The Devil's Advocate

El autor, en esta novela, se adentra en los espacios más recónditos y contradictorios del alma humana, utilizando, para ello, los recursos estructurales de la narración policíaca. West plantea la eterna paradoja del cristianismo: la constante tensión entre la fe y la flaqueza humana. Novela audaz e intrigante, testimonio del catolicismo conflictivo de nuestros días.

Meredith va a morir pero ha sido elegido como Abogado del Diablo para que actúe como fiscal religioso contra un hombre al que todo un pueblo quiere beatificar. Pero Giaccomo Nerone no era tan beato, había dejado a una mujer embarazada y además no se había casado con ella. Y encima se había creado enemigos. Meredith, antes de morir, busca un milagro. Nina y Paolo show more Sanduzzi se lo ofrecen, y él, por su cuenta, logra realizar otro milagro. show less

This was a fun re-read of a book I last read in the early 70s. I enjoyed it the first time, and I enjoyed it again the second time.
The book shows its era - while there are some slightly sordid chaurch activities are revealed, the book is a full-on promo for the Catholic Church. In Lazarus, one of Morris West"s sequels to this book published 30 years later, the tone of faith in the church is considerably more subdued - still there, but not as strident as the 1959 book.
So, good writing, a bit of fun in plot development, a lot of pro-church prpoganda to stomach or ignore, but otherwise an interesting and enjoyable read.

In a small town in Calabria,the local partisans condemn a man to death.Allied deserter, traitor,collaborator,Giacomo Nerone deserved to die.
Years after the war,there are those who remember Nerone as a saint-a wounded fugitive who appeared from nowhere to lead them through the harsh winter and hunger of the German occupation into spring.
Blaise Meredith,the sceptical emissary from the Vatican has to act as 'THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE'
Interesting investigation of the past !

Old fashioned story telling at its best. I thought it was well ahead of it's time in theme since it was published in 1959 when we were not questioning the residual effects of war, , written incredibly well. A very good insight to war and it's aftermath for a civilian group that is just trying to survive when survival is questionable no matter what the circumstance. The faith issues the book address give pause, reflecting a genuiness that is thought provoking.

Still as compelling a read as it was 25 years ago. (And, incidentally, proof positive of the fact that it’s possible to write a thriller about the Catholic church that will sell millions of copies while still using good style, effective vocabulary, and believable, three-dimensional characterisation.)

I’ve had a soft spot for Blaise Meredith since I first read this book at the age of 15 or so, and he’s still just as compelling and sympathetic and human a character now as he was then. Highly recommended.

Monsignor Blaise Meredith, who is dying of cancer, is sent to a small, isolated Italian town to be a Devil's Advocate for beautification of Giacomo Nerone. We see the story, told largely in flashbacks, of a controversial character in an isolated peasant village. A vivid portrait is painted of the people who knew Nerone and how their actions resulted in good and evil. All are in need of spiritual healing or guidance, and West clearly shows us the changes that are still being wrought in their lives by their memories of Nerone. The question of whether Nerone is actually a saint is left for us to decide and I, myself, am undecided on that particular question. However, in this book it is the journey that is important along with actions taken show more on the way ... as it is in our own lives. There is no question about that. Highly recommended. show less

Sadly, for many people the only truly admirable priests the meet are in the pages of fiction. When one starts to read Morris West’s novel The Devil’s Advocate one may be disappointed. Despite his illness Meredith is not a very sympathetic figure. ordained to be a priest of God he has spent his career as a paper pusher in the Vatican. As the story progresses and the clerk meets with real people, an agnostic Jewish physician, a saint’s lover and their child, a narcissistic English dowager a pederast painter a barely educated parish priest and a pastoral bishop his heart changes. The reader gains sympathy for Meredith. Highly recommended. Loyola are to be commended for bringing West’s book back into print. As the title suggests show more this book is more about the Devil's Advocate than it is about the saint he investigates. show less