Ex Libris Kirkland

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First Written 1904
Genre Fiction
Origin UK
My Copy cheap paperback
First Read February 12, 2016

Hadrian the Seventh



The novel is a thinly-veiled portrait of the author, as he is unexpectedly chosen to be Pope. The new Pope (Hadrian) has previously been an overlooked genius, hamstrung by poverty, circumstance, and the ill-will of others. After his elevation, he proceeds to remake the world in his own image, and astonish the conventional cardinals in the meantime.

A weird, uneven book. I picked it up because it was much admired by Charles Williams (my boy), and it's easy to see why. CW himself was a brilliant but eccentric writer, always concerned with getting by, and never achieved popular (or widespread critical) success.

Noted on February 17, 2016

No. We never have read a line of Tolstoy. We studiously avoid doing so.

Quoted on February 17, 2016


Ex Libris Kirkland is a super-self-absorbed reading journal made by Matt Kirkland. Copyright © 2001 - .
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