In a poor, remote section of southern Mexico, the Red Shirts have taken control. God has been outlawed, and the priests have been systematically hu...
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Jun 25, 2010
mp
rated it: 
This little gem turned out to be quite a surprise. It is indeed powerful and it is glorious. Greene's writing seems really simple and is easy to read, and yet is so full of meaning. I am still soaking it all in.
As the lead character, the 'whiskey-priest', moves from one place to another, Greene takes us along on a journey taut with suspense and tension. However, it is really his moral journey which is the most captivating. We not only witness the priest's struggle to escape, we also More...
As the lead character, the 'whiskey-priest', moves from one place to another, Greene takes us along on a journey taut with suspense and tension. However, it is really his moral journey which is the most captivating. We not only witness the priest's struggle to escape, we also More...
16 comments
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(29 people liked it)
Jul 30, 2009
Jen
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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16 comments
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(15 people liked it)
Jul 27, 2009
Dave
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That was another mystery: it sometimes seemed to him that venial sins—impatience, an unimportant lie, pride, a neglected opportunity—cut off from grace more completely than the worst sins of all. Then, in his innocence, he had felt no love for anyone: now in his corruption he had learnt...
There is a key scene which takes place in a prison after The Priest is arrested for the less serious crime of possessing brandy and not the more serious crime of treason, for which he is also deeme More...
There is a key scene which takes place in a prison after The Priest is arrested for the less serious crime of possessing brandy and not the more serious crime of treason, for which he is also deeme More...
4 comments
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(11 people liked it)
Jun 02, 2011
Kemper
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One thing I know after reading this, All the Pretty Horses and Joe Lansdale’s Captains Outrageous, I ain’t going to Mexico any time soon.
Graham Greene’s classic account of a priest living on the run in a Mexican state after socialists have taken political control and are trying to abolish the Catholic Church is a grim tale of human nature at it’s best and worst. The unnamed priest is a drunk who isn’t particularly brave and has committed sins big enough to register fairly high on More...
Graham Greene’s classic account of a priest living on the run in a Mexican state after socialists have taken political control and are trying to abolish the Catholic Church is a grim tale of human nature at it’s best and worst. The unnamed priest is a drunk who isn’t particularly brave and has committed sins big enough to register fairly high on More...
9 comments
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(17 people liked it)
Aug 01, 2009
Kim
rated it:
So, my first jaunt into book club territory. What do I bust in with? The Power and the Glory. What an idiot I am.
I have to say that this is probably not a book that I would have picked if left to my own devices. My first introduction into Greene was The End of the Affair and that’s only because I’m a sucker for a good ‘woe is me’ story. Bitterness and anger to unknown deities? Rock on! But, put into this context - in this setting - I ha More...
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(7 people liked it)
Feb 27, 2008
Adam
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The “whisky priest” is on the run from the law from the law in Mexico. Set in period in Mexico’s history where priests where being shot and the Catholic Church was illegal, this book plays like the New Testament mixed with an existential western. Grim and suspenseful, stocked with cinematic imagery in a gothic and decaying Mexico, this book is masterpiece from the first page on. While my personal beliefs are nearer to the nihilistic lieutenant (kind of a Miltonic devil type character) chasing th
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(6 people liked it)
Jan 23, 2009
Karlan
rated it:
The novel sets the scene of heat, poverty, misery on the first page. In Mexico, there was a time when Catholicism was banned in certain states, and priests who did not renounce their religion were executed. One priest escaped capture for years and the suspense about his fate builds throughout the book. The minor characters are interestingly depicted. It is a powerful, dramatic story which critics have called Greene's "masterpiece".
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Jan 15, 2009
Anne
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Even though the reader knows what is going to happen to a flawed "whiskey priest" on the run in a Mexican state (1930s) that has outlawed religion, by the end, there is so much in this rich novel. Phrases leapt out of the pages on this my second or third reading (first time, in high school)that summed up so much of life, faith, relationships, humanity. I underlined something on many pages. Little gems like:
"His conscience began automatically to work: it was like a slot More...
