Marx the First

Marx the First

First edition
Author Bruce Marshall
Cover artist Gérard Lecoeur
Country Scotland
Language English
Publisher Constable
Publication date
1975
Media type Print (Hardback)
Pages 181
ISBN 0-09-460640-4
Preceded by Urban the Ninth
Followed by Peter the Second

Marx the First is a 1973 novel by Scottish writer Bruce Marshall. It is the second novel of a three volume series. Urban the Ninth is the first and Peter the Second the final.[1]

Plot summary

In this Catholic comic thriller Pope Marx the First returns to the Vatican after being thought lost in an air crash two years previous. He takes over from Cardinal Stephen, who had been elected as Urban IX, an "accidental Pope" during the time Marx was thought lost.

Pope Marx, a very liberal Catholic, plans to make many radical changes to Catholic teaching, practices and doctrines. Stephen, who opposes these planned changes, is now serving as the Vatican's Secretary of State so that the Pope "can keep his eye on him."

The mother superior of a religious order is attempting to get the order's founder canonized. A number of miraculous occurrences happen and some say these events are due to the founder’s intercession while others contest this. This leads to diplomatic friction between the USSR, Spain, The United Kingdom and the Vatican.[2]

References

  1. "New Novels". Catholic Herald magazine. March 12, 1976. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  2. Marshall, B: Marx the First Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York 1975.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, May 05, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.