Hadrian VII by Frederick Rolfe

George Arthur Rose is a writer of potboilers in 1800's London who has been spurned by the Catholic church. However through a combination of a hasty reconcilliation with his faith and the opaque politics of the Vatican Rose sees himself elected Pope Hadrian VII. From this position he manages to put the world to rights both politically and in his own life. However his position is put into doubt when some spectres fom his past come to Rome to try and topple him from his the Papal seat.

You do not need to have a Masters in Creative Writing to see the similarities between Rose at the begining of the book and Rolfe's position in society. Rolfe himself was rejected by the Catholic church and felt that he had been let down by the church throughout his life. With this in mind it is clear to see that Hadrian VII is a process of wish-fufillment for Rolfe. Using Hadrian as an analouge Rolfe has been able to spout his disenchantment with politics, national identity, religion, royalty and English nationalism and when Hadrian has to defend himself against his naysayers it is an opportunity for the author himself to defend his life choices.

Whilst this may not sound like it would make good reading the novel has an inexplicable charm. Whilst their is not much 'action' in a conventional sense the book never drags and you can't help but get caught up in the politics and the intrigue of the Vatican. In this sense the novel comes across like an ecclesiastical version of an episode of West Wing. Putting aside the subect for a second, the style of writing adopted by Rolfe is simultaneously unique and beautiful and the intensity of the language really bears fruit in the closing chapters of the book. Whilst we are used to the protagonist being loose cyphers for the authors beliefs this idea of a fantastical autio-biography or an idealised life story is one that has been consigned as an Edwardian curiosity - more's the pity.