Eminence [Paperback]

Morris L. West (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 28, 2003

An Argentinean cleric, tortured in the 1970s is rescued and brought to Rome. A generation later, having rising within the hierarchy, a candidate for the papacy himself, he must confront his past.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Morris West, author of the bestselling novel The Shoes of the Fisherman, manages in many of his books to balance a steadfast Catholic faith with a razor-keen perception of the flaws of the Church. Eminence begins with Monsignor Jorge Novak's 1995 admonishment of the Church's "complicities [in respect of] illegal repression" in Argentina and a short citation from William Pitt (1770): "Where law ends, tyranny begins." West uses these political statements as the launching point for his very personal story of Cardinal Luca Rossini. Luca is a compelling character--a haunted man who offers the world a stern visage to cover a deeply troubled soul. As a young and outspoken priest he was brutally tortured in an Argentine military prison and was then nursed to health by the beautiful Isabel, wife of an Argentine diplomat. To cover the scandal of his unacknowledged treatment, he was recalled to Rome and exiled to the Vatican. As the novel begins, Rossini is now the confidante of the reigning pope. He is admired and feared by his colleagues, for Rossini (like his creator) understands the Church, speaks frankly, and knows how to present his ancient faith to the late-20th-century media. When the pope becomes gravely ill and a successor must be chosen, Rossini takes a central role in the process. In the midst of the political intrigue that surrounds the selection of a new pope, however, Isabel arrives in Rome--along with Luca's daughter. Luca must suddenly confront old and painful memories of Argentina and the scandalous passion of his long-suspended love affair.

Eminence is a brisk thriller and simultaneously a very relevant examination of the byzantine Vatican City; but the ultimate pleasure of the book, as with the best of West's writings, derives from his complex and very human portrait of a modern man of the cloth. --Patrick O'Kelley --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Cardinal Luca Rossini, hero of this intriguing novel of papal succession, is a Vatican gadfly who approaches his duties with the cool efficiency of a corporate executive. Rossini lost his faith during the 1970s when, as a young priest in Argentina, he was tortured by the military. After a brief affair with his rescuer and nurse, brave Isabel Ortega, Rossini was recalled to Rome, where he came under the patronage of the pope, despite his opposition to the pontiff's conservative policies. Now the pope has died and his secret diaries, which betray doubts about his stringent tenets, are being leaked to the media. Rossini is suddenly thrust into the eye of the doctrinal hurricane as an influential conclave voter, a proponent of liberalization and a surprisingly strong papal candidate. Meanwhile Rossini has come to doubt not only his faith but also his vocation. To complicate matters further, Isabel arrives in Rome with shocking revelations of her own. With half a century's writing experience under his belt, West (The Shoes of the Fisherman; The Lovers; etc.) wrestles courageously with a bloated plot, though he occasionally lapses into sentimentality during scenes between the former lovers. Overall, he succeeds in balancing contemporary Vatican intrigue and details (cellular phones ring within the folds of medieval vestments) with Rossini's myriad political, spiritual and personal crises. It is the Cardinal who holds the story together, emerging as a passionate, insightful and strong-willed character in this very temporal exploration of the church today. Literary Guild selection.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Toby Press (January 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1902881699
• ISBN-13: 978-1902881690
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #634,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must read", August 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Eminence (Hardcover)

EMINENCE is a breathtaking journey through the political fabric of the Vatican during a crucial period, set in the near future. The hierarchy wrestles for direction in the lead up of the election of a new Pontiff. Morris West's novel is clearly a "must read" for anyone enjoying a well written, compelling novel.

While you are masterly entertained by the author, he uses skilfully a highly accomplished structure of the novel as his Trojan Horse to present compelling argument to sketch out the fundamental problems facing the Roman Catholic Church, and Christianity at large, everywhere. West's insight and maturity takes you on the path to new thinking on essential questions on spirituality, traditional faith, and illuminates our own search for God, and life's meaning in a new age.

I hope it becomes compulsory reading for high office bearers of the Roman Church, as they soon might need to wrestle with the election of a successor to the ancient throne of Peter.

As to the wisdom of a great writer, we ought to be truly grateful.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Can you hear the tune?, March 23, 2000

By 

Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Eminence (Hardcover)

The emotions and struggles of West's characters are real, heartfelt, and dated to the beginning of mankind. In this way, I always relate to his stories, tantalized and drawn in by his graceful style and--often un-American--sense of dignity. On the other hand, the dialogue tends to flow from pre-ordained scripts, rather than from the down-on-the-street world most of us live in. I usually overlook this stilted quality because of the seductive narrative. His words nearly hum a tune of honor and the quest for truth in a world gone mad. West is one of my favorite authors and I enjoyed this story of Luca and Isabel and the political jockeying within the Vatican, but I wouldn't rate it among his best. I hope he has one more truly original premise to vent in his latter days. Meanwhile, try his nonfiction offering "A View from the Ridge." This man truly attempts to reconcile faith with the darkness of the world around us--and for that he sits high on my list of influential authors.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Church and power - once again, June 26, 2000

By 

Natwhilk (Jessheim Norway) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eminence (Hardcover)

Once again, Morris West brings to life a clergyman with a troublesome past. Cardinal Luca, burdened with old memories of being molested by Argentine soldiers, comes to town - THE town, La Citta. So does the love of his life, an ambassador's wife. West weaves an elegant web of love and politics (churchly and worldly). As the Pope dies, Luca has to cope with his love's fatal illness, the election of the successor of St Peter - and his own past. Of course, the election turns out more exciting than anyone could guess, with an unexpected turn at the end. As usual, West gives us a thoroughly researched background - this time on the pulling of strings behind the scenes: Maybe this is the way popes are elected; we can not really know. West has a flair for telling about live people in odd circumstances. And he does not let us down.