"His conscience began automatically to work: it was like a slot More...
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Aug 03, 2009
Ben
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My first Graham Greene novel was The End of the Affair and it rocked my world, and affected me in some profound ways. It was the perfect novel for me at the time, and I am forever indebted to Mr. Greene for giving me that enlightening experience.
Going into this, I knew better than to expect the same magnitude of visceral reaction that I had with The End of the Affair, but nonetheless, because the connection I had with the aforementioned was so strong, I couldn't help but have decen More...
Going into this, I knew better than to expect the same magnitude of visceral reaction that I had with The End of the Affair, but nonetheless, because the connection I had with the aforementioned was so strong, I couldn't help but have decen More...
24 comments
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(11 people liked it)
Jul 29, 2008
Jesse
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For years I’ve heard that I should read Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory, and I finally picked it up this week. The previous week I had the pleasure of watching the BBC miniseries version of Evelyn Waugh’s “Brideshead Revisited” which left me profoundly moved yet quite unsatisfied. Waugh was a great admirer of Greene, a fellow Roman Catholic novelist, and at one time defended three of Greene’s novels (including The Power and the Glory) from a bishop’s condemnation.
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(2 people liked it)
Apr 13, 2011
jeremy
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i am not certain which is more striking: the moral hypocrisy of the church (as evidenced by the whisky priest) or self-righteousness under the guise of authority (as demonstrated by the lieutenant). while i did enjoy greene's novel, i was moved more by steinbeck's to a god unknown as a work that explores belief, faith, and unerring devotion.
he stood with his hand on his holster and watched the brown intent patient eyes: it was for these he was fighting. he would eliminate from thei More...
he stood with his hand on his holster and watched the brown intent patient eyes: it was for these he was fighting. he would eliminate from thei More...
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(1 person liked it)
Jan 14, 2011
Emir
rated it:
When I visited my mother on her birthday, January 1, this year, I also inspected the books below the wooden stairs of her house, the home of my youth. There, gathering dust in the wooden shelf, are several books I and my brother owned. A cursory inspection and flipping through some of the books rendered my hands grimy, a testament to the sad state of the small collection that only one of my nephews bothers to read. Among the books, two or three Graham Greene novels share the dust and despair, al
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10 comments
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(5 people liked it)
Aug 20, 2009
Jeremy
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This one started off - I wouldn’t say slow, but a bit confusing and I was thinking I’d have to chalk it up as a good reading experience. There is no question about it that Graham Greene was a great writer and even as I was thinking I might not enjoy the plot, I was still digging what the man had to say. The underlying message. This was just written so much differently than the other two books I had read by him. Then when the focus turns to the Whiskey Priest and his flight things began to co
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(4 people liked it)
Jul 11, 2011
Daniel
rated it:
If you are looking for Graham Greene, be assured that a part of him resides within The Power and the Glory. In the tradition of some of his previous works he does not hesitate to perform invasive exploratory surgery on the human condition in order to uncover more than a few basic human truths. As such, there is no sense of Hollywood within these pages.
The interesting part of this book is his protagonist. Greene all but creates the common man within his pages, complete with pitiful More...
The interesting part of this book is his protagonist. Greene all but creates the common man within his pages, complete with pitiful More...
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Dec 07, 2008
Golden
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I read this on the recommendation of my friend Nate. I’d never heard of Graham Greene before and decided to do some research on his works. I’m glad Nate turned me on to him because this is a great book. It’s a wonderful study of a man (a priest) who is good and immoral. It implicitly asks the question over and over again: “is it possible to be both?”.
I love it because I think that’s who we are. Most of us want to be good and try to be good, but we all have flaws and weaknesses More...
I love it because I think that’s who we are. Most of us want to be good and try to be good, but we all have flaws and weaknesses More...
Oct 18, 2010
Lynn
rated it: 
I am almost done with this book yet I find that I just dont care about it and am treating it more like a chore to complete...we will see.
I have in the meantime started reading another book therefore this one just might go on the shelf next to The Blind Assassin which I didnt finish either.
