The Shoes of the Fisherman, a Novel

The Vatican #1

by Morris L. West

A pope has died. The corridors of the Vatican hum with intrigue as cardinals from all over the world gather to choose his successor. Suddenly, the election is concluded with a surprise result. The new pope is the youngest cardinal of all--a Russian. Shoes of the Fisherman slowly unravels the heartwarming & profound story of Kiril Lakota, a cardinal who reluctantly steps out from behind the Iron Curtain to lead the Catholic Church & to grapple with the issues facing the contemporary world. This is a reissue of a firm favorite, of which millions of copies have been sold worldwide. The 1968 film based on the book won best film at the National Board Review & was Golden Globe nominated.

Genres: Fiction, Religion, Historical Fiction, Classics, Italy, Novels, Catholic

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Morris Langlo West was born in St Kilda, Melbourne in 1916. At the age of fourteen, he entered the Christian Brothers seminary ‘as a kind of refuge’ from a difficult childhood. He attended the University of Melbourne and worked as a teacher. In 1941 he left the Christian Brothers without taking final vows. In World War II he worked as a code-breaker, and for a time he was private secretary to former prime minister Billy Hughes.

After the war, West became a successful writer and producer of radio serials. In 1955 he left Australia to build an international career as a writer. With his family, he lived in Austria, Italy, England and the USA, including a stint as the Vatican correspondent for the British newspaper, the Daily Mail. He returned to Australia in 1982.

Morris West wrote 30 books and many plays, and several of his novels were adapted for film. His books were published in 28 languages and sold more than 60 million copies worldwide. Each new book he wrote after he became an established writer sold more than one million copies.

West received many awards and accolades over his long writing career, including the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the W.H. Heinemann Award of the Royal Society of Literature for The Devil's Advocate. In 1978 he was elected a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1985, and was made an Officer of the Order (AO) in 1997.

Morris West died at his desk in 1999.

Reviews

[Fergus, Weaver of Autistic Webs · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1963, my Mom, Dad and I always watched the six o'clock CBC News here in Canada.

In those years, of course, Canadian politics took centre stage, and our PM John Diefenbaker now had enemies backstage. All eyes were upon him as he fell from grace.

His fall came later, but you see how parochial we had become!

Being Anglican, even what little I knew about Catholicism came from a neighbouring family, the Armours.

But I was Catholic-curious.

One thing I do know, is that Mom kept an eye on the NYT bestseller list weekly for her library book buying. I was a believer, so she probably thought I would like it.

She was into postmodern fiction, but read all the current hits. She passed it to me next.

It was to be my first acquaintance with Church Ritual, so a lot of it mystified me. I was confused by the end...

Why was a pacifist, Open-Church, Eastern European pontiff centre stage in it? Seemed implausible to me.

I knew Popes were traditionally Italian at the time, and doctrinaire.

Ya think, Fergus?

"Book Lady" said it first on GR... Read her review!

This novel FORETOLD THE FUTURE, only twenty-odd years too early.

What about Vatican II & its contentious aftermath, soon after I read this? Who knew?

Remember? Pope John Paul II was Polish, he was an active and outspoken peace activist, and he mended Church fences inside - and as well, outside with the Progressive Paleontological views of Teilhard de Chardin, like in this book.

Had I read this, once wide awake in the eighties I woulda been shocked. But to a dumb Anglican Aspie 13-yr-old with soupy worldviews it was a Wall of Fog!

I will reread this.

Till then, Four Belated Stars. Its auguries are worth it.

So Spooky - ain’t it?

Truth is often only as strange as Fiction - at its Best!

[Terence M [on a brief semi-hiatus] · Rating 1 out of 5]

1-Star DNF - "I Did Not Like It"
- because of unsatisfactory narration.
Audiobook - 11:12 Hours - Narrated by Peter Hosking
Listened to: 00:59 Hours - Balance: 10:13 Hours.
I remember reading this as a paperback book sometime in the 1960s.
Encouraged by the 5-Stars enjoyment in May 2021 of listening to "The Conclave by Robert Harris", I thought "The Shoes of the Fisherman", by Australian author Morris West, might be an ideal follow-up.

