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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
I've tried with Greene, I really have, but I've yet to read a story of his that truly grabs me and holds my attention.
For a short book of just over 200 pages, it felt like an endless waiting game. I kept waiting for the moment when I would connect to this "whisky priest", feel for him, and become immersed in his story. I kept waiting for an inexplicable something else to happen that would elevate the story and make it more interesting to me. I kept waiting... and then suddenly it was the end.
The best aspect of [b:The Power and the Glory|3690|The Power and the Glory|Graham Greene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388210459l/3690._SY75_.jpg|1036817] is that it introduced me to an area of Mexican history I knew little about-- La Cristiada. This was a time when Catholicism was outlawed, and in some areas of Mexico the ban was enforced with violence. Catholics were tortured and executed; churches were fired upon. But that premise is where my interest ends.
The rest of the story follows a whisky priest on the run in rural Tabasco. He moves around, evades capture and ruminates over Catholic doctrine. Themes of duty, faith, sin and a heavy serving of Catholic guilt abound. Sound interesting? Then this is the book for you.
For a short book of just over 200 pages, it felt like an endless waiting game. I kept waiting for the moment when I would connect to this "whisky priest", feel for him, and become immersed in his story. I kept waiting for an inexplicable something else to happen that would elevate the story and make it more interesting to me. I kept waiting... and then suddenly it was the end.
The best aspect of [b:The Power and the Glory|3690|The Power and the Glory|Graham Greene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388210459l/3690._SY75_.jpg|1036817] is that it introduced me to an area of Mexican history I knew little about-- La Cristiada. This was a time when Catholicism was outlawed, and in some areas of Mexico the ban was enforced with violence. Catholics were tortured and executed; churches were fired upon. But that premise is where my interest ends.
The rest of the story follows a whisky priest on the run in rural Tabasco. He moves around, evades capture and ruminates over Catholic doctrine. Themes of duty, faith, sin and a heavy serving of Catholic guilt abound. Sound interesting? Then this is the book for you.
Typical Greene, evoking a foreign setting with almost tangible clarity, and, of course, raising questions about believing, or not believing.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well written, but I could never empathize with the main character, so it didn’t really work for me.
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read my first Graham Greene almost 15 years ago - it's taken me this long to give him another chance. And I'm glad I did. Set in rural Mexico in the '30s, to the constant sound of exploding beetles, The Power and the Glory occupies a time and place in history when Catholicism is being suppressed. What more perfect setting to ask questions about sin and faith, despair and redemption? None of which, I should add, are clearly answered. Instead, I was left contemplating more deeply whether religion has a place in modern life, and what that place might be.
In the creation of a main character who is arguably the worst priest of all time, Greene has also created a brilliant, complex antihero.
In the creation of a main character who is arguably the worst priest of all time, Greene has also created a brilliant, complex antihero.
Thought this was awesome, just one tier below an all-time great novel. Haunting, sad, and beautifully written.
I'm open to the idea that I didn't understand this, but I found Greene's characters unsympathetic in a simply unsympathetic way, little interest in his writing, and no real driving message in the tale. Overall, hard to be motivated by and not terribly interesting.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Neste livro nós acompanhamos a saga de um padre fugindo das leis mexicanas que não permitiam o ofício da igreja católica.
O livro é árduo, triste, humano e difícil, e acompanhar o padre é sentir suas dificuldades.
Um livro sobre fé e sobre intolerância.
O livro é árduo, triste, humano e difícil, e acompanhar o padre é sentir suas dificuldades.
Um livro sobre fé e sobre intolerância.