Welp, I finished it. I finally decided to pick it up and just get to the end. The end was a little bit better that the meat of the book. Perhaps I just was reading this book at the wrong time. I do More...
I have in the meantime started reading another book therefore this one just might go on the shelf next to The Blind Assassin which I didnt finish either.
Welp, I finished it. I finally decided to pick it up and just get to the end. The end was a little bit better that the meat of the book. Perhaps I just was reading this book at the wrong time. I do More...
Jan 11, 2012
"[…]questa è un’altra differenza tra noi. È inutile che lavoriate per il vostro scopo, a meno che non siate un uomo buono voi stesso. E non ci saranno sempre uomini buoni nel vostro partito. E allora si avrà di nuovo tutta la vecchia fame, le violenze, l’arricchirsi ad ogni costo. Ma il fatto ch’io sia un codardo, e tutto il resto, non ha molta importanza. Posso mettere Dio lo stesso nella bocca di un uomo, e posso dargli il perdono di Dio. Anche se ogni prete della chiesa fosse come me, no
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Sep 01, 2009
The Power and the Glory, by Graham Greene was an odd but deep read. The book demonstrates that by combining duty and sheer willpower together, one can defeat their fear and anxious feelings. This empowers the individual with the compassion and strength to fulfill their duty to the end, regardless of possible consequences.
The book’s theme is demonstrated within the priest’s journey throughout the book. He starts by simply trying to escape from the “red shirts” occupied town. Eventually, he More...
The book’s theme is demonstrated within the priest’s journey throughout the book. He starts by simply trying to escape from the “red shirts” occupied town. Eventually, he More...
Jan 25, 2009
Beth
rated it: 
About the last priest in southern Mexico, running for his life. Fascinating journey through the small towns, villages, mountains, banana plantations...
Well-written with a distinct style of repeatedly revealing characters (exposing the reader to this in "ah ha" moments later). The work is wrought with worldviews; would need a second read (or third read, etc.) to explore the depths of dogma, belief, conviction: rehearsed, rejected, cherished.
The fact the book is More...
Well-written with a distinct style of repeatedly revealing characters (exposing the reader to this in "ah ha" moments later). The work is wrought with worldviews; would need a second read (or third read, etc.) to explore the depths of dogma, belief, conviction: rehearsed, rejected, cherished.
The fact the book is More...
Jan 25, 2009
Matt
rated it:
Favorite passages:
He brought up his bile again and shot it out into the hard sunlight. (p. 7)
He had the kind of dwarfed dignity Mr. Tench was accustomed to - the dignity of people afraid of a little pain and yet sitting down with some firmness in his chair. (p. 13)
The good things of life had come to him too early - the respect of his contemporaries, a safe livelihood. (p. 17)
She was very young - about thirteen - and at that age you are not afraid o More...
He brought up his bile again and shot it out into the hard sunlight. (p. 7)
He had the kind of dwarfed dignity Mr. Tench was accustomed to - the dignity of people afraid of a little pain and yet sitting down with some firmness in his chair. (p. 13)
The good things of life had come to him too early - the respect of his contemporaries, a safe livelihood. (p. 17)
She was very young - about thirteen - and at that age you are not afraid o More...
Jan 15, 2009
John
rated it:
This is the story the great novelist Graham Greene was born to tell. Himself a man more haunted than blessed by his belief in Christ, Greene’s legacy as one of the twentieth centuries’ premier novelists (not to say simply “Catholic novelists”) would have been secure if "The Power and the Glory" had been his only work. With this novel, Greene brings all his considerable talent, craft, and gift for suspense to bear on a story that penetrates the heart of one tortured man’s mystery. For a
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(2 people liked it)
Nov 20, 2008
Lisa
rated it:
I recently read The End of the Affair, which also describes the difficulties and graces in believing in God, though this masterpiece focuses more on the forgiveness of sins and our ability to believe in that salvation. Set in a militaristic socialist state in Mexico which has forbidden Catholicism, The Power and the Glory describes the struggles of those who believe, as well as of those who don't.
