Rating: 
Summary: Hate the Sin and Love the Sinner Doesn't Work For Me.
Review: No matter how many times I read one of his books, Greene just never seems to connect with me. At least in this-his one book that in his own words was "written to a thesis"-at least I understand why. Based heavily on his travels to the southern Mexican states of Jalisco and Chiapas in early 1938, Greene set out to examine faith and personal integrity. Greene's "thesis" is that even those who are sinners may still posses God's grace if they hold true to their faith regardless of personal hardship. I find that line of reasoning to be a rather tempting excuse for hypocrisy, and have to wonder what the point of being a priest is if you're going to pick and chose which rules you live by. Priests should live the gospel, not just do their best! An excellent nonfiction book that shows priests doing just that under incredibly difficult circumstances is John Kiser's The Monks of Tibhirine.In any event, Green's plot is simple: in an unnamed Mexican state, Catholicism has been outlawed by the local revolutionary authorities due to its decadence (both alleged and real). The priests have all either fled or been executed, except for one "whiskey" priest who wanders the countryside, halfheartedly looking to escape over the border. His meanderings lead to a number of set piece encounters, including an English dentist, an English plantation owner and his daughter, and the village woman he impregnated several years before, among others. As he goes through small villages, he is compelled to hold secret masses and baptisms, even though he no longer feels spiritually fit to be God's representative to the people. All the while, he pursued by a ruthless anti-church police lieutenant, who metes out summary punishment to villages who fail to turn in the priest. Some characterize this chase as full of tension, and call the book a thriller-I never felt that for a minute. There is never any doubt as to the outcome, which is not a criticism, more an attempt to point out that this is hardly a "thriller", and anyone who approaches it as such is very likely to be disappointed. The policeman is actually portrayed with surprising sympathy, as ruthless as his methods may be, his critique of the church is remarkably lucid and on target. The best moments of tension occur when the priest is accompanied by a sly mestizo, whom to priest refers to as ""Judas". There is some excellent characterizations, and Greene's gift for capturing smells and textures is wonderful. In some ways, the novel is worth reading if only to feel southern Mexico come alive. However, as I fundamentally disagree with the "thesis" that Greene wrote to, it's a bit hard to actually recommend the book. I imagine those with a much stronger sense of faith may find it more rewarding and personally relevant.
Rating: 
Summary: I liked Greene's style!
Review: This book was very good. I liked it because it was unlike anything I have ever read before. Greene wrote in a way that was easy to understand, yet it's apparent that his intention was that he wanted the reader to really think about the different situations. The Power and the Glory has really enabled me to have a better understanding of Mexican history and lifestyles as well!
Rating:
Summary: confused
Review: I was intrigued by this book. Someone please explain the ending. Who is the tall pale thin man with a rather sour mouth?
Rating: 
Summary: Sheer Irony
Review: The result is very like the "American Beauty". At last, the redeemed one is the person who was the ugliest at first. It's sheer irony, exquisitely constructed by a master.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, Excellent Book
Review: I did not know much about Graham Greene other than his work penning The Third Man. This book was recommended to me by a friend, so without knowing anything else about it, I gave it a shot. It was one of the greatest surprises of my literary life. The Power and the Glory is one of the best books I have ever read. I myself enjoy books that concentrate heavily on the darker sides of religion and the human mind. This is one of the best. It compares favorably, in my very humble opinion, with Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls, in that the moods of both books are very similar. Some have said that this book is difficult, but I never got that sense. Shakespeare is difficult, this is just well worded. More than anything else, I would say that this book is real. There are no characters who are good or bad. The characters in this book are human, representing a vast assortment of feelings and emotions. If you like a good read, that makes you think, then The Power and the Glory might just be up your alley.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Man is Hard to Find
Review: I really don't know how to review this novel; there is simply too much the novel has to say to cover it all her in a short review. Anything I write will be totally inadequate. I can only say that The Power and the Glory is certainly one of the greatest novels written in the Twentieth Century. The novel is the story of a priest in Mexico in a state which has outlawed Christianity. The priest is trying to get out of the state and away from the athiestic lieutenant who's attempting to capture him, but the priest's Christian duty keeps calling him back into the state and into danger. The priest is also waging a war within himself. He is a good man but definitely a sinner, and he struggles to cure himself of his vices and struggles to believe that he can gain salvation. The Power and the Glory assaults the reader on all levels. Greene explores so many aspects and paradoxes of Christianity. He looks at the great beauty that can be found in sin. He looks at how love and hate can be so similar. Greene reveals how the priest's life has had great meaning even thought the priest may not realize it. Greene reveals man as living in a "Wasteland," and he also reveals the way to find meaning in it. The characterizations of all of the characters really carry the novel. There are so many insights that can be gained from reading about the priest, the lieutenant, and the mestizo. The Power and the Glory is truly a magnificent novel which should be taught and studied everywhere.
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Summary: Difficult but worthwhile
Review: This was the second Graham Greene book I've read, after "The End of the Affair." It starts off slowly, introducing and then abandoning characters. The beginning is also filled with a great deal of religious rhetoric - a topic that does not interest me. I had a difficult time maintaining interest in the first 100 pages, but warmed up to the book considerably toward the end. The main character, the unnamed whisky priest, is initially off-putting, but by the end, I understood his actions and beliefs better.
Rating:
Summary: Understandable why it was banned by the Church...
Review: I bought this book due to an article in the Atlantic Monthly describing how controversial it was. Figuring it MUST be a good book, I bought it.
Overall, a very good book. The one backdraw to it was that was was EXTREMELY depressing. Greene does an excellent job of setting the scene of despair and hopelessness in Mexico, from the Dentist to the different villages the whiskey priest visited. In no way was religion portrayed as anything but troublesome.
In this book, religion was almost looked down upon. None of the villages were ever happy to see the priest, and the priest, throughout the book, questions himself constantly about his bad habits and his importance to his "children."
I found this book very depressing, but that must have meant Greene did his job. A good read.
Rating:
Summary: Harrowing and Ironic
Review: This is the mesmerizing story of a flawed "whisky priest". Venal and carnal in ordinary times, this unnamed priest achieves nobility in a time of persecution, as he performs his duties under the looming shadow of arrest and execution. The priest Greene describes is admirable, cowardly, inspiring, pathetic. As usual, Greene offers terrific writing, this time in a very lean style. Here's a hot afternoon in a dull Mexican village. "He stared up at the merciless sky. A vulture hung there, an observer...They fell silent and time passed, the shadow of the customs house shifted a few inches toward the river: the vulture moved a little, like the black hand of a clock." A moving and great book!
Rating:
Summary: Simply outstanding
Review: One of the best books i have ever read. When i first picked it up, i couldn't get into it, but on my second attempt, i couldn't put it down. Greene's stark prose and descriptions of despair and self-hatred are amazing. The character of the weak whiskey priest is one we can all relate to in times of self-doubt. His journey to triumph is one that cannot be forgotten.
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