Reading 1001 discussion

Discussion thread for January BOTM
Moderator:
Post reviews here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The Power and the Glory
Graham Greene, 1940

Author Bio
• Birth—October 2, 1904
• Where—Berkhamstd, England, UK
• Death—April 3, 1991
• Where—Vevey, Switzerland
• Education—Oxford University
• Awards—Hawthornden Prize; Companion
of Honour; Chevalier of the Legion of
Honour; Order of Merit.


Known for his espionage thrillers set in exotic locales, Graham Greene is the writer who launched a thousand travel journalists. But although Greene produced some unabashedly commercial works—he called them "entertainments," to distinguish them from his novels—even his escapist fiction is rooted in the gritty realities he encountered around the globe. "Greeneland" is a place of seedy bars and strained loyalties, of moral dissolution and physical decay.

Greene spent his university years at Oxford "drunk and debt-ridden," and claimed to have played Russian roulette as an antidote to boredom. At age 21 he converted to Roman Catholicism, later saying, "I had to find a religion...to measure my evil against." His first published novel, The Man Within, did well enough to earn him an advance from his publishers, but though Greene quit his job as a London Times subeditor to write full-time, his next two novels were unsuccessful. Finally, pressed for money, he set out to write a work of popular fiction. Stamboul Train (also published as The Orient Express) was the first of many commercial successes.

Throughout the 1930s, Greene wrote novels, reviewed books and movies for the Spectator, and traveled through eastern Europe, Liberia, and Mexico. One of his best-known works, Brighton Rock, was published during this time; The Power and the Glory, generally considered Greene's masterpiece, appeared in 1940. Along with The Heart of the Matter and The End of the Affair, they cemented Greene's reputation as a serious novelist—though George Orwell complained about Greene's idea "that there is something rather distingué in being damned; Hell is a sort of high-class nightclub, entry to which is reserved for Catholics only."

During World War II, Greene was stationed in Sierra Leone, where he worked in an intelligence capacity for the British Foreign Office under Kim Philby, who later defected to the Soviet Union. After the war, Greene continued to write stories, plays, and novels, including The Quiet American, Travels with My Aunt, The Honorary Consul, and The Captain and the Enemy. For a time, he worked as a screenwriter for MGM, producing both original screenplays and scripts adapted from his fiction.

He also continued to travel, reporting from Vietnam, Haiti, and Panama, among other places, and he became a vocal critic of U.S. foreign policy in Central America. Some biographers have suggested that his friendships with Communist leaders were a ploy, and that he was secretly gathering intelligence for the British government. The more common view is that Greene's leftist leanings were part of his lifelong sympathy with the world's underdogs—what John Updike called his "will to compassion, an ideal communism even more Christian than Communist. Its unit is the individual, not any class."

But if Greene's politics were sometimes difficult to decipher, his stature as a novelist has seldom been in doubt, in spite of the light fiction he produced. Kingsley Amis, Evelyn Waugh, and R. K. Narayan paid tribute to his work, and William Golding prophesied: "He will be read and remembered as the ultimate chronicler of twentieth-century man's consciousness and anxiety."

Extras
• Greene's philandering ways were legendary; he frequently visited prostitutes and had several mistresses, including Catherine Walston, who converted to Catholicism after reading The Power and the Glory and wrote to Greene asking him to be her godfather. After a brief period of correspondence, the two met, and their relationship inspired Greene's novel The End of the Affair.

• Greene was a film critic, screenwriter, and avid moviegoer, and critics have sometimes praised the cinematic quality of his style. His most famous screenplay was The Third Man, which he cowrote with director Carol Reed. Recently, new film adaptations have been made of Greene's novels The End of the Affair and The Quiet American. Greene's work has also formed the basis for an opera: Our Man in Havana, composed by Malcolm Williamson. (From Barnes & Noble.)


Summary
In a poor, remote section of southern Mexico, the Red Shirts have taken control. God has been outlawed, and the priests have been systematically hunted down and killed. Now, the last priest strives to overcome physical and moral cowardice in order to find redemption. (From the publisher.)