The book begins with brief vignettes of particular characters (a dentist, a neglect More...
The book begins with brief vignettes of particular characters (a dentist, a neglect More...
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(1 person liked it)
Oct 02, 2011
M. D.
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Jun 10, 2011
Jim
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I've always been a big fan of Greene, but the first three quarters of the story seemed to meander about aimlessly. Worst yet, I found the dialog without the usual quotes, tags and separate paragraphing difficult to follow. Inner monologue, dialog between characters seemed to be mixed in with narration. I had to re-read sections several times to make sure I correctly understood who was saying what. The first half also skipped abruptly between scenes without any extra line skips between paragraphs
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Jan 16, 2011
Shaun
rated it:
The fact is, a man isn’t presented suddenly with two courses to follow: one good and one bad. He gets caught up.
I’ll admit it, I was pleasantly shocked by this book. Simply put, it was a phenomenal story and it pulls off an incredible feat. It’s a moral book that leaves no very specific moral ending. Allow me to explain, but first about my own personal experience with this book. Years ago a trusted friend / teacher and fellow book lover recommended this book to me. I read it b More...
I’ll admit it, I was pleasantly shocked by this book. Simply put, it was a phenomenal story and it pulls off an incredible feat. It’s a moral book that leaves no very specific moral ending. Allow me to explain, but first about my own personal experience with this book. Years ago a trusted friend / teacher and fellow book lover recommended this book to me. I read it b More...
Dec 27, 2010
Stephen
rated it:
I last read this one 36 years ago and must confess that my memory of it was sketchy. Having worked through a substantial pile of new books over the last few months, I decided to give it a spin, and believe now that the material is much more suitable and meaningful for someone with lifetime experiences than for the callow twerp I was back then. ;)
The greatest theme in literature, I suspect, is the struggle of a character vs his own hell -- as opposed to the challenges thrown up by wha More...
The greatest theme in literature, I suspect, is the struggle of a character vs his own hell -- as opposed to the challenges thrown up by wha More...
Oct 06, 2010
Brad
rated it:
In a remote province of Mexico, the socialist Red Shirts have outlawed the church. Priests are hunted down and executed as traitors to the state. A nameless 'whiskey priest' has eluded the police for 8 years. He begs food, shelter and hiding from the citizens of small villages where he receives confession and performs baptisms and mass.
But his days are numbered. A zealot police lieutenant is taking hostages from villages where the priest has visited. The hostages are executed unless More...
But his days are numbered. A zealot police lieutenant is taking hostages from villages where the priest has visited. The hostages are executed unless More...
Aug 13, 2010
Jason
rated it:
This is a simple and a difficult book to read. Graham Greene, while an impeccably talented and smart writer, chooses to express himself clearly, not lingering overlong on descriptions or poetic type prose and yet managing to evoke breathtaking passages. Yet in this subtle elegance the story can become seemingly simplistic. It is the story of a priest who is a drunkard in his tenth year of evading the red shirts after they had make Catholicism a crime of treason and it is the story of the people
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Mar 04, 2010
Jen
rated it:
I fell in love with the priest. Loved his weakness and his fear, his mental process, and for trying to be brave though he belived he wasn't... I think I actually ached with love for this character's humanity. Incredible dialogue... this is one of the most poignant, resonating novels I have ever read. I found myself dog-earing every other page.
Fav quotes:
"The glittering orlds lay there in space like a promise - th world was not the universe. Somewhere Christ might More...
Fav quotes:
"The glittering orlds lay there in space like a promise - th world was not the universe. Somewhere Christ might More...
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Nov 21, 2009
Paula
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Done as a book on CD, this was a dark and rather depressing book. It covers the story of a priest in post-revolution Mexico, a time when being a priest was tantamount to treason. The priest is wanted by the people and hunted by the police, and often the two are combined, whereby the people are afraid of the repercussions of aiding the priest, yet long for the services he can offer in the way of religion.
The priest, Padre Jose, is not the quintessential priest; he has a predilication More...
The priest, Padre Jose, is not the quintessential priest; he has a predilication More...
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