The election of a new Pontiff is a supreme event that usually occurs only at rare intervals during the lifetime of those who belong to the Catholic Church. "The Shoes of the Fisherman" was first published in 1963 and hailed the election, as pope, of a young, formerly exiled, Russian bishop who had been appointed a cardinal by the late pope on his deathbed. Thereafter, the new pope has to do battle with his ecclesiastical enemies in the Vatican and with his former Russian jailer and torturer in the midst of the Cold War.

This is a story worth listening to, thought I, as I had little memory of the paperback and I had not read any other work by Morris West.

I still have few doubts that I would have enjoyed the story, but I simply could not cope with the narration by Peter Hosking. Hosking is a well-known Australian actor, producer, voice-over specialist and audiobook narrator. The main issue I had raised its head very early in the book, and this was his use of a "rising tonal inflection" during his recital of conversational dialogue. Once I heard it, of course it became all the more noticeable, and eventually I was anticipating its intrusion and decided to give the book away after an hour of listening.

It is very rare for me to condemn any audiobook narration, particularly to the extent that I DNF the book because of it. I readily admit that it is quite possible my mental attitude last night may not have been congenial enough to tolerate this strange inflection once it became noticeable. Maybe the 'pixies' were having their evil way with me, I don't know, but I was not prepared to continue listening to "The Shoes of the Fisherman" for the time being.
Thus it has been shelved as: "a-dnf-maybe-try-again‎".

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profound on many levels, this book is amazing. Although written in 1963, it predicts a Ukrainian Pope named Kiril Lakota who suffered much under the Communist system, envisions a worldwide, peace-making role for the papacy, anticipates traveling to Marian apparition sites, and is deeply spiritual. Does this remind you of anyone? Even the name Karol Wojtyla and the Eastern-block location are eerily close. I wonder what Morris West thought when Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyła) became pope? I wonder if JPII ever read this book and how it might have affected him and impacted his decisions?

And then there is the return of the exiled Jean Télémond who is recalled to Rome by the Father General of the Society of Jesus and can only be a literary depiction of the real life Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. De Chardin was already dead eight years by the time The Shoes of the Fisherman was published, yet the parallels between him and his fictional counterpart are unmistakable and bittersweet.

I want to go back and reread, The Shoes of the Fisherman, so that I can highlight the many incredible quotes in it. It's one of those rich books where the characters utter these phrases of TRUTH which leave the reader stunned ... well this reader anyway. I found myself putting the book down content to just contemplate one phrase/sentence for a time, then torn between leaving that thought behind and reaching for the next delicious and/or nourishing bit of wisdom.

A must read! Can't wait for the next book in the Vatican trilogy by West, The Clowns of God, which my parish deacon says is even better.

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I close this epic book, The Shoes of the Fisherman, I am in awe of the talent and foresight of Morris West in this most powerful book, the first book in The Vatican. It begins with the conclave united after the death of the pope. And virtually by acclamation, a Pope who has suffered for his faith and has just been released from seventeen years of bondage in his native Russia, Kiril Lakota from the Ukraine. And Pope Kiril I envisions his papacy as revitalizing the Church’s pastoral mission to uplift the spiritual lives of its despairing followers. But Kiril is committed to his vision as in his humble cassock, he roamed the streets of Rome, connecting with ordinary people, sharing coffee and offering solace to the troubled.

But we must keep in mind that this beautiful book, The Shoes of the Fisherman was published in 1963 predating the selection of Karol Wotija from Cracow, Poland as Pope John Paul II. Oh my. In the fictional tale, Kiril receives a clandestine communication from Kamenev, having been moved by Kiril’s unshakable faith during his imprisonment and facilitated his escape. And now he seeks the Pope’s help in a diplomatic initiative to prevent the nuclear arms race. And then there is the story of a Jesuit paleontologist, Father Jean Telemond, called to Rome after his many provocative writings, questioning many Church doctrines. This priest also has a very prescient resemblance to Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit catholic priest, scientist, paleontologist, theologian and teacher. He was Darwinian and progressive in outlook and the author of several influential theological and philosophical books. This is a powerful thread of the story as Pope Kiril reaches out to make amends to the priest when he learns the extent of his suffering when shunned by the Catholic Church.

