Ascent Into Hell

Passover #2

by Andrew M. Greeley

Hugh Donlon, a lonely, troubled priest, falls in love with a nun, leaves the clergy, and returns to the temptations of the secular life

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Catholic

512 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 28, 1983

About the author

Andrew Greeley was a Roman Catholic priest, sociologist, journalist, and author of 50 best-selling novels and more than 100 works of nonfiction. For decades, Greeley entertained readers with such popular characters as the mystery-solving priest Blackie Ryan and the fey, amateur sleuth Nuala Anne McGrail. His books typically center on Irish-American Roman Catholics living or working in Chicago.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/andrew...

Reviews

[Michele Yotz · Rating 5 out of 5]

An immoral book with a spiritual twist. Characters with real life situations running from and to the God of Love.

[Clifford Wollum · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of celibacy, love, pain, and priesthood. How one person's life changes from year to year.

[Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was some book.
The parents are a judge and his wife paints.
Hugh likes girls, but he has decided that his life should be dedicated to Christ and becomes a priest.
But he is kissed by one of the congregation, and really starts wanting women now.
He has an affair with a nun and she gets pregnant. His mother says she is a bad woman, this turns out to be true and he does not have a good time in his marriage.
His brother is not happy in his life. He marries to be married, I think.
The sister who is a rounder as a teenager and rebels against her parents, marries and settles down. She and her husband have a nice life together.
The guys never have a settled life until after Hugh comes out of prison for something his brother did.
The brother and Hugh's wife and 2 kids are killed in an airplane crash.
Maria finds out that Hugh did not do what he is in jail for.
She has been in love with him since she was a teenager. They get together and it ends there.
He did not go back to being a priest, but his whole family were hoping he would and pushing him to do just that.

[Jennifer Hallock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've started to figure this author out. On topics that he knows personally—the priesthood, and surprisingly commodities trading—he writes a subtle and complex story that resonates and captivates. On everything else, he writes exaggerated, excessively violent and—at worst—racist and misogynist pulp. I'm very tired of the knee-jerk reliance on sexual assault.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this at a used book sales years ago and never got around to reading it. Finally did and enjoyed it, though it is fascinating to appreciate how dated religious practices can seem in only 20 years.

[F · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is Book 2 of Greeley's Passover Book Trilogy so I was intrigued as to why this book was apparently not as wide-read (based on Amazon / Goodreads reviews) as Book 1 and Book 3. After reading ASCENT INTO HELL, maybe Greeley leaned in a little heavy on the world of Chicago Board of Trade, and readers lost interest. The book was a slow-go for me until the last 50 pages or so. Greeley did add a small mystery in regards to a possible silver stash somewhere. The meeting of Marge and Liam at the Clermont Club in London was comical, unexpected and later found ironic in that Liam Wentworth became the family's stalwart savior. I did pick up a new word "hayseed". Hugh Donlon's very first impression of Henry Kincaid was Henry is a hayseed -- funny, had to look that word up and sure enough, American slang. My last take-away from this novel: in Greeley's "Afterword" at the end of the novel, he labels ASCENT INTO HELL a parable of Grace -- interesting take.

[Janice Llewellyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this on my bookcase. I think it was there for 20 years. Wanted to read a paperback on a car trip. I liked it; found the religious information interesting. In the beginning I liked Hugh, a lot. Then as the story progressed, I didn't like him very much. And as the story went on and on, I didn't like the story all that much either. It was like reading about Superman, a man who could do anything, and get anything....but it was different than what I've been reading. And I can now take it off my bookcase😊

[Muziwandile Mahlangu · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Unputdownable"!!!

[Luke Takawira Mandizha]

This Jesuit priest is fantastic, may someone send me a copy please

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this a long time ago, in college. Rivetting, and probably a good escape!

[Joyce Buonadonna]

read before but I was looking for this book to read again

[Peggy]

#4, I recall liking it