Hadrian the Seventh

by Frederick Rolfe

Other authorsHerbert Weinstock (Introduction)
Paperback, 1969

Status

Available

Call number

823.8

Collection

Publication

Ballantine (1969), Paperback, 381 pages

Description

'If there be one place in all this orb of earth where a secret is a Secret, that place is a Roman Conclave' Part novel, part daydream, part diatribe, this strange masterpiece tells the story of George Arthur Rose, a poor, frustrated writer who lives in a shabby bedsit, saving his cigarette ends and eating soup - until one day he is made Pope. As the first English pontiff in five centuries, he is a mass of contradictions: infallible and petulant, humble and despotic. Yet Hadrian the Seventh is really a knowing self-portrait of its flamboyant author Baron Corvo, a would-be priest with aristocratic pretensions, and one of the greatest eccentrics of English literature.

User reviews

LibraryThing member Schmerguls
1145 Hadrian the Seventh, by Frederick Baron Corvo (Frederick William Rolfe) (read 31 Dec 1971) Rolfe was born in London on July 22, 1860, and died in Venice on Oct 23, 1913. He, obviously, was a nut. The concept of this book--a rejected seminary student ordained and elected Pope--is silly and the
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events of his pontificate--of one year's duration--are even sillier. Wish fulfillment dreaming by a neurotic.
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LibraryThing member HarryMacDonald
It has been discussed to the point of nausea just how much this book is a reflection of its author, but most of the time these discussions say vastly more about the reader than about the author. Suffice it to say that I find this book an endlessly moving though eccentric search for love, and for
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the realization of life's purpose. As I write this, I am re-reading HADRIAN for perhaps the tenth time in half a century, and the initial astonioshment at its greatness remains unchanged. A small matter: I am frankly amazed that I had never before noticed the two typos on pp 92 and 93 of the Penguin edition!
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LibraryThing member Petroglyph
George Arthur Rose is a staunch Catholic and a wannabe-priest, but for twenty years all his efforts to have his vocation made official have been torpedoed either by bad luck, or by bishops disinclined to put up with his difficult character and his erratic behaviour. As a result, Rose, eking out an
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existence as a freelance writer, has become bitter and easy (and very eager!) to take offence; he takes pride in rubbing his misfortunes in the face of those responsible precisely by ostentatiously not rubbing them in their face. He’s got several magnanimous monologues prepared, for when his tormentors finally see the light and apologize to him. He’s also an inveterate cat person.

So far, the story is really that of the author himself: Frederick Rolfe, the self-styled Baron Corvo, who abbreviated his first name Fr. so as to give the impression of being a priest. But then, one day, Rose gets elected pope. He takes it in stride, and sets out to become the best, most memorable, and most innovative pope ever. Also, he mews occasionally.

Hadrian the Seventh is a fun romp of a book. It’s Roman-Catholic fanfic, a delightful what-if tale that takes its silly premise and runs with it, emphatically not caring about what anyone may think. Rolfe’s pope, scrupulously exact and sternly megalomaniacal, is what the entire book hangs on, lavishing well-deserved attention on him, letting him shine in all his contradictory glory; as such, he joins my pantheon of memorable characters that transcend their book.

And it isn't just the main character -- it’s the entirety of Hadrian the Seventh that so fascinatingly walks that fine line between sincerity and satire. It is written in an elegantly baroque style that is so full of its own aloofness it almost parodies itself; its central character, so impossibly smug, is treated with the utmost gravity; and its attitudes towards women, socialists, non-Catholics and assorted nationalities are ridiculous, yet presented as such self-evidencies and taken so far that it’s hard to take them entirely seriously.

I'm not quite sure just how tongue-in-cheek this book is: is it mostly self-aware over-the-top wishful thinking with an honest desire at its core? Or does it aim to create an exaggerated but mostly honest attempt at what-if? Or was the author unaware of how self-aggrandizing the book is? Or perhaps he was and he intended it so. From what I've read, all of these are possible. (Incidentally, I've also purchased Symons' The Quest for Corvo, a biography of Rolfe (which appears to be a fêted classic in its own right), and will certainly read it.)

Whatever the case may be, Hadrian the Seventh was enormous fun to read, endlessly entertaining and more whimsical than any other book I read this year.
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LibraryThing member mattresslessness
Out of the context of the author's life I'm not sure how appealing a proposition Hadrian the VII is as a book. Stand the protagonist shoulder to shoulder with Rolfe, however, and you have an extreme and touchingly pathetic example of wish fufillment. He's dreamed every move he'll make as Hadrian,
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but when it comes to the first great leap, the matter of his election to the Papacy, Rolfe bitterly struggles for any further justification than the pleasantly vague "deserving it".
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LibraryThing member DieFledermaus
This book seriously disappointed me. I really should have liked it – it was published by NYRB, one of my favorite publishers, has a bizarre premise – obscure Catholic reject George Arthur Rose is elected pope – and is set in a parallel reality, all of which appealed to me. Unfortunately, all
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the characters are horribly, horribly flat and the wish-fulfillment aspect becomes extremely grating. I can’t recommend it as a good read – more of a curiosity. Still, it is odd enough that it’s good NYRB published it. That’s how I’ve felt about other books that they published but that I disliked – it’s good that they’re out there but not for me.