“At every step he stubbed his pontifical toe on history, ritual, and protocol and the cumbersome methodology of Vatican bureaucracy.”

[Paul Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many years ago (I dare say the better part of half a century), I read THE SHOES OF THE FISHERMAN and enjoyed it to the extent of adding it to a short list of my lifetime favourites. Given that it posits a Ukrainian Pope named Kiril Lakota who suffered much under the Communist system and who envisions a worldwide, peace-making role for the papacy, it would seem that the time is right for a reread. The current lack of peace in the world and its constant flirtation with the staggering possibilities of WW III seem to make the novel's theme more current even than when it was written. I wonder how it stands up to my conversion to an outlook of unrepentant die-hard atheism.

Paul Weiss

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sep 14 ~~ Review asap.
Sep 19 ~~ I hate having a review pending for this long, so even though I am not really in the mood to do it yet, I will go ahead and get this review out of the way. Short and sweet.

I read the book and saw the movie many years ago.

I think of this book every time there is a new Pope elected.

I did not remember all the other characters that were involved in the story. The one that always stuck in my head was the newly elected Pope himself, Kiril Cardinal Lakota.

Can you imagine what must go through the mind of a man facing this job? I doubt if anyone would truly feel capable.

This book takes place during the cold war years, so one issue for our new Pope is the very real chance of a nuclear war. But what can he possibly do about that?

Way back forty or so years ago (maybe even fifty) this was the first Morris L. West book I ever read. I did not learn about the rest of the so-called Vatican Series until I ordered this copy of TSOTF. So of course I ordered the other three too, and will read them directly.

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

This book is very well written. What I expected was a novel that focused on the pope and the college of Cardinals. Instead, there were several sub plots concerning adultery, homosexuality, annulment, and deformed babies who were described as penguins. I would say perhaps 50% of it dealt with the pope. It reads much like an Arthur Haley novel from the 1960s. that’s not necessarily a bad thing but it wasn’t what I was looking for.

[Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it is inspiring and well written and I am glad I read it. On the other hand it has not held up well. It is obvious that the author intended it to be inspiring as well as a serious novel about the papacy and the Church. However, it was published in 1963 while John XXIII was pope. The Church and the papacy it describes is much changed so that the internal agony of the main character as well as others is pretty irrelevant. I also have to note that the subplot involving the American reporter was not only unnecessary filler at the time the book was written by an Australian author, apparently to appeal to the American audience, but comes across as sheer nonsense now.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost every year from 1940 to 1963, there has been at least one Christian novel on the Top 10 Bestseller list. The Shoes of the Fisherman took the #1 spot in 1963. It is the story of a Pope, how he was chosen, and what he faced in trying to keep the Catholic Church relevant in the postwar, communist influenced Cold War era. Kiril Lakota, Ukrainian Russian, victim of torture in the gulags, becomes Pope Kiril I.

According to the Author's Note in the front of the book, "This is a book set in a fictional time, peopled with fictional characters." He wrote the novel in 1962. Pope John XXIII reigned from 1958 to 1963. He was known as "The Good Pope," and influenced both Kennedy and Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was succeeded in 1963 by Pope Paul VI, known for his reforming of the Catholic Church to be more open to the world, to engage in dialogue with people of other religions, and to champion social justice.

Morris West's Pope Kiril I is a fictional combination of the two and I had to marvel at the author's prescience. I remember bits of all this, especially what we called the Ecumenical movement, but what I remember most is the Time Magazine cover in 1966: black with a red border and taking up three-fourths of it in bold red letters was the question "Is God Dead?"

