Reviews

• Devil's Advocate

  This book was more than just about the Catholic Church and proving a saint, it was more about personal relationships and the close knit community in a small Italian village. Even the two mountains as you approached the village the one rich and prosperous in the sun – Gemello Maggiore and the other poor and in the shadow – Gemello Minore the latter leading to the barren village of Calabria. It is a tale of suffering, human failings, redemption and above all faith, set in Southern Italy during World War II. The main character - Monsignor Blaise Meredith, has been assigned to be a Devil's Advocate for beautification of Giacomo Nerone a British officer who disserts his post after a horrifying accident where he kills an infant and the parents. With a bullet in his shoulder he runs away to find love, peace and God. He eventually finds all three, only to be shot by a Partisan Firing Squad. Nerone fathered a child with Nina Sanduzzi, they did not marry and the child was born blind (punishment?) – 3 weeks later after numerous prayers the child could see – a miracle some would say. (I have tried to find out if there are any records of baby’s regaining sight naturally at 3 weeks and cannot find any records). It is beautifully written with characters full of human follies, sacrifices and dichotomy of good and evil. Meredith, who had spent his entire life in Rome, is amongst ordinary people with human failings. Meredith suggests ‘people go to confessions as if visiting their psychiatrist, not to repent and ask for forgiveness, but to unburden themselves of their shameful act, so that they can go on to their next folly’. The human riddle has no answer. Even the good hearted dying Monsignor fails in his bid to save Nicholas Black. Meredith, a cold hearted bookworm from Rome, discovers for the first time true love, hatred, jealousy, revenge, the essence of human heart. He is so moved by the events in the small town, which tugged at his heart for the very first time, that he requests the Church in Rome to be buried there. I enjoyed reading the book and it reminded me of the John Mills film released in 1997.

• Amazing

  Perfect books are few and far between. For me, this is a perfect book. The characters are real people, some of whom I would have been proud to know. The pacing keeps the reader engaged, but with enough breathing space to digest what happens. And the plot is ingenious.

• Faith And Foibles

  It is a fascinating tale of suffering, human failings, redemption and above all faith, set in Southern Italy during World War II. Monsignor Blaise Meredith, who is dying of cancer, has been assigned the most important task of his life to be a Devil's Advocate for beautification of Giacomo Nerone. He is sent to a small town in Calabria to investigate the life and death of this martyr. The story unfolds as the Monsignor interviews Nerone's widow, Nina Sanduzzi, Nerone's friend, Dr. Aldo Myers, a Jew among the Catholics, a wealthy Contessa, who was in love with Nerone and Contessa's guest, Nicholas Black, an English painter. Nerone's character comes alive through Dr. Myers and his widow's narration of events leading to his death by firing squad by the partisan mob. Nerone's life in the small town is revealed gradually like clouds parting to reveal the sun. He is a British officer who disserts his post after a horrifying accident where he kills an infant and the parents. With a bullet in his shoulder he runs away to find love, peace and God. He eventually finds all three. It is beautifully written with characters full of human follies, sacrifices and dichotomy of good and evil. Meredith, who had spent his entire life in Rome, closeted in the ridged environs of the Church, is suddenly immersed among ordinary folks with human failings, some with unbound love and devotion, and some who possess qualities of equal measure. Why do we act the way we do? What makes us believe in God and yet commit horrible acts? When Meredith unveils Contessa's evil plan of seducing Paolo, Nerone's young son, he admonishes her and bares her soul. Contessa then blithely asks him to be her confessor. Monsignor replies people go to confessions as if visiting their psychiatrist, not to repent and ask for forgiveness, but to unburden themselves of their shameful act, so that they can go on to their next folly. The human riddle has no answer. Even the good hearted dying Monsignor fails in his bid to save Nicholas Black. Meredith, a cold hearted bookworm from Rome, discovers for the first time true love, hatred, jealousy, revenge, the essence of human heart. He is so moved by the events in the small town, which tugged at his heart for the very first time, that he requests the Church in Rome to be buried there. A MUST read in any body's list.

• Love Morris West

  M9rris West is one of the greatest writers and this is a seminal work

• Enjoy the sin.

  Neiderman's "The Devil's Advocate" is one of those rare books that I read cover-to-cover in a single 8hr sitting. The film (starring Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino) is in my top ten all time greatest movies, and so I wanted to read the book. It is fair to say that the film does not follow the book exactly. The themes are the same, but key sections vary, and ending is VERY different. In the book, Kevin Taylor knowingly defends the guilty whilst his wife embraces their new cosmopolitan lifestyle with the wives of the other associates of John Milton Associates - attorneys at law. And yet Kevin feels that something is wrong as he wins every case and criminals are returned to the streets of New York. The pace is good and the writing style... it is highly unique. One the one hand it is quite plain, almost sparse, but at the same time it is so eloquent as to inspire the readers imagination. This may sound like a criticism, but it is meant as a compliment. Sure, this is not Fitzergerald or Hemmingway, but then I'm not reading it for that. That said it is not a perfect book. The first two-thirds of the book are faultless, but it is in the final third that a few cracks begin to show. In the first instance, Kevin senses that there is something unworldly about John Milton. However, when he discovers the "futures file" (a file detailing future crimes to come), he jumps to the conclusion that Milton is the Devil. He does not consider that he might be a psychic or a timetraveller. Given the secular age we live in, this seemed somewhat contrived because he did nto consider any alternative. Secondly, there is the pregnancy subplot. I struggle to tell you exactly why I had a problem with this, other than it seemed to remind me too much of "Rosemary's Baby"... but it felt underdeveloped. Given the questions of parentage that surround the other associates, nothing was made of Kevin's and this jarred somewhat with me. Finally, there is the ending. It felt rushed. The final confrontation with Milton barely lasted a page, the plot devices of the secretary's was ultimately unused, and the conclusion seemed to see the hero resigned to his fate and not considering the option of his predecessor. However, none of this should detract from what is ultimately a very good book. The characters are well developed, and each has an interesting back story. The descriptions of Milton are beautiful, and the party scene and its suggestions of heddonism was wonderful. The character arc - particularly of Kevin's wife - was so well done that it left me in awe, and the way all the themes were fleshed out was highly satisfying. Is this book going to change your life? Probably not. Are you going to enjoy reading it? Absolutely.

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