Re-read this, possibly influenced or inspired by discussion about religions with Robert Spicer (738) and then reading Burgess’ book about Joyce (746).
It is a huge and very long book, one of quite a few which pretty well spans the 20th century. The central figure Kenneth Toomey is a rampant homosexual and low grade novelist who cavorts through the century knowing every literary figure particularly from the 1920’s but whose family get involved with an Italian family from wherever gorgonzola is made.
One of these, a composer, marries Toomey’s sister, but his brother Carlo is a memorable cleric who eventually becomes Pope just after the war, Carlo is a huge figure and some of the best writing in the book is him attempting an exorcism in the Far East and later in the book standing up heroically to Italian fascists during the war.
It is a huge, but maybe with hindsight, over long book.
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