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| Plot Summary of White Smoke |
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"White Smoke
Andrew M. Greeley
Tom Doherty Associates,1996, 376 pp
ISBN: 0-312-85814-0
The Pope has died and from all over the world Cardinals and journalists descend upon Rome to elect a new Pope.
Sean Cardinal Cronin, the Cardinal Archbishop of Andrew Greeley's Chicago, accompanied by his trusted aide, Bishop John Blackwood "Blackie" Ryan, jets to Rome to join his red robbed colleagues in the Conclave. Also jetting to Rome to cover the Conclave is New York Times reporter Dennis Mulloy, a somewhat cynical lapsed Catholic and, on a separate plane from Chicago, Patricia McLaughlin, a CNN reporter and ex-wife of Mulloy.
However, as the media report the solemn funeral for the late Pope and speculate on his successor, multiple currents of intrigue swirl just beneath the surface. Cardinal Cronin and Bishop "Blackie" quickly bring to the papal power struggle the same tactics and skills members of Chicago's Daley machine bring to a Democratic presidential convention. For Cardinal Cronin and other liberals in the Church the choice for next Pope is Spanish Cardinal Menendez y Garcia and Cronin immediately takes charge of the forces seeking to elect Menendez y Garcia. While Cardinal Cronin acts as leader and public spokesman for the liberal forces, Bishop "Blackie" operates quietly behind the scenes.
In addition to being the behind the scenes operator for Cardinal Cronin, Bishop Blackie also finds himself guiding and assisting the journalist Mulloy whose search for story angles uncovers evidence of both a sinister conspiracy to block the election of Menendez y Garcia at any cost and a lone fanatic intent on shooting the next pope as he is introduced to the world. Finally, there is the tangled relationship between Mulloy and his ex-wife. The Conclave has both of them in the same city covering the same story and, as their paths, constantly cross they are forced to come to terms with the personal problems from which they had previously tried to flee."
Chuck Nugent, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of White Smoke |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
Tone of story
- very upbeat
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
Spying/Terrorism Thriller
Yes
Cloak & Dagger Plotlets:
- power struggle within govt between two factions
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Religious overtones?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- journalist
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Main Adversary
Identity:
- an organization
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- power
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- Italy
City?
Yes
Style
Person
- rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
- descript of kissing
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Click here for more information about this book
Andrew M. Greeley Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Chuck Nugent
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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