2008 Book 4: Lazarus

Book #:	4
Book Title:	Lazarus
Author:	Morris West
Publisher:	Wings Books (Random House)
Pub. Date:	1993 (my version); 1990 (original)
Pages:	228
Started:	January 12, 2008
Finished:	January 19, 2008
Time to Read:	7 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"A deadly game where everyone has a secret agenda - and no one is quite what they seem... THE POPE. An iron-fisted reactionary who conspired in the downfall of his predecessor earned many enemies in his climb to the top. Now he must face his own day of reckoning... THE DOCTOR. He is first a surgeon - second, a Zionist, bitter over Rome's refusal to acknowledge the Jews. Performing heart surgery on the Vicar of Christ, he vows, "I want him to owe me his life..." THE ASSASSIN. By day, he is a businessman. By night, he leads the Sword of Islam. Now his greatest hour draws near..."
Stars:	***
Review:	When the Pope is discovered to have a heart that is a ticking time bomb, he entrusts his life to the best surgeon around - but one with such ideological differences that even a patient-doctor relationship seems nearly impossible. When the surgery is a success, the leader of the Roman church is granted a new lease on life, and faces it as if Lazarus departing the tomb. Certain entities are eager to ensure that his new attitude does not impact the future of the church...or the strengthening of a relationship between the Vatican and the state of Israel. Along the way, the story line covers defrocked priests, mismatched couples, and heartwarming stories of hope. This is the final book in the Vatican Trilogy, and it definitely ends with a bang. The problem is, however, that the entire novel is so invested in building anticipation towards the tragic event that may come, that when it does come, it's anti-climatic. Not a bad book - interesting sub-plots and well-developed characters, but I think that there was too much time invested in building the reader up towards the destined events. It is very interesting that although the first two books in the trilogy really make no mention of tying together, this one makes mention of characters in both - and at times, that mention seems forced, as if West is trying to drive home forcibly the point that the books are related. Readers, there are a few twists however, including one triumphant and one quite sad - although some things will be seen from miles away, there are still some surprises left to the wind.

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 3: The Clowns of God

Book #:	3
Book Title:	The Clowns of God
Author:	Morris West
Publisher:	Wings Books (Random House)
Pub. Date:	1993 (my version); 1981 (original)
Pages:	270
Started:	January 7, 2008
Finished:	January 11, 2008
Time to Read:	4 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"The reigning Pope, Gregory XVII, has spent a lifetime quietly serving the Church he loves - until he announces a prophecy so alarming, so dangerous that it threatens to tear the Vatican apart. Now the Cardinals must decide what to do about Pope Gregory and his fantastic vision. Is he mad - or is this an elaborate plot to gain supreme power? One thing is certain - Gregory must be silenced before the consequences of his predictions destroy the Church itself..."
Stars:	**********
Review:	Let me just tell you that the description on the flap is the worst part of this book. The inscription up-plays events that are more or less tangential to the overall plot itself. The actual story being told in The Clowns of God is that of the End Times - when are they coming, what will be the final event to bring on the Rapture, and what will the world be like afterwards for those who remain? This is my favorite book. Ever. And considering that I have read thousands of books, I don't say that lightly. In this story, I have found more about the meaning of life and faith than through any other source except the Bible itself. This novel moves me in ways I can't even articulate - as soon as I'm done with one reading, I'm always ready to start over immediately with the next. From the first time I read this book in 11th grade English to today, I've probably read it 20 times - and each time, I find some snippet, some meaning that I hadn't seen before. Professor Carl Mendelius is contacted by outgoing Pope Gregory to aid in sharing the true story of his abdication and his vision of the End Times. A former priest turned loving husband/father and pedantic instructor at a religious university, Mendelius is drawn to help his old friend, although he has trouble in believing Pope Gregory's vision of what is to come. As the plot churns masterfully forward, the lives of many are thrown into turmoil - while the world follows quickly behind in the setting of a US/USSR nuclear pissing match. As the end draws near - both for the book and the world - a revelation is made so stunning that it brings me to tears nearly every time. This revelation shows that hope exists; love thrives; and life sustains. Whether you are Catholic, Christian, Jewish, or agnostic, you can find messages in this book that will forever change your life. I highly, highly recommend.

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 2: Shoes of the Fisherman

Book #:	2
Book Title:	The Shoes of the Fisherman
Author:	Morris West
Publisher:	Wings Books (Random House)
Pub. Date:	1993 (my version); 1963 (original)
Pages:	208
Started:	January 1, 2008
Finished:	January 7, 2008
Time to Read:	7 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"The Pope is dead. The corridors of the Vatican hum with intrigue as Cardinals gather from around the world to elect his successor. The result startles everyone, not the least the man they have chosen: Kiril Lakota - a Russian, and survivor of seventeen years in the Soviet labor camps. Now, the crises he must face as he ascends the Throne of St. Peter will test his faith and courage more strongly than the Gulag ever did..."
Stars:	****
Review:	This is the first book in the best-selling Vatican Trilogy - the second, The Clowns of God, is the one listed in my first ten books, but since I prefer to read ordered books in, well, order, you have to trudge through my review of this one to get to the next! :-) His Holiness, Pope Kiril I, is faced by many issues, after his election by acclamation. After so long in prison camps, he is out of touch with the world as it now appears around him. A Russian, he is a stranger in a strange land in the Roman-surrounded Vatican. From guiding a wandering sheep back to his Catholic flock to encouraging the work of an inquisitive Jesuit and his occasional foray into the world of political intrigue, the Pope has a busy first few months in office. But it is the pressing concern of a nuclear war between superpowers like the USA and USSR that become the most pressing concern - and Kiril finds himself back in contact with his former tormentor - now the current ruler of Russia - and brokering secret discussions to save the world. I like this book. A lot. Every word set down is just masterfully written - Morris West is really beyond compare. I do have some issues with this story, however. First, there are about four story lines going on at once. Now...West actually handles the multiple and somewhat converging story lines well - the reader never has an issue figuring out which characters are currently the center of attention. However, the ending of The Shoes of the Fisherman comes a bit abruptly, leaving a few of the story lines kind of hanging...there are semblances of conclusions, but they are seem a bit flimsy. Overall, the trilogy is just marvelous, but this book is the weakest of the three. (And don't let the page count fool you - I have a hardbound edition that houses all three stories, and it's a tall book plus the typeprint is extremely small.)

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany