The Power and the Glory

By: Graham Greene

Narrated by: Bernard Mayes

Length: 9 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Graham Greene explores corruption and atonement in this penetrating novel set in 1930s Mexico during the era of Communist religious persecutions. As revolutionaries determine to stamp out the evils of the church through violence, the last Roman Catholic priest is on the lam, hunted by a police lieutenant. Despite his own sense of worthlessness—he is a heavy drinker and has fathered an illegitimate child—he is determined to continue to function as a priest until captured. He is contrasted with Padre Jose, a priest who has accepted marriage and embodies humiliation.

A Christian parable pitting God and religion against 20th-century materialism, The Power and the Glory is considered by many, including the author himself, to be Greene’s best work.

©1940, 1962, 1968 by Graham Greene (P)1990 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“As brilliantly written as it is magnificently conceived.” (Chicago Sun)

The most powerful story I have ever read

This is not a fast pace tale. But one that is slow, and has meaning in every line. Thank you to Mr. Morris who introduced me to this book all those years ago. I hope to one day live up to the nickname he lovingly gave me. Whiskey Priest.

Thought-provoking

10/10 story telling - I was completely hooked. Wonderful exploration of morality, sin and humanity

The recording quality isn’t great

Amazing book - Greene is a creative powerhouse! The quality of the recording is not so amazing.

One of the best on the shelf of the dynamic Catholic

Wonderful book. This is the first of any Graham Greene work I had read/listened to, and it surely was good enough to get me to read more of his works.

A Catholic couple who are dear friends of mine had highly recommended this book to me after a conversation about Catholic literature. Works like “Diary of a Country Priest” by Georges Bernanos and “Brideshead Revisited” by Evelyn Waugh prompted the conversation, so for those who enjoyed either of those titles will find no trouble at all in delving into this work. The common story of “perfect redemption” akin to the lives of some saints, or even the ever so predictable rise to grace that ends so perfectly is a narrative that is not as inviting. To contrast, books like “The Power and the Glory” paint a real, authentic Christianity that any person of faith can truly appreciate. The deeper the reader’s conviction of the Holy Catholic Church as immutable and divine, the more rich the text will be.

The performance of this audio book can be a little difficult to get used to; I listen to a lot of audio books and starting this one, it took a little bit of time to adjust to the narrator. His vowels are not very crisp, and it sounds a bit like an older recording, so the audio is muffled and the quality isn’t great. But do not let it discourage you; I was fully accustomed to the audio of his narration and found no trouble at all in understanding him, most especially once the plot begins to thicken and you are listening with much anticipation and gripping expectation. I will most definitely return to this book many more times throughout my life.

An Accessible Masterpiece

I had expected to be intimidated by this book, to drag through it because it was considered to be a masterpiece I needed to read. Boy, was I wrong! It is definitely a masterpiece but one I found very accessible to read/listen to. The characters were all too human; the writing, at once spare and elegant. This my first experience with the works of Graham Greene, and I look forward to experiencing more.

Great book

Like a lot of Greene novels, the landscape is the strongest attribute. Character development is a tad predictable and not as rich as the environment but definitely a must read

Book great, reading just so-so

The imagery and description in the writing is beautiful and poetic. I wish there were other options for the narration however.

Story & Narrator were good, but...

The sound quality was terrible! It needs to be re-recorded with newer technology. Must be an early recording.

Absolutely beautiful and riveting story

For me, the story took a long time to get going, and at first I didn't know if I would make it through. I am a huge fan of Bernard Mayes, the narrator, but his style is very different from the norm these days, and, granted, the technology used to make the recording was probably not up to studio quality, but once I got accustomed to it, things really improved. I felt like I was sitting back, with a fire roaring in a comfortable room, and having an old friend read to me as I slowly got drawnin to the story, which became more and more enthralling. I listened to the last 3/4 all in one sitting, and was just charmed by the the whole presentation.

I am very thankful that Audible has picked up so much of Blackstone Audio's catalog, keeping these wonderful, and sometimes obscure recordings in circulation. I expect that at some point Audible will re-record some of these classics with big time, celebrity voices, but I beg that they keep these gems available as well.

Incredible book!

Where does The Power and the Glory rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the five best books I have read in the past 10 years. A tour de force!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Power and the Glory?

I don't want to spoil the book for those who have not read it. But the ending is very beautiful.

Which character – as performed by Bernard Mayes – was your favorite?

The priest.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

Must read!