Graham Greene

The story of one man, an alcoholic "whiskey priest," on the run through the jungles, villages, and plantations of Mexico in the 1930s.

The Power and the Glory

The power and the glory

Unflattering portrayal of this region of Mexico. Now the second book I've ready by Greene, and I am catching aspects of his spirit. Part devotion, part doubt. But maybe because I know he was Catholic I know he doesn't give doubt the final say.

Zeke Taylor

Gavin

Funny I don't find Greene's themes obnoxious, compared to say Waugh.

Dana Kraft

A great story that is easy to read but certainly not 'simple'. For me, the most thought-provoking parts dealt with suffering and how different characters deal with it. Really hit me in the final conversation between the priest and lieutenant. Great stuff!

Trever

3.5. Definitely a good book, but I think I did it a disservice by reading it laying in bed for the most part. I kept falling asleep and reading parts in a hypnagogic state. I started reading it while not laying down and it was a more enjoyable read, although I'd hesitate to use that word to describe this book. Insightful is probably a better descriptor. Also: that priest had some deep guilt.

Update — 15 January 2016:
Right now I'm reading  The Heart of the Matter, which I'm a bit more attentive to thank this one, but more on that when I finish. Anyway, I think that the title of this book is very significant and almost signifies Greene's approach to Catholicism. Some may not know, but the Lord's Prayer has a few different versions: Catholics (at least English-speaking ones) often say "trespasses" instead of "debts", and the Anglican church that uses the Book of Common Prayer adds at the end a doxology, "for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory / for ever and ever, / Amen." The fact that Greene took the title for his Catholic-themed novel from the BCP, I think, shows his relatively flexible approach to religion, which is reflected in his portrayal of guilt over sin and implication of forgiveness.

Claire Jenkins

Frank White

During a vicious persecution of the clergy in Mexico, a worldly priest, the 'whisky priest', is on the run. With the police closing in, his routes of escape are being shut off, his chances getting fewer. But compassion and humanity force him along the road to his destiny, reluctant to abandon those who need him, and those he cares for.

The Power and the Glory

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