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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
Beautifully written, but ultimately a bit boring for my liking...
Another extraordinary book by Greene. I'm not going to review it because others have done an excellent job of review. I'll simply say I enjoyed it. Greene is among my Pantheon.
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My reading experience for The Power and the Glory can be divided into thirds:
1/3 of the time, I was captivated by the grit and dinginess of the world in which the characters traverse — we're talking buzzards, beetles, and very little trust among brothers.
1/3 of the time, I was digging the moral ambiguity and general 'gray' state that every character fell into — I would read an entire novel on the Lieutenant and his origin.
1/3 of the time, I was put off by the borderline preachy way the message was delivered — I'm out when speeches err on the side of sermons, especially when not entirely appropriate to the context.
I do want to return to this book at some point in the future. I think reading this whilst slogging through finals messed with my head. But for now, 2.75 stars, for a dark and decrepit story punctuated by moments of "eh."
1/3 of the time, I was captivated by the grit and dinginess of the world in which the characters traverse — we're talking buzzards, beetles, and very little trust among brothers.
1/3 of the time, I was digging the moral ambiguity and general 'gray' state that every character fell into — I would read an entire novel on the Lieutenant and his origin.
1/3 of the time, I was put off by the borderline preachy way the message was delivered — I'm out when speeches err on the side of sermons, especially when not entirely appropriate to the context.
I do want to return to this book at some point in the future. I think reading this whilst slogging through finals messed with my head. But for now, 2.75 stars, for a dark and decrepit story punctuated by moments of "eh."
It's 1930s Mexico and priests have been outlawed. In the provence that the story takes place, they are being hunted down and killed. This book follows the last remaining priest and the people who he meets as he tries to escape death. He is called a "whisky priest," meaning he drinks and has other bad vices. I never would have chosen to read this if it weren't a bookclub pick. But I'm actually glad I did. The priest became more interesting and compelling as the story progressed as did the other characters who circled around him. This is a good one for a discussion - among other things, there is lots of Christ imagery. Also, the author makes you question who is bad and good as you see the characters through different perspectives.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Never should have been published. Boring as hell. Too many characters that are symbols. It takes away from the character development that could have happened as well as the reader's capability to sympathize for the characters.
Wow! The best Graham Greene I have read yet. Somehow presents the enduring glory and power of the church without hiding its shame, weakness and failures. Smart, funny, extremely well-written and moving.
It's Mexico in the 1930's, and the Catholic Church has been outlawed. The Power and the Glory tells the story of the last priest in the country, an unnamed man who must make it north in order to evade capture and execution by the Fascist red-shirts. During his journey, the priest secretly ministers to people as the situation arises, and wrestles with his personal demons: alcoholism, and the fact that he fathered a child years before.
As with many of Greene's other novels, The Power and the Glory appears to be a genre novel on the surface (in this case, a thriller), but the author uses those genre conventions to explore deeper issues, including the priest's own shortcomings, the actions of a traitorous "half-caste," and the inherent goodness of the Mexican lieutenant trying to capture the priest. It's a novel that appears, on the one hand, to be suspicious of religion, yet the ending is cautiously optimistic. It's not one of Greene's best works, but I'm continually impressed with the way he can sneak a little philosophy into what often appears to be a conventional narrative.
As with many of Greene's other novels, The Power and the Glory appears to be a genre novel on the surface (in this case, a thriller), but the author uses those genre conventions to explore deeper issues, including the priest's own shortcomings, the actions of a traitorous "half-caste," and the inherent goodness of the Mexican lieutenant trying to capture the priest. It's a novel that appears, on the one hand, to be suspicious of religion, yet the ending is cautiously optimistic. It's not one of Greene's best works, but I'm continually impressed with the way he can sneak a little philosophy into what often appears to be a conventional narrative.
4.5 stars! This book reminded me in a lot of ways of Silence by Shusaku Endo - lots of the same complications and questions. I need to read this one again and then I’m sure I’ll give it 5 stars.
I usually like Greene, but found this to be dull. There were moments where I could see his usual sparks of genius, but for the most part I had to push myself to keep going.