Just finished this and The Clowns of God which made up the trilogy beginning with Shoes of a Fisherman which I read about a hundred years ago and loved. You gotta like Morris West who manages to play both sides of Catholicism, for and against, without ever losing his faith. He's dated but his books are just fun to read but I have felt lately that I've been so seriously reading such serious books that I had forgotten just the fun of reading something lighter. I must admit however, the state of th...

An aging pope who has ruled his church with a rigid hand, has to undergo a heart bypass operation, which also leads to a (spiritual) change of heart. A Muslim terrorist group hopes to take advantage of his convalescence away from the Vatican to assassinate him.

For years I have been a Morris West fan. The Shoes of the Fisherman, The Devil's Advocate, even the lesser known The Second Victory (set during the post-war Amerian occupation in Germany), are all thoughtful books in which Mr. West explores the struggles of Catholics as they deal with Church strictures and dogmas, and the God whom those strictures and dogmas try to present. The plots are tight and driven, the writing excellent. The struggles are sincere, the protagonists for the most part believ...

One of the best i've read this year. I wouldn't say this is a perfect novel, it has lots of shortcomings, but the crux, the main concept is engaging, at least to me. I loved those long reflections on life by the Pope, his conversations with Anton Drexel and the others in Vatican. I agree most of it didn't make sense to me, but still at least the parts that i could make sense of, really enthralled me :)Plot: A tyrant pope just about to undergo Bypass surgery starts reflecting on his life, on the

RivetingI liked the other two books in the trilogy, but this one eclipsed them. Such intrigue and also hope for a church held back by convention. As a Catholic it gave me much food for thought.

Another great read and a must for West fans

Great story in the 'Dan Brown' tradition of mystery and suspense. Critical of the institution of religious life and the Catholic church in particular, and some "facts" mis-researched about the faith...

I love Morris West. His moral tug-a-war stories (often about the Catholic Church) ring so true. I wish he was alive and writting today.

The contradiction of good willThe word of God in a melting pot of terrorists, priests, high society, doubt and search for truth. A strong tentación to be a superpope and teach from above pervades the writing and makes the author too visible. The reader moves between reflection and disappointment along a perfectly sketched plot.

A great writer provides an insiders look (his) at traditional Roman Catholic magisterium / workings in Rome. He makes the book enjoyable for general audiences with a fictional suspense twist. His cast of characters are richly developed.

I can't believe it has taken me 10 weeks to read. It did seem like a chore in places, so I skipped some of the bits which were all doctrine.Probably wouldn't bother with another of his although my Mum loves them. We are all different!

I was really looking forward to reading this sequel to Clowns of God but was sadly disappointed. I found the description of the politics of the vatican and Catholic Church tedious and because of it felt the flow of the story was hampered.

Three and a half stars.

"Lazarus" is another book by Morris West revolving around the Catholic Church and its Seat in the Vatican. This book is considered the third volume of what's been dubbed his "Vatican Trilogy," which trilogy is now a tetralogy with the addition of West’s more recent “Eminence.” In Lazarus, the reigning Pope Leo XIV confronts death: from cardiac disease and from a threatened assassination. While the Pope had always been a staunch conservative, his suffering begins to soften his approach to many po...

Intriguing, heartfelt and elegeantly written, Lazarus is ultimately a tale of the most basic, yet profound questions human beings continue to ask; Who is God? What is religion and who gets to define it? How can we live our lives as good human beings? Lazarus sets the stage within the intricacies of international diplomacy and internal Vatican politics, but it does not stay focused there. West has ultimately written a book of conversations and moments of private reflection centred around individu...

Morris West has written numerous popular works concerning the Catholic Church and its relationship to the world. Lazarus is a short spy/drama/popular religious thought novel.     The hero, Pope Leo XIV, learns that he must undergo major coronary bypass surgery. He muses on the prospect of Lazarus-like coming back from death after surgery and wonders what impact the experience will have on his reign. In the meantime, an Arab terrorist squad plots to assassinate the Pope for a number of nebulous r...

Morris West is such a good story teller and in this, the final part of the trilogy (the other two books in order are "The Shoes of the Fisherman" and "The Clowns of God") I think is the best.I've just read a review that castigates West for having a go at the Catholic Church in this book. Someone has to; it needs to be done as more unseemly behaviour comes to light and I think that Leo XIV (the Pope in this story) got it right when he came to the conclusion that the Church did not serve the Faith...

Exorcising.

The third book of the Trilogy. Pope Leo XIV must undergo a heart bypass procedure causing chaos in the Roman Curia. The Sword of Islam picks this time as the proper opportunity to assassinate the Pontiff as well as the loyal therapist of the Jewish doctor performing the procedure.The plot includes the recovery of the Pope and his changed attitude toward the Church, a pair of fallen away priests, the Israeli Mossad, hired killers. In the end, someone dies (as they do throughout the book).What is

I don't think that it is West's best novel, though at times it took me well. But I'm amaze of his vision of the Catholic church and its development almost as a prophecy. I dream with a church as Morris West describes in his novels... some day, some day.