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oomooloo's review against another edition
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
roslink's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
philadelphiastory's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
i do not seek the papacy. i dread it.
as one of my most anticipated movie releases of the year i only learned very late that there was a book, which i had to read before watching it and i'm glad i did.
i know i'm not supposed to mention the cursed book *whispers* angels and demons.... but it remains my favourite book and is what got me interested in conclaves and how they work.
i grew up in a catholic household so a new pope has always been quite a big event and while i do not really care about the religious aspect of it i do care about the historical one? and the 'logistics' side of it. i thought this was well researched, and you could definitely feel that the author got to have a hands-on experience as mentioned in the acknowledgments. i loved the atmosphere harris built, the tension, the confusion.
i'm a sucker for plot twists and while i expected some in this i was completely shocked at others. i could not put this book down, i read it all in almost one sitting. i was afraid i wouldn't enjoy it that much because i thought the beginning was a bit slow, especially the enumeration of the cardinals, but once the plot got started it hooked me completely.
now i cannot wait to finally watch the movie!
as one of my most anticipated movie releases of the year i only learned very late that there was a book, which i had to read before watching it and i'm glad i did.
i know i'm not supposed to mention the cursed book *whispers* angels and demons.... but it remains my favourite book and is what got me interested in conclaves and how they work.
i grew up in a catholic household so a new pope has always been quite a big event and while i do not really care about the religious aspect of it i do care about the historical one? and the 'logistics' side of it. i thought this was well researched, and you could definitely feel that the author got to have a hands-on experience as mentioned in the acknowledgments. i loved the atmosphere harris built, the tension, the confusion.
i'm a sucker for plot twists and while i expected some in this i was completely shocked at others. i could not put this book down, i read it all in almost one sitting. i was afraid i wouldn't enjoy it that much because i thought the beginning was a bit slow, especially the enumeration of the cardinals, but once the plot got started it hooked me completely.
now i cannot wait to finally watch the movie!
ingis91's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book!
I may be a little bit partial to it, because I love everything that has to do with the pope and his "hidden world" (I desided to read this two seconds after seeing the cover, didn't even bother to read on the back), but I think it is amazing!
there is backstabbing and intrigue, and we get a little glimpse behind the closed doors of the conclave. everytime you think you know how it will end, a new scandal will come out!
I may be a little bit partial to it, because I love everything that has to do with the pope and his "hidden world" (I desided to read this two seconds after seeing the cover, didn't even bother to read on the back), but I think it is amazing!
there is backstabbing and intrigue, and we get a little glimpse behind the closed doors of the conclave. everytime you think you know how it will end, a new scandal will come out!
jana_prk's review against another edition
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
wanderingpanda's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A good read read cover to cover in a few days. Had an unexpected plot twist didn’t go where I thought it would.
eily_may's review against another edition
5.0
Read this in a day - helped by the fact that I had injured my knee and couldn't move but it was also utterly engrossing. Drew me in completely and had me enthralled from beginning to end. An extraordinary book. Think I'll be reading more of his work.
(Had to create a new shelf for this book as well - not quite sure it can be classed as historical fiction as it's set in the future... and mystery didn't quite capture it. Thriller didn't work for me either due to the lack of action sequences and gun-toting cardinals... Suspense I think suits best, although who would have thought the election of a Pope would garner that title...)
(Had to create a new shelf for this book as well - not quite sure it can be classed as historical fiction as it's set in the future... and mystery didn't quite capture it. Thriller didn't work for me either due to the lack of action sequences and gun-toting cardinals... Suspense I think suits best, although who would have thought the election of a Pope would garner that title...)
kate_albers's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I thought the book, once it got going, really had wonderful momentum. It asks a lot of interesting questions and I wonder what my mother - a devoted Catholic - would think.
oeystein's review against another edition
3.0
Not crap, and it did manage to surprise me. But nothing special.
sherlock151's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5