This is the second of four in what are considered Graham Greene's explicitly Catholic novels. The other three are Brighton Rock (1938), The Heart of the Matter (1948), and The End of the Affair (1951).

Pre Questions

1. Have you read other books by Graham Greene? Which ones?

This year, I am not going to put anything but these generic questions up. There is a whole set of questions for this book but I am bypassing them and going with generics in hopes that it will free people up to talk about how they are experiencing the book.

1. How did you experience the book? Were you engaged immediately, or did it take you a while to
"get into it"? How did you feel reading it—amused,
sad, disturbed, confused, bored...?


2. Describe the main characters—personality traits, motivations, and inner qualities.
• Why do characters do what they do?
• Are their actions justified?
• Describe the dynamics between characters (in a
marriage, family, or friendship).
• How has the past shaped their lives?
• Do you admire or disapprove of them?
• Do they remind you of people you know?

3. Are the main characters dynamic—changing or maturing by the end of the book? Do they learn about themselves, how the world works and their role in it?

4. Discuss the plot:
• Is it engaging—do you find the story interesting?
• Is this a plot-driven book—a fast-paced page-turner?
• Does the plot unfold slowly with a focus on character?
• Were you surprised by complications, twists & turns?
• Did you find the plot predictable, even formulaic?

5. Talk about the book's structure.
• Is it a continuous story...or interlocking short stories?
• Does the time-line move forward chronologically?
• Does time shift back & forth from past to present?
• Is there a single viewpoint or shifting viewpoints?
• Why might the author have chosen to tell the story
the way he or she did?
• What difference does the structure make in the way
you read or understand the book?

6. What main ideas—themes—does the author explore? (Consider the title, often a clue to a theme.) Does the author use symbols to reinforce the main ideas? (See our free LitCourses on both Symbol and Theme.)

7. What passages strike you as insightful, even profound? Perhaps a bit of dialog that's funny or poignant or that encapsulates a character? Maybe there's a particular comment that states the book's thematic concerns?

8. Is the ending satisfying? If so, why? If not, why not...and how would you change it?

9. If you could ask the author a question, what would you ask? Have you read other books by the same author? If so how does this book compare. If not, does this book inspire you to read others?

10. Has this novel changed you—broadened your perspective? Have you learned something new or been exposed to different ideas about people or a certain part of the world?


All was taken from Litlovers https://www.litlovers.com/run-a-book-...

11. Did you enjoy the novel, does it belong on the list?

I've read just a third of the novel so far, so I will hold off on giving responses to the questions for a little longer.
I read a bunch of classic British novels in my early adulthood, and so read other novels by Greene a few decades ago: A Burnt-out Case, The Comedians, The End of the Affair, The Heart of the Matter, The Honorary Consul, Our Man in Havana, Travels with my Aunt (which is the most humorous) and just read The Quiet American about a yr ago. I understand his novella of The Third Man was written in preparation of his screenplay; I'd like to read that also. I think I came away from these novels with a sense of most people being a mixture of positive traits and character flaws. Somehow I missed reading this one until now.

This has always been far and away my favorite book by Greene out of the ten or so of his that I've read. I've read so many of his because I keep hoping to find a similar experience with them that I had with P&G, but not yet.

It's been a few years since I read this--it may be that it wouldn't have the same effect on me now that it did then...it's hard for me to quantify exactly what appealed to me about the novel; every time I try, the reasons sound banal to me. But I thought it was a very powerful presentation of a flawed individual seeking redemption within the limits of his environment. To me, the book was more universal than catholic, in the religious sense, and none of his other 'catholic' novels affected me in the way this one did.

I have read many of Greene's books: The Heart of the Matter, Brighton Rock (about 50 years ago), The Honorary Consul, The End of the Affair and my favourite, The Quiet American which I have read at least twice, the second time after visiting Ho Chi Minh City. I am whistling through the book as I am staining cedar panels and listening as I do so. It is read by Andrew Sachs, who is very easy to listen to.

