The Power And The Glory is a book that sweeps us along in the trance of a fever dream. The book is set in the jungle, among illness, disadvantage and poverty, and that oppressive world is never forgotten for a moment. “He caught a look in the child’s eyes which frightened him… as if a grown woman was there before her time, making her plans, aware of far too much. It was like seeing his own mortal sin look back at him.” There is an ongoing suspense in the world which matches the agony in the hero’s heart.
The hero is a priest on the run, his very religion a crime, his people sullen and treacherous. Greene uses the confusion in that set-up to keep us off-balance. Where is this story supposed to be taking place, and when? We almost can figure it out, but not quite. We think of how often native religions have been outlawed in just such fashion, and feel compassion for their practitioners, in turn.
It’s a powerful, moving tale.
Happy Reading, Happy Writing,
P M F Johnson
In Disk of Dragons and Trollen Rose, the first two novels in my mystical fantasy series, young Rev Caern intends to establish a kingdom of justice, despite disasters that threaten his people. But he has flaws in himself that may cause him to fail. Find these books on Amazon, at the above links.
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