Story summary
Samenvatting van Hadrianus de Zevende
- 8 min. leestijd
- 10 parts
- Binnenkort te beluisteren
A penniless, rejected aspiring priest receives restitution, becomes a priest and Pope, and seeks to remake the world.
3 months free · unlimited eBooks, audiobooks and summaries, and print and large print at cost
Nothing to pay today · We mailen je voordat je betaalt · Online opzeggen in twee klikken
Hadrianus de Zevende in het kort
Samenvatting: 8 min leestijd
- Leestijd
- Ongeveer 8 h 20 min6 h 35 min fast, 9 h 55 min slow
- Lengte
- 118.900 woorden
- Bibliotheekniveau
- Gemiddeld longer sentences, everyday words
- Voor het eerst verschenen
- 1904by Frederick Rolfe
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). Hoelang het duurt om de klassiekers te lezen · Bijgewerkt
3 maanden gratis
Ontvang de volledige samenvatting van Hadrianus de Zevende, gratis
- 200.000+ klassiekers als e-books, luisterboeken en samenvattingen in 15 minuten, en gedrukte boeken, ook in grote letters, tegen drukkosten
- Tot 5 lezers bij je thuis met één plan
Hadrianus de Zevende in short
Hadrian the Seventh is the story of a rejected man who is finally given the power he wanted. George Arthur Rose starts in a London attic, poor and proud and sure of his calling. A cardinal comes to put right an old wrong, and within weeks he is Pope.
What Hadrianus de Zevende is about
What would happen if the writer nobody wanted woke up as the most powerful man in the world? Hadrian the Seventh opens in a cold London attic, where a poor, proud author named George Arthur Rose cannot finish a page. Within weeks, he is the Pope.
Frederick Rolfe published this novel in 1904. It is a wish turned into a story. Rolfe trained for the priesthood and was turned away, and in the book the men who rejected Rose come to him with an apology. You get the attic, the sealed Conclave, the new Pope's first orders, and the enemies who gather round him.
Voor wie is het?. You will love this if you enjoy a witty, daring novel about outsiders, Rome, church politics, and the dream of being proved right at last.
The story in 10 parts
Key idea 1 · free to read
A lonely writer prays for one chance
The novel opens in a small attic room in a London suburb. A man sits in a shabby armchair with a drawing board across his knees. In two hours he has written only fourteen lines. This is George Arthur Rose, and Rolfe draws him very close to himself.
A yellow cat named Flavio sleeps on the drawing board. He is the only creature George speaks to with warmth. George reads a popular novelist's book to learn why she sells tens of thousands of copies while he sells almost none.
That night the mask drops. He prays aloud in the dark. He says he is afraid of men and women alike, and calls his life a pose. He asks God to let him act, because a man who cannot do things for others is useless.
The book begins with a lonely man asking God for one chance to act.
- 2Begin gratis met lezen
A cardinal arrives with an unexpected offer
The next morning, the maid announces two clergymen: a bishop George knows and an old cardinal-archbishop.
- 3Begin gratis met lezen
A confession and a first cheque
George makes his confession to the Bishop of Caerleon.
- 4Begin gratis met lezen
The Conclave deadlocks and turns to compromise
The narrator steps behind the walls of the Vatican, mocking the reporters outside who learn nothing.
- 5Begin gratis met lezen
The outcast stands alone and becomes Pope
George is by now a priest in Rome, praying in a chapel with a single sentence.
- 6Begin gratis met lezen
Hadrian walks to the Lateran and simplifies everything
Hadrian moves fast.
- 7Begin gratis met lezen
Old friends, a bold letter and the Kaiser
Hadrian sends out a great Epistle to All Christians, published in the best English papers.
- 8Begin gratis met lezen
Blackmailers and a libel gather round him
In England, the Socialists of the Liblab Fellowship publish an open letter urging the Pope to declare equality.
- 9Begin gratis met lezen
What the book is really about
The first theme is love, and how hard it is for a man who cannot get near people.
- 10Begin gratis met lezen
How the story is told
Rolfe tells the story in the third person, but he stays so close to his hero that you hear his thoughts.