1. As I mention above, I was immediately drawn into the Mexico of 1930's anti-clericalism by Andrew Sachs' reading and was intrigued and appalled equally.
2. The anti-hero, really, an unnamed priest, is on the run from authorities who have outlawed catholicism and have brutally shot priests who don't obey the edict to marry and stop performing the rituals of the church. He sees himself as a failure because he is an alcoholic, who has a daughter from one encounter with a parishioner. Nevertheless, he believes it is his duty to take mass, perform baptisms and the last rites for a dying murderer, even though it will lead to his capture and execution. He is hunted by the lieutenant, who takes villagers hostage and shoots them because they refuse to betray the priest. He has no personal grudge against the priest, but believes that the church misleads the faithful with superstition. He show kindness to the priest by giving him money, when he believes he is just a drunkard (wine is illegal too, to try to stamp out the ritual of communion). He also tries to get a defrocked priest to come to hear the last confession before our priest is shot.
3. Greene shows both men in shades of grey, neither heroes or villains.
4. The plot is quite neatly resolved. The first chapter begins by describing an English dentist, trapped is a Mexican town because he can't afford to return home, who is intrigued to meet the priest by chance and invite him home to drink some brandy and converse in English. It is an oblique way to introduce the pries. It is not clear who he is at the begiining. The dentist reappeas at the end when he witnesses the execution. There are many crises where the priest may be captured and the reader is not sure what the denouement will be, so interest is held.
5. Characters do recall themselves when younger, but the structure is basically chronological.
6. The discussions about faith are the core of the book. The priest discusses religion with both the dentist and the lieutenant, but most of the dialogue is internal. The priest has more empathy for the weaknesses of others because he recognises his own, but the lieutenant, who was originally an idealist, is impatient with the inability of society to change in meaningful ways.
7. From time to time the story is interspersed with a young, devout mother reading to her two rapt young daughters and her unconvinced son about the life of a young religious martyr. Juan is altogether too good to be true. The book she is reading from is banned as being dangerous. The contrast between the resoluteness of Jaun and the indecision and inability to repent of the priest is poignant.
10. I knew that Greene had converted to catholicism and I wondered how that experience informed what he wrote.

Pip wrote: "I have read many of Greene's books: The Heart of the Matter, Brighton Rock (about 50 years ago), The Honorary Consul, The End of ...It is read by Andrew Sachs...

I'm listening to a Blackstone audio eAudiobook via Overdrive read by Bernard Mayes apparently. He is listed as "other author" in the library listing. I like his reading so far. Now about half way.

George P. wrote: "Pip wrote: "I have read many of Greene's books: The Heart of the Matter, Brighton Rock (about 50 years ago), The Honorary Consul, The End of ...It is read by Andrew Sachs...

I'm listening to a Bla..."

George, The Third Man is very enjoyable as an audio book as well. I would recommend that!

1. How did you experience the book? Were you engaged immediately....

I was engaged immediately, as there was a veil of mystery or secrecy in the introductions to the characters. We did not know why we were being introduced to the dentist or who the man he took home to have a drink and speak English with was. We didn't know why we were hearing a young mother read to her children. The introductions all unfolded over the course of the book.


2. Describe the main characters—personality traits, motivations, and inner qualities

Both the priest and the lieutenant are looking for some understanding or some clarity from the world around them and in their own internal thoughts. The priest's pride led him to believe that he could survive and actually do some good in the world that had outlawed the Catholic Church and over the course of the novel comes to believe that he has done no good, or at least no good that any other priest could have done as well. In fact, he has become a "whiskey" priest who would go to his God empty handed. The lieutenant believes fully in outlawing the church because it had fooled his people, asked them for money for baptisms when they had no food, tricked them into thinking that God knows them, when God neither knows nor cares about them (in the lieutenant's belief). His determined belief leads him to do things that do not serve to help the people either but he justifies the means by the end result. In this book, unlike in Brighton Rock, people are not displaying Right and Wrong juxtaposed by Good and Evil, rather good and evil, right and wrong, exist in the world, compliment each other, and little can be done to shift the balance.

3. Are the main characters dynamic—changing or maturing by the end of the book? Do they learn about themselves, how the world works and their role in it?