As novels go, The Shoes of the Fisherman is not great but not awful. My religious upbringing, rejected and revised by me years ago, left me with almost a gag reflex when anyone starts pontificating (pun intended) on how if everyone could just be brought to believe in the one Christian God, we would have peace and justice in the world. (My sincere apologies to anyone who believes this way.)

As I gagged my way through the story, also full of examples of people who behave most uncharitably, I was struck once again by the fairy tale of religion. Just believe, try to do the right thing, and though you will suffer, you will live forever in Paradise after you die.

For me, the novel was good for a look at the inner workings of the Vatican, though I have read better ones, particularly The Fifth Gospel by Ian Caldwell. Over the years, West completed what is called his Vatican Trilogy with The Clowns of God in 1981 and Lazarus in 1990. Should I read them?

[Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel begins with the current Pope dying and the selection process for the new Pope. I was familiar with this process, but had never read about it in detail, so I found the beginning informative and interesting. It is the shortest conclave in the history of the Catholic Church. The church needs not just a new leader but someone with the courage and vision to take them in new directions. The cardinals make such a choice but then they immediately start second-guessing their choice; the bureaucracy of the Church, which is huge, works against any change the new Pope initiates. But Kiril Lakota, the new Pope, takes his time, is thoughtful in his approach and begins to effect changes in the institution to make it better serve the people. Kiril is wise to the politics in the Church as well as in the world about him.

This is very good historical fiction which is not based on the life of specific individuals or the description of specific events; instead, it is true to a general time, position and institution. While I had little knowledge on which to base my assessment, I thought the description of some of the critical players in the events as well as the Catholic Church as an institution were thoroughly researched and created real depth to the story. This was the first of a series of four books that describe the life of the Pope and the leadership within the Church. It was originally published in 1963.

[Mangieto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quería que me gustara, porque una de mis amigas me dijo que era muy bueno y además es un libro con una historia impresionante. Todo el mundo lo sabe, pero lo diré de nuevo: Morris West viajó al futuro y decidió escribir libros al respecto. Todo lo que dice es escandalosamente acertado.
Pero fuera de eso no hay comentarios muy grandes. Se trata de un libro sobre un Papa, por lo que la prosa piadosa no me sorprendió nada. Lo que sí me sorprendió - y no en el buen sentido - fue la forma en que el autor decidió escenificar los problemas emocionales a los que puede enfrentarse un católico. Hubo cuatro ejemplos, a grandes rasgos:
- La persona que se ha alejado de la Iglesia por su confusión y por sus experiencias
- La persona que es profundamente religiosa y que tiene ideas que escapan de las líneas definidas por la tradición, por lo que lucha contra esa contradicción.
- La persona que es recta y vive en un mundo en el que 'el que no tranza no avanza'.
- El homosexual, obviamente. Además del promiscuo.

Esos fueron los centros -masomenos- sobre los que giraron los argumentos desarrollados en la novela. Como ejercicio de razonamiento es increíble, como novela no es muy grácil. Es uno de esos libros que creo, sinceramente, que fueron escritos para leerse en ratos, en días salteados. Probablemente el problema sea mío, porque me sentía de humor para algo diferente, pero no pude interesarme lo suficiente en la lectura como para interrumpir mis actividades. Tampoco es que haya sido difícil de leer, es ligero.
Pero no sé, no funcionamos juntos.

[Jim Vuksic · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Shoes of the Fisherman" had only been available for two years when my advanced literature class was obliged to read it in 1965. I was a senior, attending a Roman Catholic seminary, so it came as no great surprise that this book would be required reading.

Reluctantly, I started to read; fully expecting it to be a pious propaganda piece for the Catholic Church and quite boring as well. I was wrong on both counts.

This story of a young Russian Cardinal being elected Pope turned out to be inspirational, shocking, and, best of all - totally believable.

The methods used by this fictional Pope to try to prevent hostile countries from engaging in a war in which there could be no winners is a lesson real-life religious leaders should heed.

By the way, I have been an athiest for the past thirty-four years; but still found this novel to be just as inspirational when I read it again five years ago.

