Customer Reviews

The Franciscan Conspiracy

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

 

 

First of all, I'm getting really tired of "conspiracy" books with theological overtones. *YAWN* Haven't we had enough? I picked this one up because it was Franciscan, and I have a thing for the Spirituals (I second another reviewer's recommendation of David Burr's The Spiritual Franciscans). But this book was quite disappointing. Like many another conspiracy book, this one relentlessly builds up the hype, and then falls flat when the long-awaited secret doesn't live up to our expectations. (I won't give this one away, but it's a little bit like Dan Brown. The big secret about Jesus is that he was the ancestor of the Merovingians??? C'mon!) Is the secret that Conrad uncovers for real? maybe, maybe not (there has been a lot of ink spilled on the topic) -- but I'm not convinced it really matters. It seems that Sack has missed the point with Francis.

But there are other issues. I was constantly annoyed by inconsistencies. Why "Leo," "Conrad" and "Clara" (English/Latin) of the Italian -- Leone, Corrado, Chiara), but "Francesco" and "Girolamo" and "Giovanni" (there are many more of these)? And if you're going to set a novel in Assisi, at least get the topography right: anyone who has ever been to Assisi could tell you that no ordinary human (especially not one in bare feet!) could walk from the Portiuncula to Rivotorto to the Carceri (and back again!) in a single afternoon. It's laughable. It's also intensely aggravating to have virtually every well-known individual alive in the Mediterranean basin in the 1270s make an appearance in this novel. Did Sack really need to throw Marco Polo in there? And an adolescent Ubertino? Ok, so Ubertino makes more sense than Marco Polo. But still. It got tedious. When the future Boniface VIII appeared, I half expected Conrad to go rollicking off to the Abruzzo and make contact with Pietro da Murrone! (the future pope Celestine V)

As a medievalist, I did find some parts of the book to enjoy. Sack got a lot of the little details right -- I was particularly amused by an elderly merchant being flummoxed by double-entry bookkeeping. There's even a commenda contract in here, which may be a first in literature.

On a more weighty matter, however, I found the characters unconvincing as medieval. Amata might make a believable appearance on Oprah, but I don't buy her in Assisi. Moreover, we never really understand what drives Conrad, or any of the "good" Franciscans. Even Conrad's mystical experience seems out of a comic book. And that's too bad, because these are really interesting people.

I can't really recommend this book. But if you do read it, do some other reading, too. The subject is well worth it.

I hope this doesn't end up another Davinci Code. This is a work of fiction people!!!

The early biographies of St. Francis were NOT destroyed. In fact, you can buy the Omnibus on this very website.

His body was NOT stolen. There is NO conspiracy.

If you can keep in mind that this is fiction not FACT, it's a good read. I would have rated it better if it weren't for all the people regularly led astray by such works of fiction.

When I began this book, I was so excited I couldn't sleep. Finally, someone who had done thorough, intelligent research on Francis of Assisi and his time.

The characters are wonderful - colorful and complex, the writing style is totally absorbing. I loved it. For awhile.

When I read the ending I very literally threw the book across the room. It made me think of Dorothy Parker's famous quote "This is not a book to be put down lightly. It should be hurled with great force."

I felt used by the author, like he had led me down a garden path only to bludgeon me with a cynical and unfortunate agenda at the end. Without posting spoilers, I would warn anyone who is a true lover of the Franciscan legacy that this book ultimately does not respect the spirit of Francis and his teachings. Many will find it offensive.

I gave it two stars because the fiction writing is commendable and there is a significant amount of research. Too bad the author couldn't have done something a little more satisfying - and maybe even respectful - with it.

The Franciscan Conspiracy
by John Sack

Although this story is carried by Conrad, an ascetic Franciscan friar, a secondary character, sixteen year old Amata, carries enough of the plot to warrant our review. Conrad's deceased mentor, Brother Leo, has given the friar the task of uncovering the mystery behind the disappearance of St. Francis's body, and why the Franciscan Order promoted an official hagiographic account of the Order's founder while suppressing diverging early biographies. And, might there be a non miraculous explanation for the marks of the saint's stigmata?

The plot draws upon the early split in the Order between Franciscans, like Conrad, who tried to follow in the saint's footsteps of wandering evangelists practicing self-denial and extreme poverty, and by those who constructed a more institutionalized Order feeling that in the future Friars Minors would be educated, university-trained preachers. The result? Several of the most venerated companions of Francis were dealt with as heretics, sometimes imprisoned, exiled, and even tortured.

