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Audiobook edition · 14 h 12 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the man the Church rejects becomes the Pope it cannot ignore?
George Arthur Rose lives in cramped London lodgings, learned, proud and penniless. Turned away from priestly training, he writes and fumes over a vocation no one will recognise. Then Bishop Courtleigh takes notice. In Rome, divided cardinals struggle to choose a Pope, and doors long closed to Rose begin to open.
In Frederick Rolfe’s Hadrian the Seventh, a rejected man gains the power to challenge the institution he loves. Rose’s wounded pride meets his vision of a Church without pomp and money. Part comedy, part daydream, part sermon, the novel asks what happens when spiritual conviction and the hunger for vindication share the same throne.
What you’ll discover
- An outcast at the centre Follow Rose from shabby lodgings toward an authority that makes others reckon with him.
- Power with a purpose Watch a Pope confront kings, ministers and ambassadors rather than serve as a figurehead.
- A Church stripped bare Explore Rose’s vision of priesthood beyond the weight of wealth and ceremony.
- The ache of recognition Feel the pull of a fantasy where a rejected man finally commands attention.
- A proud, strange voice Enter ornate prose that stays close to Rose’s mind, by turns fussy and funny.
Who will love it
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.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A lonely writer prays for one chance
- A cardinal arrives with an unexpected offer
- A confession and a first cheque
- The Conclave deadlocks and turns to compromise
- The outcast stands alone and becomes Pope
- Hadrian walks to the Lateran and simplifies everything
- Old friends, a bold letter and the Kaiser
- Blackmailers and a libel gather round him
- What the book is really about
- How the story is told
Who’s who
- George Arthur Rose / Hadrian the SeventhA poor, proud writer long refused the priesthood, who becomes Pope and uses his power to simplify the Church and do good.
- FlavioA yellow cat, George's only affectionate companion, whose patience and refusal to be pushed teach his master how to wait.
- Francis Talacryn, Bishop of CaerleonA sturdy, kindly bishop who befriends George, hears his confession, and is later made a cardinal and archbishop.
- Cardinal CourtleighThe English cardinal-archbishop who offers George restitution and later helps the Conclave choose him.
- Cardinal RagnaThe ambitious Secretary of State who loses his chance at the papacy and becomes Hadrian's loudest enemy.
- Jerry SantA socialist agitator and former acquaintance who tries to blackmail the Pope and to profit from his secrets.
- Mrs CroweA boarding-house keeper whose old obsession with George drives her to follow him to Rome.
- Sir John and Sir IuloA young Englishman and a young Italian knighted as Hadrian's gentlemen, devoted to him and each in need of his help.
Formats and delivery
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- Hardcover
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Hadrian the Seventh
by Frederick Rolfe · 1904
A penniless, rejected aspiring priest receives restitution, becomes a priest and Pope, and seeks to remake the world.
Medium level10–20 hours to readEnglish
Excellent
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In short
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.
Hadrian the Seventh at a glance
- Reading time
- About 8 h 20 min6 h 35 min fast, 9 h 55 min slow
- Length
- 118,900 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1904by Frederick Rolfe
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
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.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1904
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 9 h 15 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
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}
}
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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.
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