[Ramón S. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Consiguió enfadarme y ponerme de mal humor. Menos una estrella

[Isabel Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Las sandalias del pescador es un drama que ocurre en el Vaticano. Cirilo Lakota, de origen eslavo, es liberado de los gulags rusos, tras diecisiete años de prisión, para participar del cónclave q debe elegir al nuevo Papa. Sin esperarlo en absoluto, Cirilo I es elegido como sucesor de Pedro, mientras que su antiguo verdugo es ahora el Primer Ministro de la Unión de Repúblicas Socialistas Soviéticas.
La novela es atrapante, sobre todo si puedes leerla situándote en el contexto histórico en que West plantea la ficción. A Cirilo Lakota lo rodean las dudas existenciales, pasiones, deberes, una cabeza de la Iglesia preocupada por una "permanente renovación" de sus ideas. Morris West contrapone sentimientos y pensamientos contrarios entre los personajes en términos de su relación con el prójimo y con Dios.
Muchos han considerado q esta novela fue profética, puesto que años después de su publicación, fue elejido Papa el polaco Karl Wojtyla, q ejerció el papado como Juan Pablo II y realizó cambios importantes en la Iglesia Católica en pro de su renovación y adaptación a los nuevos tiempos.
La novela fue tan importante para su época, q la adaptaron al cine y fue protagonizada por Anthony Queen.
También es el primer libro de una trilogía, q la completan: "Los Bufones de Dios" y "Lázaro".

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read and enjoyed this years ago (before the movie). Current readers may have a little trouble understanding why a Russian pope would have had such impact (prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and election of John Paul II).

[Sportyrod · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never thought I would read a book like this but I’m glad I did. I am part of a minority group so I expected some bashing but it was actually gentle and kind. I sometimes have to remind myself that some people are just trying to be the best that they can be despite our differences.

Purely fictional but I liked the main Pope character. He sounds like a good guy. He had an interesting background and perspective.

The plot was probably the downfall. There just wasn’t enough happening and there was a lot of build up and contemplation of the same thing. It could have provided more dramatic elements.

Overall, I’d rate this 2.5 stars. It was easy to read, something different but not enough to to pin me down. Glad I know something about The Vatican now.

[Maiken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book.

The combination of philosophical internal discussions from the highest seat in the Catholic church and the everyday worries of a middle-aged man set in the midst of the cold war was brilliant. When you think that this was written just a few years before the Cuban crisis, it shows a clear insight to the tension at the time. In light of the resent appointment of Pope Francis, it is particularly interesting to read about the Jesuits and the development of the role of the Pope, including travelling to other countries and similar.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for college English 50 years ago. I revisted it in anticipation of the upcoming conclave. Amazing how things haven't change to a great degree from when this was published. Still trying to get the church to connect with the common man and divorce itself from pomp and circumstance. Still a worthwhile read fifty years later.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Me encantan los libros que a pesar de haber sido escritos hace décadas, siguen vigentes en la actualidad. También valoro muchísimo cuando muestran la parte humana de personajes que por sus títulos/roles en la sociedad/ etc de una u otra forma idealizamos. Siempre me he imaginado lo que un Papa debe sentir y pensar en sus momentos de soledad. Esa disyuntiva ante lo que su corazón le dicta y lo que debe hacer para mantener la imagen de la Iglesia. Este libro vale la pena leerlo con mente y corazón abiertos.

[Alberto Delgado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posiblemente la mejor novela vaticana que se haya publicado.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Shoes of the Fisherman" is a book from the 1960s by Morris West, and it was a good one. It is considered the first volume of what's been dubbed his "Vatican Trilogy." In this tale, a new Pope is elected, and the one the College of Cardinals elects is a Russian Cardinal and the youngest of their group. All makes for an interesting setting.

Given the book is from the 1960s, the Cold War becomes a natural theme throughout; given that the new Pope is Russian, the interplay is wonderful. As a new and much more progressive leader of the Church, the new Pope struggles against the entrenched hierarchy that he faces. He faces a number of crises where he must choose - choose a position for the Church. The time setting seems to be the new Pope's first year in office.

