Conclave was a truly entertaining and gripping thriller to tear through over the course of a rainy weekend. I love thrillers, particularly when they are full of political intrigue, a dynamic cast of characters, historical backdrops, and twists and turns scattered throughout. Conclave checked all of these boxes. But there was just one big problem: the ending. Rarely have I found a book so tense, well-researched, believable, and captivating, unravel so utterly ridiculously right at the finish line. I literally laughed out loud during the final few pages of this book, and I don’t see how this ending is anything but Robert Harris giving a big middle finger to the Catholic Church, his characters’ intelligence, and his readers’ hopes for a grand payoff. Once “Judas” is unveiled, this book really starts to feel over-done and clownish. I cannot wait to see how the ending plays out in the upcoming film adaptation without coming off as pure parody.
The bizarre ending aside, there is a lot I loved about this book. Harris’s bare-bones style makes Conclave an easy binge read, and the main character, Cardinal Lomeli was an excellent protagonist. Cardinals Adeyemi and Tremblay, and Sister Agnes are other stand-out characters. The descriptions of The Vatican’s chapels and dormitories create an air of claustrophobia and darkness that led my imagination to much darker places than anything actually depicted in this book, and Harris’s portrayal of the papal electoral process is a real gift to electoral politics nerds.
I can’t, unfortunately, say that Conclave is an excellent book. I can, however, say that it is a lot of fun. I haven’t read such an addictive thriller in quite a while, and I certainly appreciated that. Maybe you’ll like the ending, or maybe you’ll get a good laugh out of its silliness, as I did. Either way, it’ll be entertaining if you don’t overthink it.
The Once and Future Lit 