Book Review: The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

An unnamed priest is the last cleric in northern 1930s Mexico. The government has outlawed Christianity and forced priests to marry, leave, or be killed. This priest is weak and corrupt, but not weak and corrupt enough to escape or to give in. He has led a lazy, sinful life, including fathering a child, and thinks that he has no purpose other than survival. People (including himself) refer to him as a "whiskey priest." As he wanders, he runs into several other people, including a police lieutenant determined to bring him in. If the priest is caught, his execution would surely be martyrdom though the priest knows that he is not that sort of person.

The book is populated with a lot of disparate characters who are all linked through their experiences with the priest. Greene does not stint on any of his characters. They are all drawn out, sometimes in excruciating detail. They bring out a lot of different things about the priest, developing the story in an organic and convincing way. The priest's physical and spiritual odyssey is compelling. He has enough knowledge and integrity to know what he should be doing or what he could have done if he had made better choices. His slow turn in a new direction is credible (even if he does not believe in it) and inspiring for those of us who struggle with sins big and small (which is probably all of us, right?). I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Recommended.

The book is discussed on A Good Story is Hard to Find Podcast #362.