I picked up this novel because it was about the conclave. My first knowledge of it comes from Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons, and the idea of electing a Pope through this stringent procedure fascinated me. I have visited the Vatican, the St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Sistine chapel since then and remember being in awe of its spiritual aura. So it is no wonder of my attraction to the book.
Conclave is my first novel by Robert Harris. It is always hard when reading an author for the first time because you don’t know what to expect. However, given the high ratings the book received, I was quite confident that I’d enjoy it. Well, I did enjoy it, but not quite. It didn’t somehow live up to my expectations. I fear it’s rather my fault than the book’s. A reader must always read a book with a neutral mind. But this reader, in her excitement, quite forgot that rule. 🙂
I was expecting a fast-paced thriller, a page-turner. Instead, what I was given was a slow-moving story. It is a solid piece of work, well-researched; there is no denying it. But it certainly wasn’t a fast mover. It had some characteristics of a thriller but didn’t exactly come within the genre. It lacked action and drama, and the story flowed in a rather monotonous fashion. The action of the story was centered on the procedure of the conclave, and the rest was filled with backstories and the thoughts and reflections of the main character, Cardinal Lomeli. There is little happening in the story. Harris had invested a lot in developing the character of Cardinal Lomeli. Had he done the same with Lomeli’s rivals and thrown a different perspective from their points of view, the monotony would have broken, and the story would have balanced nicely.
The information on the procedure of the conclave, its ancient rules and customs fascinated me. That was the most engaging part of the story. I enjoyed the undercurrents of the politics subtly depicted within this religious community. The procedure was spread through the whole story in slow movement, yet I didn’t lose interest. The outcome of the conclave was predictable, and the story was, too, but that didn’t diminish my interest either. Some reviewers had expressed disappointment over the plausibility of the plot twist at the end. While I agree on the plausibility, I didn’t so much mind it.
The reading experience was mixed, as expressed in my review. However, as a whole, it was a satisfactory read. The whole story was spiritually uplifting.
Rating: 3/5
