Morris West's magnificent New York Times #1 bestseller has become an enduring classic of intrigue and faith. Intelligent and sharply written, The Shoes of the Fisherman moves readers with the power of its story and the emotional complexity of its characters.
When the pope dies, Vatican insiders arrange to have Kiril Lakota, a survivor of seventeen years in a labor prison camp, elected to fill the shoes first worn by the disciple Peter. As Pope Kiril struggles to remain true to both himself and to the traditions of the church, his faith is tested far beyond anything he was forced to endure in prison.
West's genius at placing characters in believable, compelling moments of crisis, and his refusal to allow easy resolutions to their secular and spiritual turmoils, will resonate with listeners of all faiths and backgrounds.
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"I wanted to re-read this book that I had read 40 or so years ago. It's a book about best intentions flying in the face of the establishment and may be a good foil for The DaVinci Code. " — Beth (5 out of 5 stars)
"I wanted to re-read this book that I had read 40 or so years ago. It's a book about best intentions flying in the face of the establishment and may be a good foil for The DaVinci Code. "
“A masterpiece.”
“A young Russian cardinal struggles with being elevated to pope and having to lead the church.”
“An interesting tale of intrigue, deceit, nobility, and a yearning for the divine. In the early 1960s, when the tension of the Cold War is high, the Pope dies. His successor is an obscure Ukrainian bishop, who is also a survivor of seventeen years in the Gulag. The temporal and spiritual struggles of the new pontiff are believable and make this a most intriguing work. Paul Hecht gives a creditable performance in reading this work. His sonorous baritone has a pleasing timbre that gives his reading an aura of great seriousness…His voice is clear, and he reads at good pace and with confidence.”
" interesting. a russian pope during the cold war. "
" A Morris L. West book. See comment under Devil's Advocate. "
" Read and reread for years, this book fascinates me. I don't know if it is the workings of the Vatican or Kiril's character that draws me the most. "
" Morris West is a master storyteller. Have a dictionary handy when reading this profound work. "
" Una mirada detectivesca al mundo católico: el papado. "
" Read and enjoyed this years ago (before the movie). Current readers may have a little trouble understanding why a Russian pope would have had such impact (prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and election of John Paul II). "
" As fascinating as the concept is, i felt the various plotlines ended abruptly. "
" Intense and instructional. A very human book. Must read. "
Morris West was born in Australia in 1916, but lived for extended periods in Italy, Austria, England, and the USA. West started writing novels in the 1950s. He is the author of thirty novels and has sold more than sixty million copies of his books worldwide in over twenty-seven languages. West helped to found the Australian Society of Authors, was chairman of the National Book Council, chairman of the National Library of Australia and a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. He was made member of the order of Australia (MBE) in 1985 and officer of the order of Australia (AO) in 1997. West also wrote screenplays, radio dramas, plays and was also an artist. He died in 1999.
Paul Hecht’s long career in audiobooks spans dozens of titles and authors as varied as Ray Bradbury and Gore Vidal, Jack Finney and Thomas Mann. He has recorded such books as Bob Dole’s One Soldier’s Story and Alexander McCall Smith’s Portuguese Irregular Verbs and At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances. Hecht’s theater career in New York includes many Broadway and television credits. He has won nine AudioFile Earphones Awards for his audiobook narrations.
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