Read all 10 key ideas now
3 months free, then USD 0,14 a day: unlimited eBooks, audiobooks and summaries, and print and large print at cost.
- Nothing to pay today
- We mailen je voordat je betaalt
- Online opzeggen in twee klikken
Characters, plot and themes
Main characters
- George Arthur Rose / Hadrian the Seventh A poor, proud writer long refused the priesthood, who becomes Pope and uses his power to simplify the Church and do good.
- Flavio A yellow cat, George's only affectionate companion, whose patience and refusal to be pushed teach his master how to wait.
- Francis Talacryn, Bishop of Caerleon A sturdy, kindly bishop who befriends George, hears his confession, and is later made a cardinal and archbishop.
- Cardinal Courtleigh The English cardinal-archbishop who offers George restitution and later helps the Conclave choose him.
- Cardinal Ragna The ambitious Secretary of State who loses his chance at the papacy and becomes Hadrian's loudest enemy.
- Jerry Sant A socialist agitator and former acquaintance who tries to blackmail the Pope and to profit from his secrets.
- Mrs Crowe A boarding-house keeper whose old obsession with George drives her to follow him to Rome.
- Sir John and Sir Iulo A young Englishman and a young Italian knighted as Hadrian's gentlemen, devoted to him and each in need of his help.
How it ends (spoiler)
Hadrian is shot in the street by Jerry Sant as he returns in procession from reconciling with the King of Italy. He forgives the assassin and sets him free, then gives his cross and his cat Flavio to Sir John. With the Sacred Host held before him and his friends around him, he makes his profession of faith. The Church prays for the passing of his soul.
The whole book is coming to your plan
The full text of Hadrianus de Zevende opens soon. Keep this summary as a file today.
Paperback, hardcover and large print, printed for you at cost, are on their way. Email me when it is printed
Vragen over Hadrianus de Zevende
What is Hadrian the Seventh about?
It follows George Arthur Rose, an English writer refused the priesthood, who is suddenly offered ordination, is later elected Pope, and takes the name Hadrian the Seventh. He uses his office to reform the Church and faces enemies from the press and from old grudges.
Is Hadrian the Seventh based on a true story?
No, it is fiction, though the hero closely resembles the author. Frederick Rolfe trained for the priesthood, was turned away, and lived in poverty. He wrote the book in 1904 as a fantasy in which the men who rejected him must admit their mistake.
Who is Flavio in Hadrian the Seventh?
Flavio is George's yellow cat, the only creature he speaks to with real affection. The cat's habits of waiting, ambushing and refusing to be hurried become a model for how George behaves when he is under pressure.
Is Hadrian the Seventh easy to follow?
The story moves in clear scenes, with lively talk between cardinals, ambassadors and friends. A strong comic voice and many short chapters help. You may meet Greek and Latin phrases, but the plot and the characters carry you along.
What is the main message of Hadrian the Seventh?
The book argues that service and love matter more than titles, money and show. Hadrian tries to strip the Church to its basics, and the story asks whether a lonely, proud man can learn to love.
Verwijs naar deze uitgave
Rolfe, Frederick. Hadrian the Seventh. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/hadrian-the-seventh.
Rolfe, F. (2026). Hadrian the Seventh. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/hadrian-the-seventh (Original work published 1904)
Rolfe, Frederick. Hadrian the Seventh. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/hadrian-the-seventh.
@book{rolfe2026hadrian,
author = {Rolfe, Frederick},
title = {Hadrian the Seventh},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/hadrian-the-seventh},
note = {First published 1904}
}
Crime and Punishment
Wuthering Heights
Pride and Prejudice
The Iliad
Romeo and Juliet
The Picture of Dorian Gray3 maanden gratis
Ontvang de volledige samenvatting van Hadrianus de Zevende, gratis
- 200.000+ klassiekers als e-books, luisterboeken en samenvattingen in 15 minuten, en gedrukte boeken, ook in grote letters, tegen drukkosten
- Tot 5 lezers bij je thuis met één plan
