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strong_extraordinary_dreams 's review for:
The Power and the Glory
by Graham Greene
Other's reviews have got it pretty right; read those.
About this book's "masterpiece" status. I think it's a matter of how quickly it's read, as in how little clock time elapses between the first page and the last:
* Read quickly : "Masterpiece!";
* Read slowly, intermittently "Oh, it's ok, not a masterpiece. Why are people saying that?"
This book is about atmosphere: the weak willed whiskey priest stumbling, being abandoned, failing. The jungle, the authorities, the hopeless-christ, the human failings. If you immerse yourself in this book's world, it will seem to be a masterpiece that has communed directly with your own, treasured, inner pathetic-ness. Otherwise it's just a rather sad road story with some vivid scenes here and there, to the soundtrack of 'why did he do *that*?", "oh, no!", "for heaven's sake" ... etc.
About this book's "masterpiece" status. I think it's a matter of how quickly it's read, as in how little clock time elapses between the first page and the last:
* Read quickly : "Masterpiece!";
* Read slowly, intermittently "Oh, it's ok, not a masterpiece. Why are people saying that?"
This book is about atmosphere: the weak willed whiskey priest stumbling, being abandoned, failing. The jungle, the authorities, the hopeless-christ, the human failings. If you immerse yourself in this book's world, it will seem to be a masterpiece that has communed directly with your own, treasured, inner pathetic-ness. Otherwise it's just a rather sad road story with some vivid scenes here and there, to the soundtrack of 'why did he do *that*?", "oh, no!", "for heaven's sake" ... etc.