All in all this was an engaging tale. Many of the themes presented represent the 1960s, but apply to today just as well. This narrative will interest those who enjoy stories of the Vatican, the Catholic Church, and the pomp and circumstance of the religion. Even though this book is a bit dated, the story seems timeless. Recommended.

[Gary Sites · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorites. I just love the story of the unlikely man who became Pope, and how he becomes the kind of Pope I believe the Church needs. I've read this one twice. Thanks to Woods Pierce for the gift of the hard copy.

[Mojtaba Asghari · Rating 4 out of 5]

آلبر کامو در سال 1951 در کتاب انسان طاغی عصیانگر چنین مطلبی مینویسد:
"مسیحیان نخستین کسانی بودند که زندگی بشر و سر حوادث را به صورت تاریخی میدادند
از لحظه ای که اولوهیت مسیح انکار شد و او بر اثر مساعی ایدئولوژی آلمانی تنها به نماد انسان- خدا مبدل گردید مفهوم میانجیگری از میان رفت و دنیای یهودی از نو احیا شد و شباهت آن به دستور العمل های منجی گرایانه هگل و مارکس شگفت آور است"
من این کتاب رو متاسفانه پیدا نکردم اما فیلمش را دیدم
هرچند ظاهرا بین فیلم و کتاب تفاوت هایی هست
اما از موضوع کتاب و فیلم که در سال 1964 و 1966 نوشته و ساخته شده اینطور دستگیرم شده که نگرانی در دهه 60 قرن بیستم در غرب در حین جنگ سرد و تقابل حکومت های کمونیستی چین و شوروی بوده که نکنه این وسط کلیسا هم به مسیر مارکسیسم کشونده بشه و راه عینیت زمینی را به اجرای صرف دستورات آسمانی ترجیح بده
و به این موضوع میپردازد که پاپ جدید که پا جای کفش پتروس ماهیگیر اولین پاپ تاریخ کلیسا میگذارد تا چه اندازه بایست به عینیت روی زمین واکنش نشان دهد
برای همین روند فیلم و دیالوگ های روشننگری گونه کلیسایی که از زبان یه فیلسوف کشیش مطرود در لحظات دادگاه تفتیش عقایدش شنیده میشود این گمان را تقویت میکنه که ظاهرا مسیحیت نیز همچون انقلاب روسیه به واتیکان صادر شده
موضوع فیلم و کتاب تلنگری جدیست به کلیسا که فکری به خیر و شر روی زمین هم داشته باشد و فقط به دنبال تشریفات تاج گذاری خودش نباشد اما با ترس به اینکه به دام افراط گرایی عینیت گرایی مارکسیستی نیفتد

[Till 🙂‍↕️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coucou 🙉
Dieses Buch war auf mehrere Weisen besonders, zunächst einmal auf ästhetischer Ebene.
Ohne Erfolg versuchte ich euch diese bereits näherzubringen, nun müsst ihr selber aus diesen Zeilen eure wilde Vorstellungskraft spielen lassen 😈
Bei meiner Ausgabe handelt es sich nämlich um ein kleines Kunstwerk bzw. um eine von Mac Avoy(Who that???) illustrierte Version von 1963 🙊:
- Der Umschlag wird von gezeichneten, leicht abstrakten Sonnenblumen, einer Papstkrone und einer angedeuteten simplifizierten Darstellung Jesu am Kreuz geziert, alles insgesamt harmonisch gelb weiß
-Dem Text vorangestellt sind mehrere gemalte (farbig gedruckte!!😍) ebenfalls leicht abstrakte Gemälde die Szenen und bestimmte Zitate aus der Handlung interpretieren, meiner Meinung nach sehr angenehme Farbwahlen
-Der Text selber ist gespickt mit skizzenhaften Zeichnungen in schwarz weiß, die die Handlung wenig interpretativ darstellen und insgesamt nicht atemberaubend sind (komisch war die Darstellung einer wiederkehrenden Figur mit fast pornographisch großen Brüsten🫤)

Der Inhalt war nicht spannend aber interessant in den Ausführungen über Gott, manchmal habe ich geglaubt 😳 hab KB mehr zu schreiben jetzt
LG Till

[Jeff Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was published not long after Vatican II started and several years before Saint John Paul II would be elected. So it is interesting that the subject is an Easter block bishop (Ukraine) becoming Pope along with a pointer to some coming changes.