The main characters and even some of the secondary characters shift over the course of the book. The lieutenant is left at a loss when his primary aim of ridding the world of gringo outlaws and failed priests is accomplished and he is left unsatisfied that the world has not changed for the better. The priest struggles with humility and appears to make decisions that would be considered "right" and "good" by the end of the novel though he himself may not realize he has gained humility. He does realize that his pride has hurt not only himself. Even our "half-caste" Judas character is not all bad and wishes to be forgiven as it was the world that placed him in this compromised position. Mr. and Mrs. Fellows and the dentist decide to leave Mexico.

4. Discuss the plot.

The plot slowly unfolds but at no time becomes dull or theatrical in its drama. We are never sure exactly when the army will catch up with the priest and more than once he escapes because of "the grace of god", or complete luck. The usual heroic ending of the "good guy" winning his freedom, is not part of the plot and we realize that from the beginning and yet nevertheless wish him well. We wish him time to "do good" or at least realize his own power in the world but in the end he does not have that time and yet, Greene would have us believe it was a life in some ways worthy of meeting God and that the church will go on.


5. Talk about the book's structure

The book is a third person narrative but we spend a fair amount of time in the thoughts of the priest. He and other characters reflect back on their childhood and so we are given some background into many of them, but largely the chronology of the book moves in one direction. The fact that the structure of the book moves back and forth between the situations of the characters, who are very rarely together, gives the book a breadth it would not have if Greene had stayed only with the priest and the lieutenant. I thought the structure of the book complimented the slow revealing of the nature of the characters and the final decisions of those characters very well.

6. What main ideas—themes—does the author explore

It would seem that Greene often writes about opposites: good and evil, but also on a finer level, such as the beastly behavior of the hungry versus the intelligent human mind that will give up food even while hungry. The priest seeing the beauty of suffering versus the lieutenant's desire to eliminate suffering.
The core theme seems to be about Christian humility which is nearly impossible as the more humble you are the more likely you are taking pride in being humble.
Greene shines a light on the dangers of any belief system through both the priest and the lieutenant and finally in the mother reading to her children we have a theme about legends, or myth making and the way humans tell their stories to fit their belief systems rather than as a way to record facts.

7. What passages strike you as insightful
The lieutenant: "...until he had eradicated from it everything which reminded him of how it had once appeared to a miserable child. He wanted to destroy everything: to be alone without any memories at all."
The priest: "It was the oddest thing that ever since that hot and crowded night in the cell he had passed into a region of abandonment - almost as if he had died there with the old man's head on this shoulder and now wandered in a kind of limbo, because he wasn't good or bad enough...Life didn't exist any more: it wasn't merely a matter of the banana station. Now as the storm broke and he scurried for shelter he knew quite well what he would find - nothing."

8. Is the ending satisfying? If so, why? If not, why not...and how would you change it?

Yes, I thought the ending was appropriate to the characters and the circumstances of the story and therefore I found it satisfying.

9. Have you read other books by the same author? If so how does this book compare. If not, does this book inspire you to read others?

I have read The Third Man, which read very much like the screenplay it started out to be. I also read The Captain and the Enemy, which is not on the 1001 list and does not hold together as well as The Power and the Glory. I also just read Brighton Rock, which reads very much like a younger work as many of the same themes play out with a more rigorous clarity which is not as powerful as The Power and the Glory. I am looking forward to The Quiet American.

10. Has this novel changed you—broadened your perspective? Have you learned something new or been exposed to different ideas about people or a certain part of the world?

It did make me wonder more about Mexico during the time frame of the novel and the background of the outlawing of the church. Also, I have been thinking a great deal about belief systems lately as social media has made "the truth" something that someone believes wholeheartedly in rather than anything that adheres to facts.


11. Did you enjoy the novel, does it belong on the list?

Very much. My favorite Greene so far.

I have just finished and will post my review to the group's list. Bernhard Mayes' audiobook reading was great and I loved the novel, now my favorite Greene.
I suspect Greene was alcoholic himself to some degree by his later years, which probably helped him in writing about a character with this disease.
I'll think about the book for a couple days and see if I have thoughts to contribute. Pip and Gail's contributions are very accurate and insightful, thanks.

Well this is going to be an unpopular opinion but I found this book to be average (3 star rating) maybe because I have read and enjoyed other Greene books more and maybe because I have read better books (IMO) about Catholic persecution.

