The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wanted to read a "modern classic" and had not read a Graham Greene before so 2 birds, 1 stone. 

The plot centres around an alcoholic, catholic priest who is also the father of a child from a relationship with one of his flock. 

 It takes place in a region of mexico where there has been a cultural revolution and the catholic church  is now banned. Priests are either shot or forced to get married and renounce. 

 

Against this back drop our priest goes on the run for numerous years. Giving clandestine confession, holy communion and baptisms. He travels around the country, in a destitute state, meeting a variety of characters. He is ruthlessly pursued by an anti religeous officer who wants to protect the peasants from what he sees as the exploitative ways of the catholic church and.... well thats just it, thats the whole plot basically. 

While the characters and settings are three dimensional, believable and well presented the plot just does not seem to develop. That is why I originally only gave it 2 stars. However the book has been swirling around in my mind for over a week, even though I had started on a new book. So I came back and gave another star and after a few days yet another star. So its a slow grower! Although it is a manhunt and gunplay is involved it is not actually an action book.

It is more about the soul and deeply flawed people doing the right thing in times of extreme pressure. Are there good and bad people or just selfish acts and unselfish acts? I think after reading this Greene would say both and even a mixture of both i.e. bad people can do unselfish acts (eg the priest) and good people can do selfish acts (eg the leutenant)

  

 In addition the priest's story can be seen as an alegory of Christ's life. He ministers to the people under persecution and threat of death from the civil authority. He has a choice between an easy out or doing his duty and consequently suffering pain and death. He knowingly chooses the latter. He is betrayed by his own judas figure. 

Later a mother tells reads her children heroic tales of catholic matyrs that idealize and hero worship the mudered priests. Perhaps here too Greene is pointing out how a dirty squalid execution can be elevated through time, literature and retelling into "the greatest story ever told."

  

Anyway, any book that can make me think like that deserves to have a 5 star rating so I am going to give it another one. Wow from 2 to 5 stars after I have read it a week ago!

   As a non catholic it did highlight themes of catholic church to me. They do like a bit of guilt! Guilty until proven guilty and a bit more guilt on top. So it was a  interesting for that insight alone. 

    I wont be rushing for a Graham Greene novel soon, my head hurts too much atm. But I will at some point reach for another. It is a bit like one of those magic eye pictures, you have to see beyond the obvious. Overall as an action book its a bit dull but look between the lines into the soul of the whiskey priest and it is immensly thought provoking.