Did Anyone Read The Book The Power And The Glory By Graham Greene?

As I remember "The Power and the Glory," it is a thriller-type story as far as the plot is concerned, but the underlying themes are Christian and philosophical ones of redemption, courage and the nature of good and evil.

The "whisky priest" is constantly on the run, and there is a strong "thriller" element as the reader wonders if he will escape. However, to Greene (and gradually to the reader, as we are drawn inside the world of the novel) the real tension is in seeing if he will learn to overcome his weaknesses –fear, drunkenness – and become the holy man he longs to be.

I think one very important point in the book is when he accepts that he can't really regret breaking his vows of chastity because he loves his daughter. This helps lead up to his recognition that he doesn't need to be perfect, only to do the best he can – preparing for his final act of courage when he risks (and finally loses) his life to offer religious comfort to a dying man. From Greene's Catholic perspective the implication is that in doing so, he saves his soul.