Books I have read by Greene include:
Brighton Rock
The End of the Affair
Our Man in Havana
The Quiet American

How did you experience the book?

I was interested in what was happening but also found it easy to put down.

Describe the main characters—personality traits, motivations, and inner qualities

For me the main character was the priest. He was a man conflicted with doubt he knew he was a bad priest and that he had sinned but he refused to fell guilt about the result of the sin. He was also conflicted because by living he doomed other innocent people to die. That said however reluctantly he did try to do his best, he heard confessions, he provided last rites and I think he honestly would have preferred to be betrayed than to cause death.

Discuss the plot.

Game of cat and mouse between priest and those chasing him.

Talk about the book's structure

Linear the story progresses in a straightforward way. We hear everything from the priest's point of view.

What main ideas—themes—does the author explore

Religion vs socialism? or maybe vs poor society. Good and Evil. Humanity.

Is the ending satisfying? If so, why? If not, why not...and how would you change it?

The ending makes sense for the time and place and rest of the story. I love the way it is tied into the children's story of Juan.

Has this novel changed you—broadened your perspective? Have you learned something new or been exposed to different ideas about people or a certain part of the world?

I didn't know before about Catholic persecution in Mexico.

Did you enjoy the novel, does it belong on the list?

I appreciate the range of Greene's writing and would argue that while many books contain the same things you can't accuse them of being alike.

Not my favourite Greene and I would probably remove it as IMO religious persecution is done better in other books like Silence.

Pre-reading question:

1. Have you read other books by Graham Greene? Which ones?

This is my fifth, and my second in a month (The End of the Affair; The Third Man; The Quiet American; Brighton Rock).

Discussion questions:

1. How did you experience the book? Were you engaged immediately, or did it take you a while to
"get into it"? How did you feel reading it—amused,
sad, disturbed, confused, bored...?

The beginning was slightly disorientating, with a few unnamed characters and the focus and action shifting quickly from one protagonist to the other. But I think this was purposeful in order to create the sense of isolation and urgency which affects the “whisky priest” as the main character.

2. Describe the main characters—personality traits, motivations, and inner qualities.
• Why do characters do what they do?
• Are their actions justified?
• Describe the dynamics between characters (in a
marriage, family, or friendship).
• How has the past shaped their lives?
• Do you admire or disapprove of them?
• Do they remind you of people you know?

Even for a short novel, there were a lot of characters, among which three stand out, in my view, as the main characters: the whisky priest, the lieutenant, and the half-caste. A common thread shared by the three is they are to various degrees conflicted individuals. The whisky priest, alcoholic, father of a child, a “bad priest” in his own words, constantly on the run after the Church was outlawed, yet still taking the risk to sometimes take confessions, hold clandestine masses. The lieutenant, harshly applying the new rules on the cult and prohibition set by the Red Shirts, chasing the whisky priest and the American murderer, yet still willing to release a drunkard (unknowingly, the whisky priest) by giving him money and to allow the whisky priest to receive confession from a defrocked priest. Finally, the half-caste, seeming to help the whisky priest to safety, showing some religious devotion, yet turns Judas as he ultimately leads the whisky priest to a snare, ensuring his capture by the lieutenant. By his behaviour, I couldn’t help likening him to Gollum/Smeagol from the Lord of the Rings.

3. Are the main characters dynamic—changing or maturing by the end of the book? Do they learn about themselves, how the world works and their role in it?

I don’t feel that they have necessarily changed throughout the novel; they all sought some form of redemption, salvation, but all ended up not really getting it. The secondary characters have undergone some change, with many deciding to leave Mexico by the end of the novel.

4. Discuss the plot:
• Is it engaging—do you find the story interesting?
• Is this a plot-driven book—a fast-paced page-turner?
• Does the plot unfold slowly with a focus on character?
• Were you surprised by complications, twists & turns?
• Did you find the plot predictable, even formulaic?

The plot is very linear, with some changes in perspective at the beginning and at the end. Even though you hope for the whisky priest to finally escape and reach the safety of the capital, you still can’t help to think that this will end badly for him, so the ending in principle is fairly predictable.