The main storyline follows this new pope and how he is dealing with reform and global politics, along with a couple of interesting subplots. I had previously seen the movie based on this book, which was made it to the #1 spot on the NYT bestseller list.

I enjoyed this novel, but not as much as I enjoyed his previously written book, "The Devil's Advocate"

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un momento ideal para ler esta obra, cun contexto social e político arredor da Igrexa Católica moi semellante ao da obra é máis sinxelo entender todo aquilo polo que están a pasar as personaxes desta novela.

Un clásico contemporáneo

[Richard Marney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utopia, but that's a nice thing from time to time.

[Juan Carlos · Rating 2 out of 5]

West is without a doubt a superb writer, however I found The Shoes of The Fisherman to be a great dissapointment. In spite of the fact that most of the reviews I have read higly praise the book, it never really got to me.

The concept seems quite interesting at first: an unknown russian, cardinal Kiril Lakota is elected pope. After being held prisioner for quite a few years, he steps up to lead millions of people around the globe in a new world which he basically has knowledge of only from his years in captivity.

At the same time, Kamanev, the man who had been Lakota's prision guard in Russia, and who tortured him beyond belief, has become the head of the russian government.

The fact that both men now need each other provides for a very interesting plot, which in my opinion is never fully developed. The main issue I have with the novel is that it is plotless...nothing really happens. A large portion of the book consists of a series of endless, and a bit boring, thoughts from Lakota.

On the other hand, the reader is exposed to the way the catholic church funtions and thinks, which is an interesting way to humanize religion in he eyes of the reader.

There are also a series of sub-plots dealing with what Lakota has to face as a pope, regading human cruelty, poverty, and most of all politics, which could have proven to be enough for a good novel.

Unfortunatelly, the narration goes astray in many parts, which lessens one's interest in the book. Quite frankly, I had to make a great effort to finish the book, hoping that at some time it would pick up, which it never did.

As I mentioned before, West is a very good writer, but this book is in my opinion, highly overrated. I can honestly say it never got my full atention.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moments of crisis - in spirit, in thought, in love, in action - populate this book and Morris West does not shirk from giving his characters hard things to think about, and hard things to do, as well as the hard consequences of their actions. Ostensibly this is about the first few months of a new pope, but his dealings with his torturer who is now Russian premier, a woman who is wandering aimlessly until she finds herself, a puppet politician controlled by his aunt and his love affairs with the sons of powerful men, and his vivacious trophy wife who is having an affair with an embittered American journalist - these dealings interweave and give the moments of crisis flesh and flavour. The book is unresolved, leaving Ruth and George in the brink of a new relationship, Calitri and Chiara free to pursue separate lives, and a world war beginning to be averted by diplomatic talks. Interesting book, written intelligently, with real people inhabiting a space.

[Federico · Rating 2 out of 5]

La idea del libro, la elección de un Papa eslavo en plena Guerra Fría, parecía atrapante en un principio. De hecho el autor “predijo” con esta novela la elección de Juan Pablo II. Sin embargo, a medida que avanzaba la lectura me resultaba cada vez más tedioso. Los diálogos eran excesivamente largos, los personajes no llegaron a ser interesantes y el conflicto amoroso (entre el periodista y su amante) sentí que estuvo completamente fuera de lugar. Como si hubiese dos historias paralelas dentro de un mismo libro, pero que no tienen nada que ver una con la otra.
Segundo libro que leo de este autor y me llevé una decepción. El Navegante dejó la vara muy alta!