Title: The Power and the Glory
Author: Graham Greene
Publisher: Vintage
Format Read: Paperback
First published in 1940, “The Power and the Glory” is the story of a ‘whiskey priest’. Set sometime during the 1930s in Mexico, the priest is torn between his faith and the bottle. He offers services, indulges in alcohol, and has a bounty on his head.
He is on the run for a lot of the novel, attempting to evade capture. Kind people take him in, and the priest offers kindness in return despite his haggard confusion and fugitive status. He also has a brutal, cruel, lieutenant on his trail.
The lieutenant is pretty clear that he will, at any cost, capture this priest. He takes villagers hostage. He kills them. The priest is aware of this, and that forms part of his moral dilemma. The bounty on his head is high, and there are, unfortunately, many who would seek him out and turn him over to the authorities. There are members of certain denominations being persecuted.
And the priest? He must be captured and persecuted most of all, before all else. He also has a daughter, which only adds to the chaos, for she is born out of wedlock.
This is an intense, dark tale of a fugitive who must confront his faith and his belief in himself despite the cruelty of the world. The priest does not have it easy, nor is he at peace with himself. The novel takes him through the Mexican heat, and the descriptions are stark and vivid.
The priest, who rarely finds solace or happiness, is a character I could sympathize with, for his conflicts were real, the turmoil in his life is painful, and eventually, he finds strength within himself he never knew he had. And of course, there is a capture…but by a most unexpected source. And the capture forces the priest to finally reflect on the true nature of his calling. There are also further twists, for not all is at it seems. There is much food for thought in this tale, and I did find myself reflecting on the priest’s travails.
Overall, while “The Power and the Glory” is dark and oftentimes uncomfortable, I did find it hauntingly complex and beautifully written.
sāhityavāni 