6. What main ideas—themes—does the author explore? (Consider the title, often a clue to a theme.) Does the author use symbols to reinforce the main ideas?

Just like Brighton Rock, it explores themes relating to good and evil in the context of the Catholic religion. But, here, it explores on a deeper level the possible contradictions between good and evil which can exist within a person and within the religion more broadly. I felt at times that it also was a critique of some of the “hypocrisy” of the Catholic religion (e.g. fat healthy priests vs vow of poverty; gold plated Churches and religious items vs plight of the poor people who they are supposed to help). But, to me, the novel has also some universal character in that this was a story of religious persecution; this could have happened in the context of any other religion suffering under political regimes trying to eradicate religious practices and replace these by ideology, which in a way is also a form of religion.

8. Is the ending satisfying? If so, why? If not, why not...and how would you change it?

I felt that describing the final execution from the outside was a better option than relating it from the inside, it ties up well with the conclusion of the story for all the other secondary characters.

9. If you could ask the author a question, what would you ask? Have you read other books by the same author? If so how does this book compare. If not, does this book inspire you to read others?

Now that I have read some of the earlier production of Graeme Greene, I know that I firmly prefer his later novels and would look forward to read more of that.

10. Has this novel changed you—broadened your perspective? Have you learned something new or been exposed to different ideas about people or a certain part of the world?

I probably know and understand a bit more about the rebellious violence that affected Southern Mexico at various times during the last century. It has not changed my views about Catholicism or religion.

11. Did you enjoy the novel, does it belong on the list?

I enjoyed it better than Brighton Rock, but I still prefer Greene’s later novels. Its presence on the List is a moot, but favorable point.

1. Have you read other books by Graham Greene? Which ones? I've read The Quiet American, The End of the Affair, Brighton Rock, The Third Man.
I found this book easy to engage with. It took me a few days to finish it but I am a slow reader. I did not have any particular emotion in the book, but perhaps hopeful for the characters. Sometimes a bit confused.

2. The Priest was humble man in many ways, he saw his flaws, he did not feel he was a good priest but he was always "doing the right thing" even when he didn't want to or when it put him in peril. The lieutenant had some humanity but in general he was cold. He had his childhood grievance and he was set to get vengeance on the the Catholic Church. The Mestizo is a judas character, I found him repulsive. The Dentist was unmotivated. The Fellows family, neurotic woman, man who enjoyed Coral who was or wasn't a daughter and who the "got rid of"?, The mother who is reading to her children a glamorized story of Juan the martyr which is a foreshadow of how the whiskey priest will be regarded if he dies but despised in his living. Luis the young boy with little interest in Catholicism but the killing of the whiskey priest changes him. I found the character of the Gringo almost unnecessary but it does provide a way to finally capture the priest. The Lehrs are German Lutherans and while they don't like Catholic they are kind to the priest. A lot of characters in such a short book.

3. The Whiskey priest does seem to grow through the story and is mostly ready to end his ordeal. The Lieutenant does seem to have a good strain, he is too idealistic and in the end he finds himself without a cause. He is unable to change. The dentist gets some motivation for leaving. Luis the boy makes the biggest change in the story.

4. The plot is engaging. I enjoyed learning about this time in history that I knew nothing about. It is both plot and character driven but mostly character. I don't think there was any surprises in the story. It was not formulaic. I would say this is probably the author's best book.

5. Talk about the book's structure. The story is about the the priest and his capture by the Lieutenant but it also has the side story of Padre Jose, Mr Tench the dentist, Fellows family, and the mother reading to her children. The time line moves mostly forward with some filling in details.

6. The title is the doxology that is often included in the saying of the Lord's Prayer. Themes; mother, time, children, home. Time is the absence of clocks, the church often being the time keeper is gone. Time is by sunrise, sunset, sounds in the night verses day sounds. Home is the broken marriage of Tench and his unable to get back to England. The Fellows who are leaving the plantation to return home. Children are born but have no father, die, an entity that moves toward decay. Mr Tench's child died but he can't remember much about them. The priest daughter is angry but he loves her and feels guilty for loving her.

