Rating: 
Summary: I got to page 50
Review: It may be unfair of me to rate and review this book, since I didn't finish it. But the fact that I couldn't get past page 50 or so tells it all. I've liked some of Greeley's books in the past, but this one was so dull and preachy that I didn't know -- or care -- who was who or what was happening. The characters were pure stereotypes and the dialogue was as unbelievable as I've ever read. Who talks like that!!! Life's too short to waste on books you don't really like, so my advice is to pass this one by.
Rating: 
Summary: I THINK THIS WAS HIS BEST WORK SO FAR
Review: KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!! I THINK COPIES SHOULD BE SENT TO THE POPE TO WAKE HIM UP TO REAL LIVES OF THE FAITHFUL.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for Greeley fans.
Review: Politics, Vatican style, have much in common with Watergate when Bishop "Blackie" Ryan and Sean Cardinal Cronin travel to Rome to participate in the election of a new Pope. Intrigue, romance, and a look at the behind the scenes activities of the Roman Catholic hierarchy make this a fast paced read, one that you will have difficulty putting aside. This is a must read for all Andrew Greeley fans.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for Greeley fans.
Review: Politics, Vatican style, have much in common with Watergate when Bishop "Blackie" Ryan and Sean Cardinal Cronin travel to Rome to participate in the election of a new Pope.
Intrigue, romance, and a look at the behind the scenes activities of the Roman Catholic hierarchy make this a fast
paced read, one that you will have difficulty putting aside.
This is a must read for all Andrew Greeley fans.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing New Here
Review: The book is fairly entertaining, written in Father Greeley's plodding but usually fun style. For anyone who has read his works of non-fiction, his views on the hierarchy and the Vatican are repeated here. He is apparently confident that a candidate he can support will win at the next conclave. In "White Smoke," Father Greeley repeats many of the errors of his other writings. He is a charming person and I think he truly believes that his prescription is the antidote for all that ails the Catholic Church. He is, of course, wrong. Father Greeley's mistake, as always, is to assume the absence of any transcendent moral truth that goes beyond sociological studies and the whims of American Catholics, seduced by the material pleasures of the late 20th century. The hierarchy of the Catholic Church is no more out of step with the people than Jesus Christ was out of step with the people who put Him to death or the American Abolitionists were out of step with those who believed slavery to be moral. The teaching authority of the Church is not to be sniffed at by those who desire acceptance at Harvard cocktail parties. It is a real thing. Vatican II, contrary to popular belief, did not displace the pope and the magisterium as the teachers of the Catholic Church and replace them with the opinions of American Catholics. White Smoke is an amusing story- how accurately it describes the conclave no one can know but those who have actually participated. Hopefully, Greeley's predictions of a morally lazy pope will not come to pass. John Paul II has been of the great leaders of our time and one of the greatest Catholic teachers in the whole history of the Church. To replace him with someone who would surrender church teaching to the moral philosophy of MTV would be a great mistake. In this era where markets and majorities rule, the Church remains a bulwark against falsity and moral weakness. I hope and pray that White Smoke will forever be a work of fiction, never to come to pass.
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been better
Review: This is one of those books that after you've read it, you can't tell if it was worth your time or not.
I learned a bit about the Papal election process, and I learned a LOT about what a particular part of the priesthood thinks about the current and previous Popes. That was interesting to me as a "small town Catholic boy".
However, as other reviewers have noted, the characterization is paper thin, the plotting is silly, the "bad guys" in the Roman curia are mainly faceless and without redemption, and the "good guys" are completely without fault. I'd go further to add that the bias shown by the supposedly objective reporters in the novel is so severe that the characters cease to be believable in their own right, and become "mouthpieces" for the author.
Now, for fans of Greeley, I'm sure this will be a satisfying read... For those neutral to his particular style, (and it can get really thick, particularly the dialogue) I suspect it might not be. Before I picked up "White Smoke", the last time I read a Greeley novel was over 12 years ago. I liked that book. I don't much care for this one.
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Summary: All Catholics Should Read, BUT...
Review: This is the first Greeley novel I have read, though they have all come recommended. As a storyteller he is definitely up there with the best romance writers--in fact I would argue he is better than most sappy romance authors. However, it did take me a good 40-50 pages to understand his jumping from one first-person narrative to the next depending on which character was telling the story, and why he was writing this way. Not a writing style that is widely used. This book is also a suspenseful mystery, though not as well written in this regard as the romantic. What Greeley does best is give you a good lesson in history, politics and present day sociological makeup up the present-day Catholic Church. Warts and all. Many conservitive Catholics would probably find this book offensive, though most persons and groups are fictitious (except for Opus Dei, the conservitive Catholic organization). I believe most active Catholics feel that any institution needs to be scrutinized and critiqued. All organizations are run by humans and all humans are fallible. Including the Pope and especially his bishops and cardinals. Bottom line for this book--it's a decent read, though readers unfamiliar with Greeley's style should be cautious, because it can seem like it is jumping around. It is not the best of mysteries, nor romances, nor even lessons on the Catholic religion--but it could be worse. It is only a point-of-view and not the only one in this universal church. It is a view of what "could" happen and may be close to what might happen during the next conclave. It's entertaining enough as a relaxing summer read, or a quick read on a long plane trip. Though don't ask it to be anything else.
Rating: 
Summary: It Gets Even Better????
Review: This is the first Greeley novel I have read. It was a little hard to get into his style of writing at first, but then I couldn't put it down. I am Catholic and I loved learning more about the papal process and politics. I began looking for more of Greeley's books even before I finished this one. If, as some of the other reviews indicate, this is one of his weaker books, I can't wait to read more!
Rating:
Summary: A hackneyed "expose" of papal politics, tho' with some charm
Review: This may be one of the better novels of papal election I have read in a while (except Hadrian VII by FW Rolfe), but it suffers from Catholic moralizing and a sycophantic fascination with the Roman class system. The inevitability of the plot and the predictability of the characterization may draw the reader on, but for all the wrong reasons. Nonetheless, there are some pretty set pieces and the atmosphere of a conclave will of itself always cast a spell.
Rating:
Summary: As a novelist he's a pretty good sociologist.
Review: This was the first Andrew Greeley novel I've read, and I found it more than a little disappointing. There are effectively two levels of characterization here: All the "bad" guys are cardboard caricatures and all the "good" guys are self-portraits. Not a single idea here that he didn't better develop in his non-fiction writing. If you're looking for good Pope fiction, I'd suggest any of the Morris West novels instead.
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