Customer Reviews

The Cardinal Sins

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I read the author's book, "...and young men shall see visions," in high school, and was mildly inspired. I thought he was another of those closet gay priests that had taught me and I was afraid enough of my own sexuality that I ignored him for the next 35 years, although I saw his name from time to time and noticed he had gotten into the supermarket and airport booksellers venue. Then I happened to see one of his books in the library and on impulse pulled it off the shelf. I was amazed. Here he is speaking to the issues that have penetrated my life for the last 50 years. Someone else noticed all this and has been going through it all too! Now this is the third novel of Greeley's I have read. (I am going backward to see howe he got started). Is it great literature? I am not sure. I am not a literary critic. Nevertheless, this book speaks to me and my life. I have met its characters and have been some of them. I know what makes them cry and laugh and burn with desire and shame, however politically uncorrect. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I hope you will too. Maybe even if you are not an Irish-American Catholic.

have an audio version. It is a great story about love, Gods love for us and our struggle to return it and to love one another. Each time I read it or listen to it I discover something more about the theme, the characters and myself.

I've just finished this book and found it to be one that could be non-fiction. It was, as another reviewer expressed, "delightful". I'm, however, surprised that all the critics of the book finished it if they found it "torture" or "awful". May it's because it's human and could possibility be happening right now. I couldn't put it down because it was truly entertaining and about unconditional friendships that lasted through some terrible conditions and ended with some terrible consequences. I'm neither Catholic, Irish-American or gay but this book has me interested in reading others by Father Greeley, he's indeed a brave man.

This book has opend my eyes about the Catholics Church ,very well written ,I commend Andrew m. Greeley for being so frank about what is going on ,and still can going on in the church .L K

If I'm not mistaken, this is Greeley's first novel. Many others followed. I don't believe that success was due to any particularly redeeming features of this book -- it's little more than a soap opera. More likely, the public found it titillating that a priest would write fiction that included sex scenes and other "shocking" material. If Greeley were not a priest, I don't think anyone would have paid attention to this book (and there probably wouldn't have been any others from his pen published).

This is the first, and only book I have read by Andrew Greely. I only finished the book because I thought it had to get better and I always try to finish a book I have started. The characters were shallow, the plot predictable. I never was able to relate to Pat or Kevin in any way and by the end of the book was happy to be rid of them.

I found this book in the free book bin at work, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. The beginning and middle were okay, and I kept reading in hopes that the plot would pick up. It didn't -- and, in fact, got WORSE! Greeley began introducing more and more characters, all with similar (and hard to pronounce) names. The plot was jumpy, and I found myself skipping the "really boring" parts about the papal election to get to the "just plain boring" parts about the other characters. And the end, WHAT END? Nothing was resolved! Not that I minded. By the end of this 500+ pager, I was ready to call it quits no matter what happened! The only good thing about this book, in my opinion, is that I didn't pay for it. I think I'll put it back in the free book bin where I found it and let another poor sap suffer!

I heard Andrew Greeley once in a speech he gave to diocesan priests of the Diocese of Helena, MT in the Carroll College cafeteria in 1966. He is best characterized by his books. What he says and writes seems at loose ends with the real. Then and still.

I cannot believe I finished this book. It is truly a piece of garbage.