7. I did not note down any passages but I think there were many worth noting but I liked the episode where the priest and the lieutenant interact with each other. The rigidity of the self righteous lieutenant with an agenda and the humility of the priest who sees himself as very flawed person. The point being that people are not just black and white. We need to evaluate ourselves first and foremost.

8. Is the ending satisfying? I think the ending is appropriate to a good novel while I really wanted the lieutenant to help the priest escape it is more to reality that he did not change, and the priest was shot, and in the act that is to stop the church, a new convert is born.

10. Has this novel changed you—broadened your perspective? Have you learned something new or been exposed to different ideas about people or a certain part of the world? I think the novel fits for today. The world is quite divided at this time with many people becoming so dogmatic and judgmental that they are inhumanly mean toward those that don't hold with their "ideals".

I think this novel deserves to be on the 1001 list.

Kristel wrote: "...I think the novel fits for today. The world is quite divided at this time with many people becoming so dogmatic and judgmental that they are inhumanly mean toward those that don't hold with their "ideals". ."

How sadly true. There are still many who are not of this sort though, like the Lutheran people in the novel who nursed the priest back to health.

1. How did you experience the book?
I listened to this one on audio, and I had a harder time getting into it and keeping the characters straight at the beginning than I did Brighton Rock. Once I got further into the priest's story, I was engaged.

2. Describe the main characters—personality traits, motivations, and inner qualities.
I did appreciate how the characters in this story demonstrated many shades of gray, rather than more clearly good and evil. This made them and their actions seem realistic to me.

3. Are the main characters dynamic—changing or maturing by the end of the book? Do they learn about themselves, how the world works and their role in it?
I do think most of the characters were dynamic. They almost all changed over the course of the story.

6. What main ideas—themes—does the author explore? (Consider the title, often a clue to a theme.) Does the author use symbols to reinforce the main ideas?
The views of Catholicism and religion, in general, seemed more relevant and realistic to me in this story than Brighton Rock. There are always shades of gray, almost nobody is purely good or evil, and I liked the representation in this one better.

8. Is the ending satisfying? If so, why? If not, why not...and how would you change it?
Yes, the ending seemed very appropriate to me. I also took some time after finishing to go back and listen to the very beginning again. It helped me better understand the connections and the change from beginning to end.

9. If you could ask the author a question, what would you ask? Have you read other books by the same author? If so how does this book compare. If not, does this book inspire you to read others?
I read The Quiet American last year and Brighton Rock earlier this month. I had a much harder time getting into this one, but I have appreciated all three. I am interested to read more, but I won't be specifically searching any out right away.

10. Has this novel changed you—broadened your perspective? Have you learned something new or been exposed to different ideas about people or a certain part of the world?
I did find the setting of this time in Mexico interesting as I was completely unaware of this persecution of Catholic priests.

I read this for the first time a long time ago and liked it a lot. It was one of the first books I read by Greene. I just made the mistake of listening to audio this time. The narrator was terrible, so I received less enjoyment during this re-read of the book. That was disappointing since I had really looked forward to revisiting the story.

Pre-question:
1. Have you read other books by Graham Greene? Which ones?
Yes, I read this one once before, plus The End of the Affair (my favorite), The Quiet American (my second favorite), The Third Man, Loser Takes All, Brighton Rock, The Heart of the Matter, and England Made Me.

Post-Questions
1. How did you experience the book? Were you engaged immediately, or did it take you a while to
"get into it"? How did you feel reading it—amused,
sad, disturbed, confused, bored...?
The first time I read it, with a real paper book, I was completely engaged. This time I listened to a bad audio version and struggled to get back into it. I am glad I didn't read it this way the first time.

10. Has this novel changed you—broadened your perspective? Have you learned something new or been exposed to different ideas about people or a certain part of the world?
Changed me, no. It did broaden my perspective. This book was the first I learned about the Cristero War. I was surprised to learn that Mexico tried to supress the Ctholic Church during the early 20th century.

11. Did you enjoy the novel, does it belong on the list?
I did enjoy it. It is hard for me to answer as to whether or not I think it should be on the list. I do feel that Greene is overrepresented, and this may not be the best example of his work.