The book starts out well. George Arthur Rose relates at length his persecution out of the Catholic hierarchy then the choosing of the new pope is described. The author is able to describe all the inanities and labyrinthine process that goes into both. This still might not appeal to other people, but sometimes I like things like that – to land in the middle of a scene with all its jargon. After he becomes pope, there is still some fun to be had – mostly with the new pope Hadrian going rogue. Some of the side stories of his surrounding advisors and cardinals are interesting also. The style throughout is very idiosyncratic, but I generally like that rather than being annoyed by it.

After that, the book starts to become irritating. The other cardinals/Catholic officials who oppose Hadrian are obviously jealous and corrupt – there’s really no complexity to those characters – they’re just bad. For some reason, a Socialist group in England opposes him and becomes obsessed with him, instead of not giving a shit about the pope, as one might expect – though in this reality, England apparently cares about Roman Catholics, as opposed to the toleration to prejudice usually seen towards them around that time. Again, the representative they send to bother Hadrian is just a venal, uncultured asshole. To add to that, a slutty woman - who threw herself at Hadrian when he was Rose - goes along with the asshole. Needy, whiny, vain – she’s a whole bunch of stereotypes tossed together. Of course anyone who opposes the pope has horrible motives and is just a jealous toady. Other wish fulfillment parts are seen in the plot – the new pope forgives all his former enemies – so magnanimous! – and helps a seminary student who is obviously supposed to be a younger version of himself – the boy is being picked on by stupid bullies for being aloof and above the petty politics.

There are some deeply distasteful plot parts that the author couldn’t have imagined. The pope seems a little too obsessed with the attractive young son of Victor Emmanuel, King of Italy in this reality. Also, the pope supports the German ruler in taking over territories in the rest of Europe. Or something like that – wasn’t paying too much attention at that point. The end is also really irritating. Ugh.
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LibraryThing member vesuvian
My favorite self-delusional novel. A young religious is chosen to be pope - an amazing notion. I think that "Frederick Baron" was the author's legal name and he tacked "Corvo" on the end as part of his megalomania. It's good reading. Actually, I have an old Penguin edition which has held up. It's
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worth somebody's time. Good beach reading since it's not that long.
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LibraryThing member antiquary
Quite a remarkable book. On one level, it is wishfullfillment for the rather shabby and occasionally sleazy life of Frederick Rolfe --what if a failed priest was suddenly elected pope? But Hadrian VII is a much nobler character than his author, and I often find myself remembering the last line
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"Pray for his soul. He was so tired." Incidentally, it also plays out a quite remarkable alternate history in which Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and Wilhelm II of Germany are the redeemers of Europe from Bolshevism etc.
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LibraryThing member PilgrimJess
Frederick Rolfe was born in London, the son of a piano-tuner, and left school at the age of 14. Rolfe converted to Roman Catholicism and this conversion became a strongly felt desire to join the priesthood himself. Rolfe went to college in Rome but was eventually thrown out because his inability to
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concentrate on his priestly studies and his erratic behaviour meaning that his desire to join the priesthood was constantly frustrated and never realised. Instead Rolfe became a free-lance writer relying on benefactors for support but he had a tendency to fall out with those who tried to help and support him. He eventually died in poverty in Venice. 'Hadrian the Seventh' is Rolfe's best known novel and many regard the titular character as the author's alter-ego.

'George Arthur Rose,' having originally been rejected for the priesthood and living in poverty as a free-lance writer, finds himself the object of a highly improbable change of mind on the part of the church hierarchy, who then elect him to the papacy. Rose takes the name Hadrian VII and embarks upon a programme of ecclesiastical and geopolitical reform. Dogged by petty jealousies and scurrilous accusations Hadrian's papacy is relatively short lived.

Rolfe was himself an avowed homosexual and Hadrian like his creator soon surrounds himself with young men and abhors the presence of women and children. Hadrian thus becomes an exercise in wish-fulfilment.

It seems highly unlikely that even back in the early 20th century that the Pope would have had the influence amongst politicians that Rolfe seems to imagine that Hadrian has but in todays world this seems ridiculous. This is a rather quirky novel that has almost been totally forgotten. This wasn't a particularly easy read, the prose is grandiose, there are elements of this book that I rather enjoyed, in particular his dealings with the Socialists who were laughable, but there were also some elements that I found rather tedious. It perhaps deserves to be more widely read but in truth I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to any of my friends.
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Language

Original publication date

1904

ISBN

none
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