Conclave - Robert Harris - ★★★★

AUTHOR: Robert Harris

GENRE: Religious Thriller

PUBLICATION DATE: September 22, 2016

RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: A contemporary religious "thriller" set around a papal election. Interesting and diverse characters, fascinating insight into the conclave and a steady pace. Gripping enough, even when the proceedings became guessable. Many good twists, but went two twists overboard towards the end. Recommended. (The movie adaptation is so weak compared to the book!)

Plot Preview:

The Pope has passed away. Cardinal Lomeli, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, has the responsibility of presiding over the next conclave, wherein eligible cardinals from across the globe will gather at the Sistine Chapel and cast their votes in the world's most secretive election: the voting for the next pope of the Catholic church. It's a time where personal faith and politics are judged, ambitions and uncertainties are magnified, and past and present activities are scrutinized without mercy. Can Lomeli help the church find its next leader, especially when he's in a "spiritual insomnia"?

The story comes to us in Lomeli's third-person perspective.

I've had this book on my TBR since I first heard about it. I never thought I'd be reading it in a year when a papal conclave actually took place. When the book was first published in 2016, dear Pope Francis was just three years into his papacy. The late pope in this book seems to have many attributes in common with him, so it's really tough not to picture him while reading those scenes.

Bookish Yays:

⛪ Lomeli. A cardinal struggling with his faith and yet having to lead his colleagues through one of the most important spiritual tasks of their vocation. He’s a fascinating character who depicts the conflicts of the clergy, whether moral or material. His imposter syndrome and his anxiety of handling the unexpected responsibility during a personal crisis of faith are written really well.

⛪ The other cardinals, who represent all possible kinds of religious leaders, whether in the church or otherwise. A good range of nationalities, personalities, and viewpoints, these characters reveal how varying traits can manifest during the same conflict.

⛪ The non-conclave characters, especially Monsignor O'Malley and Sister Agnes. Both have tiny roles and yet they shine so bright!

⛪ The details of the conclave – Wow! The only fictional experience I have of reading about a conclave is in Dan Brown's Angels & Demons, which is far removed from this book as it focussed more on a crime than on the conclave itself. But this novel offers almost an insider view of the rituals and traditions that take place at the highest echelons of the Catholic church. The author’s research is impeccable.

⛪ The fabulous use of the setting. I feel like I've been to Vatican City with Lomeli as my guide. What’s even more exceptional is how we get a feel of the whole place even though a major chunk of the story is set inside closed quarters.

⛪ The plot development. The story contains enough material to keep you focussed, which is a surprise considering how almost the entire plot is about just a closeted election.

⛪ The tempo. The author is an experienced historical-thriller writer, and his mastery shows in the way he gradually accelerates the tempo of the plot.

⛪ The handling of the controversies of the church: a tough task in a book where every single character is from the clergy. The story cannot castigate anyone outright due to its very nature, so it is admirable that it still brings up the murkier side of some ordained members and highlights truthfully the approach taken by those-in-charge on learning of such activities.

⛪ The religious content, whether through Biblical verses or the cardinals’ discussions. Beautifully handled, giving us many thought-provoking quotes. I especially loved the discussions about worshipping the church vis-à-vis worshipping God.

Bookish Okays:

♰ Too many characters at the start, so it would help to note the names of the key contenders in the election, especially as two pairs of names begin with the letters T and B each. (On an aside, I found it hilarious that the only name Lomeli found tricky to pronounce was that of the Indian Archbishop. And I couldn’t even blame him because I have never heard that last name in my life!)

♰ The twists except for the last two. Most of the turns in the story were really good, but also somewhat convenient. After a point, it was fairly easy to guess who would be the next target of the twist as the narrative conveniently swung towards him. This would be a bother only if you are reading this as a mystery-thriller.

Bookish Nays:

❌ The second-last twist. It seemed to go the typical thriller route with an added dash of religious bigotry. Too filmic for my taste.

❌ The final twist. Totally unnecessary and forced. I don’t get what was the point of that half-baked reveal. It should either have been explored more, or chucked out entirely.

Overall, despite the few issues I had, especially in the final sections, I enjoyed this gripping and complex story of flawed men doing the best they could under the banner of religious propriety. The characters and the depiction of the conclave process were the true strengths of this novel. This was my first Robert Harris book, and I wouldn’t say no to more of his works.

To a general reader, this book might just be an insight into an exotic traditional process and the complications of the church in contemporary times. But as a Roman Catholic, I had goosebumps during several scenes; they just hit me differently. Of course, you don't have to be a practising Catholic to enjoy this book, but I think it would help enhance your experience, especially as several rituals would be more familiar to you.

When I learnt that Ralph Fiennes was the lead of the movie adaptation, I was sure I would watch the movie after reading the book. I still plan to do so, but I admit I am disappointed to see that his character’s name has been changed to the bland-sounding ‘Thomas Lawrence’ instead of Jacopo Lomeli. Are producers in the USA really of the opinion that the American public cannot handle international names? (The changing of ‘Ove’ to ‘Otto’ was equally annoying, so much that I chucked the movie out of my watchlist despite its having Tom Hanks in the lead.) Wikipedia also tells me that that one key Filipino character has been changed to Mexican. I have already lost faith in the movie, but I’ll keep you updated on how it goes for me.

(Editing to add - 15th Nov. 2025: Movie Review: Ah well. Just as I thought, the movie was a relative flop. The performances are good, but all the nuances that make this book good are chucked out in the movie. No introspection, no rationale to the cardinals' preferences, no proper continuity. The focus is more on the big drama than on the tiny subtleties. I wouldn't consider the movie a must-watch. If you have abstained from the book because you have already watched the movie, trust me and read the book. You might already know the ending but the journey is so much better through the novel.)

In the meantime, do read this book. While not perfect, it offers some insightful entertainment, which is a pretty rare combo in fiction.

Recommended to fans of dramatic thrillers with a religious undertone. Not for conservative believers, unless they are prepared to read fiction as fiction.

4 stars. (Until the final quarter or so, this was a strong 4.5 stars.)

This was from my physical TBR, my first physical book of 2025. Now all the other physical books languishing on my bookshelf are looking at me with hopeful eyes. 🤭