first third of the novel the plotting to be the next pope starts. It’s a reminder that even though these people are spiritual figureheads and we look to them as authority figures, they’re still humans with ambition. But this is the part I loved reading the most. I love the intrigue, I love the plotting. I love how Lomeli is in the middle of this and is trying to make sure everything in the voting process is legitimate.
You have a group of characters to keep track of, but there isn’t much to them. They’re broken into cliques to keep track of them easily but the book is centralized on Lomeli and he’s the only one that develops throughout the novel. He’s likable for the most part and does deal with his inner self for the most part. He has his faults as well which makes sense (who doesn’t want to be pope?!) which makes these characters realistic.
The plot itself starts off really well. I liked the pace and events during the story. What bothered me was the last third of the novel where everything went chaotic and the author seemed to inject some action to make it more lively. I didn’t think it was necessary and there wasn’t any need for that. What I would prefer is more intrigue and inner plotting amongst the Cardinals. (There was but there was no need to the action sequence which wasn’t even a feature it happened “off screen”.)
Another thing which didn’t sit too well was it was one thing after another with the surprises. First it was this guy. Then the other. Oh, can’t forget this guy either. We already elected the pope? No wait here’s another monkey wrench. It was just too much (by the end I was screaming out: “Just give him the papacy and let’s go home. This is getting ridiculous”.) Some parts were spaced out but it just felt too much. However, good on the author to make sure all the loose ends were tied together. Nothing was left unanswered.
I liked this book but it would have been better without all the extra bits and pieces here. More intrigue and plotting within. It’s what makes it so much better. Otherwise, it was a short quick read and worth it. Just remember this is an alternate history of events.
I had to whip out my dictionary for these latin/Catholic terms that
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are prevalent throughout this novel. (My knowledge in Catholicism is very rusty.) But you learn something new all the time right? Now I know there’s actually names for each piece of their clothing these men wear.I love how it in the first third of the novel the plotting to be the next pope starts. It’s a reminder that even though these people are spiritual figureheads and we look to them as authority figures, they’re still humans with ambition. But this is the part I loved reading the most. I love the intrigue, I love the plotting. I love how Lomeli is in the middle of this and is trying to make sure everything in the voting process is legitimate.
You have a group of characters to keep track of, but there isn’t much to them. They’re broken into cliques to keep track of them easily but the book is centralized on Lomeli and he’s the only one that develops throughout the novel. He’s likable for the most part and does deal with his inner self for the most part. He has his faults as well which makes sense (who doesn’t want to be pope?!) which makes these characters realistic.
The plot itself starts off really well. I liked the pace and events during the story. What bothered me was the last third of the novel where everything went chaotic and the author seemed to inject some action to make it more lively. I didn’t think it was necessary and there wasn’t any need for that. What I would prefer is more intrigue and inner plotting amongst the Cardinals. (There was but there was no need to the action sequence which wasn’t even a feature it happened “off screen”.)
Another thing which didn’t sit too well was it was one thing after another with the surprises. First it was this guy. Then the other. Oh, can’t forget this guy either. We already elected the pope? No wait here’s another monkey wrench. It was just too much (by the end I was screaming out: “Just give him the papacy and let’s go home. This is getting ridiculous”.) Some parts were spaced out but it just felt too much. However, good on the author to make sure all the loose ends were tied together. Nothing was left unanswered.
I liked this book but it would have been better without all the extra bits and pieces here. More intrigue and plotting within. It’s what makes it so much better. Otherwise, it was a short quick read and worth it. Just remember this is an alternate history of events.
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LibraryThing member labdaddy4
I completely enjoyed this book - UNTIL the ending which almost ruined the experience. The book immerses you in the ceremony and minutia of the Catholic church and the process, politics, and intrigue of electing a new Pope. I found this fascinating. But the very end of the book - with it's
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surprising plot twist - was so bizarre and unrealistic that is changed my opinion of the book. There is nothing wrong with a surprise ending BUT it must have at least a hint of possibility. Show Less
LibraryThing member celerydog
A quick an enjoyable read with a a good story structure, if rather a lot of plot turns to 'kill off' various character.
LibraryThing member dsc73277
Excellent entertainment for those of us who find the machinations of power entertaining. I predicted who the new Pope would be quite early on, but there was still an unexpected twist.
LibraryThing member HeatherLINC
It took a while for me to get my head around all the characters at the start of "Conclave," but it didn't take long for the main players to sort themselves out, then it became a compelling read. I loved the insight it gave into how a new Pope is elected, and Cardinal Lomeli, manager of the
With scandal, intrigue, corruption and ambition at every turn, I found this book impossible to put down until I reached the last page. I am now searching to find other books by this author.
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conclave, was a terrific protagonist. He was extremely believable, humble and very human, and for me he made the story. From the start, I empathised with him as he struggled with the magnitude of his responsibilities, battled with his conscious and sought God's will before making any decision. With scandal, intrigue, corruption and ambition at every turn, I found this book impossible to put down until I reached the last page. I am now searching to find other books by this author.
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LibraryThing member drmaf
Brilliant! Absolutely riveting account of the inner workings of the Catholic Church during its most testing time - the election of a new Pope. Unlike previous novels about conclaves, there is no grand conspiracy or a threat to the world here, its presented as a fairly average conclave such as has
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happened twice so far in the 21st century. The protagonist is Cardinal Lomelli, Dean of the College of Cardinals, a conflicted individual agonising about the increasing guld between the progressives, led by his close friend Cardinal Bellini, and the arch-conservatives led by the aggressive Cardinal Tedesco. Further tension is provided by the French-Canadian Tremblay and the Nigerian Adeyma, both of who have big secrets to hide. To furtehr complicate matter, on the eve of the conclave it is revealed that there is a cardinal none of the others knew existed, the Archbishop of Baghdad, Vincent Benitez, created in secret by the previous pope. The tension mounts as the vote proceeds and clear favourites emerge only to falter as new secrets are revealed and Lomelli is forced to take action as the chequered pasts of the contenders emerge. There is a ripper of an ending that ultimately leaves the reader guessing what the final consequences of Lomelli's actions throughout the conclave. I read this book in two sittings, it was literally unputdownable. Just a great read. Show Less
LibraryThing member breic
This is the gripping story of the election of a new Pope. I very much enjoyed it. Even though most of the ending was highly telegraphed from the start, Harris keeps our attention with very human, conflicted characters—cardinals struggling with doubts, ambition, corruption, aging, but with good
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hearts. It was fascinating to learn about this aspect of the Catholic church, and Harris does an excellent job at integrating the setting, e.g., Vatican artwork, into the story. I found the pacing to be perfect; sometimes it moves slowly but in a way that contributes to the atmosphere, as with the mixture of tension and introspection accompanying the voting ceremonies. Show Less
Awards
Irish Book Award (Nominee — 2016)
The British Book Industry Awards (Shortlist — 2017)
The Observer Book of the Year (Crime — 2016)
Globe and Mail Top 100 Book (Crime — 2016)
Language
Original publication date
2016
ISBN
9781524757359