George Arthur Rose aspired to the priesthood, but after being much abused and taken advantage of for many years by his Catholic brothers, he finds himself disillusioned with humanity. But just as the secret conclave in Rome is deadlocked in the election of the next Pope, he finds himself rediscovered. A compromise in the election results in Rose being chosen for the office, and he styles himself as Hadrian the Seventh. With his new authority, he implements church reforms and a program to b...

George Arthur Rose aspired to the priesthood, but after being much abused and taken advantage of for many years by his Catholic brothers, he finds himself disillusioned with humanity. But just as the secret conclave in Rome is deadlocked in the election of the next Pope, he finds himself rediscovered. A compromise in the election results in Rose being chosen for the office, and he styles himself as Hadrian the Seventh. With his new authority, he implements church reforms and a program to b...

In "Hadrian the Seventh," Frederick Rolfe, writing under the pseudonym Baron Corvo, crafts a richly imaginative and controversial narrative that serves as both a satire and a meditation on the nature of power, religion, and the human condition. The novel follows the eccentric protagonist, George Arthur Rose, as he ascends to the papacy, assuming the name Hadrian VII. Rolfe's prose is characterized by a baroque style, replete with striking imagery and philosophical musings, echoing the deca...

In "Hadrian the Seventh," Frederick Rolfe delves into the fantastical and often surreal realm of a fictional pope, who, after a life of obscure failure, suddenly ascends to the papacy. The novel presents a rich tapestry of religious and existential themes, utilizing a poignant, flamboyant literary style that is both baroque and lyrical. Rolfe constructs an intricately layered narrative that explores the nature of power, identity, and spiritual awakening, set against the backdrop of a socie...

In "Hadrian the Seventh," Frederick Rolfe explores the intricacies of the human psyche through the lens of a fictional papal election. The novel follows the journey of a Protestant writer who unexpectedly finds himself elected as Pope Hadrian VII. Rolfe's writing is imbued with rich, evocative language that juxtaposes grandeur with absurdity, reflecting the complexities of faith, identity, and the institutional Church. As a work of modernist literature, it engages with themes of power, red...

"Hadrian the Seventh" is a captivating novel by Frederick Rolfe that intertwines themes of faith, identity, and divine calling within a richly textured narrative. The book employs Rolfe's distinctive literary style, characterized by lush, baroque prose that evokes the opulence of a bygone era. Set in a fantastical alternate reality where the protagonist, a failed novelist named George Arthur Rose, unexpectedly becomes the Pope, the novel deftly explores questions of religious authority and...

This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design. The Weird of the Wanderer opens as an eccentric, mock-scholarly fantasy, framed by papyrus records from one of Nicholas Crabbe's former lives and introduced with learned dedications, classical epigraphs, and a playful air of antiquity. What begins as an archaeological report from Armenia soon becomes stranger than myth: a hidden rock-tomb behind a ruined chapel yields a richly decorated mummy, papyri, and im...

When an archaeological dig in Armenia uncovers the undisturbed tomb of King Balthazar of ancient Moxoene, the find is extraordinary enough—but among the relics are a Smith & Wesson revolver and Victorian coins, impossible anachronisms that hint at something stranger still. Within the tomb lies a cache of thirty-four papyri, and the story they tell defies all reason.The papyri are the records of Nicholas Crabbe, a young student of the occult who, while attempting to summon Egyptian ...

“It is extraordinarily alive … The book remains a clear and definite book of our epoch, not to be swept aside.” – D.H. Lawrence“One of the most extraordinary achievements in English literature.” – A.J.A. Symons“Frederick Rolfe alias Baron Corvo is certainly one of the most fascinating of those various literary curiosities of England.” – Saturday ReviewFrederick William Rolfe, who styled himself “Baron Corvo” and who published under the slightly misleading abbreviati...

'If there be one place in all this orb of earth where a secret is a Secret, that place is a Roman Conclave'Part novel, part daydream, part diatribe, this strange masterpiece tells the story of George Arthur Rose, a poor, frustrated writer who lives in a shabby bedsit, saving his cigarette ends and eating soup - until one day he is made Pope. As the first English pontiff in five centuries, he is a mass of contradictions: infallible and petulant, humble and despotic....

In 'Hadrian the Seventh', Frederick Rolfe weaves a rich tapestry of historical fiction, blending the realms of fantasy and spirituality with the real-world implications of power and the ecclesiastical hierarchy of early 20th-century Europe. The novel follows the improbable ascension of George Arthur Rose, an unconventional Englishman who unexpectedly becomes the Pope. Rolfe's unique literary style fuses vivid imagery with lush, baroque prose, immersing readers in a world steeped in the com...

In "Hadrian the Seventh," Frederick Rolfe masterfully weaves a narrative that explores themes of ambition, spirituality, and the human condition through the lens of a fictionalized papacy. The novel, rich with baroque language and vivid imagery, immerses readers in the intricacies of early 20th-century ecclesiastical politics and the personal struggles of its protagonist, George Arthur Rose, who becomes Pope Hadrian VII. Rolfe's unique literary style, blending humor, pathos, and theologica...