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mmseiple 's review for:
The Power and the Glory
by Graham Greene
I've been on a bit of a Graham Greene kick lately, but, despite the fact that this book is one of the most well-known and praised of his works, I did not like it as much as some of the others I have read.
On one hand, I can see why this book is considered a classic. The discourses on faith and religion in times of strife are impressive and moving, and one is struck at many points by the despair of the situation. The reader is faced with serious issues, such as the function of organized religion and the qualities which make a person "good" or "evil." I found the descriptions of the love that the whisky priest feels for his daughter and the conflict that this causes him to be particularly thought-provoking.
On the other hand, I could not help but notice that this is a story of Mexico written from the outside looking in. Yes, Graham Greene was European, but, honestly, how many Europeans/Americans did the whisky priest run into over the course of this novel? Other than the whisky priest himself, who, for me, also looks at the society from an outsider's point of view, though for different reasons, the Mexican people seem to be noticeably silent. Because of this, I had a hard time making this feel "real."
All in all, I did like this book, but it did not affect me as much as others I have read, such as [b:Monsignor Quixote|138995|Monsignor Quixote|Graham Greene|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172098970s/138995.jpg|4329], which I liked a great deal.
On one hand, I can see why this book is considered a classic. The discourses on faith and religion in times of strife are impressive and moving, and one is struck at many points by the despair of the situation. The reader is faced with serious issues, such as the function of organized religion and the qualities which make a person "good" or "evil." I found the descriptions of the love that the whisky priest feels for his daughter and the conflict that this causes him to be particularly thought-provoking.
On the other hand, I could not help but notice that this is a story of Mexico written from the outside looking in. Yes, Graham Greene was European, but, honestly, how many Europeans/Americans did the whisky priest run into over the course of this novel? Other than the whisky priest himself, who, for me, also looks at the society from an outsider's point of view, though for different reasons, the Mexican people seem to be noticeably silent. Because of this, I had a hard time making this feel "real."
All in all, I did like this book, but it did not affect me as much as others I have read, such as [b:Monsignor Quixote|138995|Monsignor Quixote|Graham Greene|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172098970s/138995.jpg|4329], which I liked a great deal.