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The Vatican TetralogySeries

This saga delves into the intricate world of the Vatican, chronicling dramatic papal elections and the profound personal journeys of those leading the Catholic Church. The series explores the clash between faith and politics, tradition and modernity, and the internal struggles of individuals facing immense responsibility. These narratives are rich with intrigue, spiritual exploration, and contemplation of humanity's greatest questions.

Lazarus
The Shoes of the Fisherman
The Shoes of the Fisherman (16pt Large Print Edition)
Eminence
The Shoes of the Fisherman
The Clowns of God

Recommended Reading Order

  1. 1

    The Shoes of the Fisherman

    3.9(12)Add rating

    A pope has died. The corridors of the Vatican hum with intrigue as cardinals from all over the world gather to choose his successor. Suddenly, the election is concluded with a surprise result. The new pope is the youngest cardinal of all--a Russian. Shoes of the Fisherman slowly unravels the heartwarming & profound story of Kiril Lakota, a cardinal who reluctantly steps out from behind the Iron Curtain to lead the Catholic Church & to grapple with the issues facing the contemporary world. This is a reissue of a firm favorite, of which millions of copies have been sold worldwide. The 1968 film based on the book won best film at the National Board Review & was Golden Globe nominated.

    The Shoes of the Fisherman
  2. 1

    The Shoes of the Fisherman (16pt Large Print Edition)

    • 608 pages
    • 22 hours of reading

    Set against the backdrop of a power struggle within the Vatican, the story follows Kiril I, a young Ukrainian pope recently freed from Siberian labor camps. As he navigates the complexities of leading a divided Catholic Church, he must confront his past and face his former tormentor to prevent a looming world war. This gripping narrative explores themes of redemption, leadership, and the weight of history, solidifying its status as a significant work of the twentieth century and the first in Morris West's Vatican trilogy.

    The Shoes of the Fisherman (16pt Large Print Edition)
  3. 1
  4. 2

    The Clowns of God

    • 416 pages
    • 15 hours of reading
    3.8(5)Add rating

    The Pope declares he has received a private revelation that the world is about to end, and an old friend embarks on a dangerous journey to investigate whether he's mad or whether just possibly there's truth in it.

    The Clowns of God
  5. 2

    Les bouffons de Dieu

    5.0(1)Add rating

    Participant à la fois de l'anticipation à court terme (vers la fin du XXe siècle) et de la politique-fiction (le Pape a dû abdiquer à la suite d'une révélation de la fin des temps), ce seizième roman de l'écrivain australien conserve un ton plausible. Par ailleurs, pas plus que chez Graham Greene à qui on l'a souvent comparé, il n'y a d'emphase religieuse ou d'esquisses ou d'esquives moralisantes, quoique le sujet s'y prête. Le message inhérent joue non par autorité (d'auteurs) mais par influence (provenant du for intérieur du lecteur). Réflexif.

    Les bouffons de Dieu
  6. 3

    Lazarus

    • 374 pages
    • 14 hours of reading
    3.8(11)Add rating

    Ailing Pope Leo XIV is threatened by the terrorist group, The Sword of Islam, while in the Vatican, intrigue and conspiracy mount. Leo's heart surgeon gets caught up in the terrorist plot.

    Lazarus
  7. 4

    Eminence

    • 320 pages
    • 12 hours of reading
    3.8(24)Add rating

    Imagine that a Pope, known for his doctrinal conservatism, were to die and his private diaries were revealed to be full of doubts about his papacy and the future of the Catholic Church. Such is the hypothesis of Morris West's tale of Vatican politics. At its heart is Luca, Cardinal Rossini, who has suffered torture and degradation as a priest under Argentinian dictatorship but who has risen to high office in the Vatican. He is a flawed man but he is still a man of power and a candidate for election. Just as his career seems poised to reach its zenith, he is plunged back into his past, reminded of a love affair which had seemed dead. Morris West, best-selling author The Shoes of the Fisherman and The Devil's Advocate, has fashioned a thrilling tale of ambition and power-broking in the world of Vatican politics that he knows so well.

    Eminence