Amata, who befriends Conrad, is a maidservant given to the convent of San Damiano as dowry by the daughter of the family who killed Amata's relatives, and then kidnapped and abused her. Amata's search for revenge highlights the brutality of the period. The habits, clothing, and restricted lives of upper class women are described as well. Fate allows Amata some control over her destiny when she manages to rise above medieval beliefs in the innate lack of reason and seductiveness of the female to select her own husband and learn to read and write.

Sack's story seems intent on mentioning as many relevant period events as possible, as well as many of its luminaries. Among many others you will find Marco Polo, Pope Gregory X, Frederick II, St Clare (foundress of the "Poor Clares"), Fra Elias (driving force behind the famous Assisi basilica), Brother Leo (Francis's constant companion), Bonaventure (who created the official "Francis Legend"), and Fra Jocaba (the woman Francisco christened as an honorary friar). Given the intricate but well researched content, some author's historical notes would have been most welcome!

I see one reviewer is very upset at Sack's suggestion that Francis had leprosy. Actually, the article "The Diagnosis of St. Francis: Evidence for Leprosy" (Franciscan Studies 47 (1987), pp. 181-217), which is edited by St. Bonaventure University, supports the probability that Francis had leprosy. These scholars would be the last people to disrespect Francis. Nor does Sack; he obviously admires the Saint. A great historical novel, but even its "fiction" is plausible.

I can't say how disappointed I was with this book. If you want the drama of the early Franciscan Movement get David Burr's really excellent non-fiction work on the Spirituals it even has a better "plot". The plot of this book is not in fact the Franciscan conspiracy of the body of Francis but the sexual awakening of a young girl in Assisi. It was one of the most pathetic pieces of literature I have read. Especially since I was hoping to really get into the political machinations of the Church, the Empire, and the conventual and spiritual Franciscans, which are in fact minor sidelights to the "high drama" of some girl's pubic longings...

Although this work is fiction, I found it totally plausible. An earlier reviewer says St. Francis' body was never kidnapped and hidden. Actually, there are two historical accounts of the event. John Sack seems to have chosen the more dramatic version. (In the other account, the body was simply removed during the night).

Also, although the earlier legends do exist still, it is only because they were hidden by St. Clare and other orders (such as the Cistercians) not bound by the Franciscan edict to destroy them. Sack includes the original edict on p. 125 of his novel. I would also suggest the reviewer look at pp. 210-11 of the St. Francis "Omnibus of Sources" since she seems to have a copy of that work.

[...]

This is the most stunning, and best-written novel I've read this year, even better than "Name of the Rose" or "DaVinci Code."

This is a great read and really stretches the reader's mind and imagination! The prose is absolutely lyrical!

I'm also enjoying the debate over the authenticity of Sack's research. I went to the website for the book and found the author's bibliography. If he read all these sources, I'd have to say his research is downright impressive.

Two thumbs up!

This story is set fifty years after the death of St. Francis and follows a hermit monk, Fra Conrad, and a novice nun, Amata, on their journey through the Italian countryside to Assisi, to track down the mystery surrounding Francis' death and the abduction of his corpse by a secret group.

Sounds interesting, right? No, not really.

We listened to most of this audio book on a long car trip over the Thanksgiving weekend, and nothing about it would persuade me to get the actual book and finish reading it. It was mostly about Amata, not the "conspiracy" within the church. It was also obviously written by a man without much concern for character motivation or consistency. ("The girl who was repeatedly raped and abused just did WHAT??")

And the sex scenes! Don't get me started. The description of Orfeo's experience with prostitutes was cringe-inducing, but the ridiculous, detailed description of the wedding night was straight from a cheesy romance novel. I was actually blushing sitting there in the car listening to it with my husband of fifteen years.

Say Something Nice! - OK, the reader was excellent, he pronounced the Italian phrases very well and did a good variety of voices for the characters.
This story was also so long and wordy, our frequent lapses in concentration for navigation, etc. did not make us lose track of the plot - perfect for a long car trip.

If you like intriguing fiction novels, then this book is for you. Based on some facts concerning the mystical Franciscan Order, and a little imagination of the author (similar to the Da Vinci Code) this is an interesting book. The best character of the book is sister Amata (Amatina), a pernicious young girl. I hope they will make a movie based on this book.