Conclave [Mass Market Paperback]

Greg Tobin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2002

Born and raised in suburban New Jersey, Timothy John Mulrennan has known since childhood a deep and abiding faith in his God and his Church that leads him to a career as a priest-and propels him onto the stage of world events that include the Second Vatican Council, the Vietnam War, and the election of the first Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic church of the third millennium. Along the way he encounters some of the most remarkable characters in contemporary fiction: Henry Martin Vennholme, leader of the conservative lay movement called Evangelium Christi, and Mulrennan's bitterest enemy within the church . . . Rachel Seredi, a beautiful artist from Hungary who falls in love with Bishop Mulrennan and gives him the greatest gift a woman ever could . . . Cardinal Leandro Biagi, a wily and urbane politician who would be at home in the time of the Medicis and Borgias . . . and Jaime de Guzman, the Archbishop of Manila and longtime friend of Tim Mulrennan's, the one man who speaks in the American's defense during the divided conclave and who pays the ultimate price for his honesty and faith in God.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Whenever a Catholic priest shows up in a TV movie, it's an odds-on bet the plot involves sex or the seal of the confessional. The same holds true for this novel about American Cardinal Timothy Mulrennan, which is unabashedly reminiscent of the mid-century classic The Cardinal. Favored with the friendship of John Paul II, Mulrennan finds himself in line to succeed the Polish pope after his death. But he is also a lightning rod who draws the attacks of the Church's conservative wing; during the conclave in 2002 to elect a new pope, Mulrennan is attacked in the press by agents of Evangelium Christi, a conservative movement headed by another American, Cardinal Vennholme. Mulrennan has a couple of dirty secrets in his past, and their revelation would be a lot more dramatic if author Tobin hadn't deliberately stacked the deck in his main character's favor. When Mulrennan is blessed with visions of former popes or when his chief opponent is explicitly compared to Judas Iscariot, there's little doubt how the reader is supposed to feel. In much the same way that all hard questions become rhetorical when answered by blind faith, all questions of character and motivation become moot here. In Tobin's Vatican, there's very little of the crackling politics and vital theological debate that made Malachi Martin's The Final Conclave such a compelling read. (July)Forecast: Old-school Catholics and particularly those eager to speculate about the identity of the next pope are the core readership for this novel, which probably won't make much of a splash with general audiences.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The Pope is dead, and the College of Cardinals has convened to elect a new one. In the running is 64-year-old archbishop Timothy John Mulrennan, who finds himself under attack for decades-old sins. As he analyzes the history of the Catholic Church during the last half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, Tobin (The Wisdom of St. Patrick) unfolds the archbishop's life through a series of flashbacks his time as a spy in Cold War-era Berlin; a tour as chaplain in Vietnam; his work as a parish priest in Newark, NJ, during a period of civil unrest; and his directorship of an abbey in New Mexico that ministers to problem priests. Throughout, Mulrennan ponders questions of faith. His endless prayers and introspective moments may put off some readers, but this is a well-researched history of the modern Church and an excellent portrayal of a man of deep spirituality. Ronnie H. Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (April 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812579216
• ISBN-13: 978-0812579215
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,443,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Papal Pleasure, July 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Conclave (Hardcover)

I only take the time to write about a book if I hate it or love it. I loved this one. Conclave is one of those 'It's way past time to go to sleep but I can't put this down' books. I loved getting to peek behind the doors of the Vatican to see the inner workings of the church. I also cared about these characters, even the villians. It was a bit like the television series 'West Wing' only with priests rather than politicians. The main character, an American Cardinal, was especially engaging. Intensely spiritual but with feet of clay, a leader but reticent to lead, possessed of both great pride and great humility, he was a complex and surprising character. I was sorry to part company with him at the end of the book, but if any story deserves a sequel, it's this one. When the next real-life conclave occurs (in the not so distant future I expect) I'm going to feel like I have an insider's track. And perhaps life will end up imitating art. Treat yourself to this book - it's excellent.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, September 19, 2001

By 

R.D. Barry (Ottawa, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conclave (Hardcover)

This is a page-turner. I couldn't put it down. In a way,it resembles the Cardinal, a pre-Vatican II look at an Irish American priest who rises to the highest levels of the American Church. Timothy Mulrennan, however, lives in a different era and experiences some of the pivotal issues of the second half of 20th century America and the post-Vatican II Church. He is a totally sympathetic character and his humanity and compassion shine through. It is not a far-fetched account. The present pope experienced the traumas of Europe during an earlier period and reacted with similar courage. This book has two moving encounters involving Karol Wojtyla and Tim Mulrennan. If you follow Church affairs, this is a must read. As a Catholic, I would want the next pope to be someone like Tim Mulrennan. He is a moderate liberal who has a great affection for the present pontiff. Not an intellectual, but a man of action, he grapples with difficult issues and follows his conscience. Yet he is Catholic to the core and loyal to his vows. There are characters in the Church who pale in comparison with him and who he ultimately confronts. The book presents a series of flashbacks while Cardinal Mulrennan is in the conclave to elect a successor to the late pontiff. Mulrennan has enemies; people who lack his love and faith. But he also has friends, who are well-positioned and who share his vision of the church. This book is inspiring and beautiful and one terrific read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, May 31, 2001

By 

Barbara (South Orange, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conclave (Hardcover)

I just couldn't wait until I started reading this book. I am counting down as to when the sequel will be published. Once I started to read the book - I couldn't put it down. Greg Tobin is a great writer who gives the reader an "inside" view of what happens when the Cardinals of the Catholic Church gets together to elect a new Pope. This a very timely book. It shows that Cardinals are just like normal people that have their own personal problems that they have to deal with. I have been a Catholic all my life and from this book I learned things that I didn't know about the Church. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn more about the Catholic Church. There were parts of the book that while I am reading made my cry.