Wow, I don't know where to start. I guess I will begin by saying this novel has to be one of my least favorite books I have EVER read. Maybe it is seen as literary genius, but I guess others opinions of genius are lost on me. I wanted some redemptive spirit to resound in me when I read the final paragraph and I was just left with "blah". As I read the last half of the book this morning (Saturday), I actually had to close the blinds so I couldn't see outside as my urge to mow the yard (my absolute least favorite thing to do) was so much greater than reading the end of this story. Maybe a bit harsh, but oh, isn't it great to be able to express an opinion.
Now, moving on, the title of the novel, The Power and the Glory was a bit lost on me. The power part I get, the glory part, not so evident to me. When I think of the word glory, the passion in it is more in the action of "glorify", and I didn't feel as if I could glorify anything related to the story. If anything, I can only connect the title to what the past was referenced as in comparison to the present situation that played out in the words of the novel. I also found it a bit harder in reading as it seemed disjointed and I found myself trying to keep track of the connections throughout. I am sure that was the intent of the author to weave things so that they came full circle in understanding at the end, but as the reader, it made it harder for me to invest in the authors efforts of bringing me full circle.
The Power and the Gl0ry was sad and depressive, and the thread of hope stated at the very last moment that not all the priests were gone, well, that wasn't even hopeful enough to mask the despair the novel blanketed life with in that place and time. Other moments that seemed to have little weight in the novel spoke much more to me than what I perceived as the "evident, big picture moments". For example, early in the novel on pg. 26, it spoke of Juan's father beating him for thinking he had lied. Later, he apologized when he learned his son had told the truth. Juan replied to his father's apology, "Dear father, just as our Father in heaven has the right to chastise when he pleases..." In that entire exchange, the thing that stood out to me the most and was the most powerful, even over the humility of a child stating his father had the right to chastise, is the apologetic nature of the father. I adamantly believe that in life, it is important for children to hear adults apologize when they are wrong. Too often adults take the stance that as the grown up, it isn't necessary or warranted. I think it speaks such grace and is such a teachable moment of forgiveness when adults admit to a child they are not always right, that they make mistakes and that it is important for adults to show that repenting nature towards a child. I think kids don't see that enough. For Juan's father to have done it in the time period of the novel surprised me as the parents role was so authoritative (at least in my mind it was).
In the novel, happiness was nearly an illusion, so few of the characters seem to have any ability to capture it at all, and if they did, it was for a fleeting moment. Captain Fellows seemed to be one of the only people to hold tight to it and even he was effected greatly. On pg 37, Captain Fellows thought was immensely profound to me, "He walked slowly; happiness drained out of him more quickly and completely than out of an un-happy man: an unhappy man is always prepared." What a statement! This notion was strikingly accurate when I thought about it.
Coral Fellows was an interesting little girl. She was portrayed a lot like Eva in that her "ailing" mother contributed to her life being much different than it should have been. But Coral unlike Eva, didn't carry the same child life persona. Coral was so grown in actions and lacking emotions and sentiment. The one thing she did seem to have that paralleled Eva from UTC was a wisdom beyond what should have been natural for her age. At one point, the Priest was trying to explain to her why he couldn't renounce his faith that it was out of his power. Coral followed the priest's rational with, "like a birthmark?" What a word picture to root faith as something so basic, innate, and with such permanence that it cannot be discarded.
Probably the most powerful aspect of the novel to me was the fallacies and falsehoods man has towards religion were laid out in many instances. What I am trying to say is, many times, we as man put degrees on religious doctrine or we have created rules that weren't God implemented but man implemented. Then, when people don't abide by the "man" rules or doctrine, they are chastised as having forsaken the faith or to have a lesser measure of faith than others. Moments in the novel unveiled many of the doctrine issues I have heard debated and argued many, many times by Christians amongst themselves. One example, on pg 62, the people were burying a child and it was urgent that they HAD to have a priest to say the prayer or blessing. The argument that people have been taught to depend on priests or pastors and have forgotten the power within themselves to pray and speak forth blessings comes to mind in this piece of the story. In several instances throughout the novel, there is reference to paying a fee for the priest to perform mass, communion or a baptism. I have watched entire faiths falter because "Godly men" took money for something that should have been done in love to edify the people in the name of God. This is not to be confused with provision for the priest in general, but in the novel, he seemed as if he would deny the people the blessing of God and drawing closer to God in walking out their faith if they could not pay him to initiate the acts. Why was there a charge to do the work of God? On pg 78, the priest stated, "there's nothing sacred in wine. Only it's hard to get hold of here." The sacred nature of communion and communion elements are again often of great contention in discussion of faith. Whether it is ok to deny someone communion if they are not of that faith or baptized, or if it is for all as in the bible when Jesus shared indiscriminately with saint and sinner. These types of references in the story were the real meat of this writing. I think that today, much of the intolerance in religion is because of the rules we impose that were never meant to be imposed. And the ensuing arguments that come just worsen the taste of the whole mess in the mouths of those trying to figure out if following God is even worth it.
One final thing I have to make note of before ending this blog.... so often in the novel, the priest was referred to as "giggling". This drove me nuts. The word giggle was so ill used by Greene to me. Men don't "giggle" It gave me a very wimpy perception of the priest. Was this Greene's intention?
Lines that caused me to take pause:
pg 33 ..while she stayed in a cemetery no one visited, in the big above-ground tomb.
pg 133 ..time depends on clocks and the passage of light.
pg 199 You always have answers which mean nothing.
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13 comments:
I would definately like to know what happened to Coral. I'm assuming that she died but then it's hard to tell. Maybe her parents took her somewhere where she could have a better life. I don't like books that don't give me all of the answers.
This was a hard read for me as well. It's a very depressing book. In UTC, although Tom knew his fate he still had hope. This book was so gloomy and depressing. I was able to pick some meaning out. At least the Dentist will be leaving the country soon or that's what I put together at the end of the book.
I really liked the connection you made between Coral and Eva. I had not thought of that.
After reading your post, which I think is great, I sort of felt like having such strong feelings or frustration from a book could mean just how wonderful it is. I don't know if that makes sense. I agree with the title and soem of the events in the book don't always add up but this is part of the fun of a book.
Your comment about the giggling made me laugh.
About the comment you made about Greene viewing priests as weak. I think that Greene might have been abused or have seen weaknesses in priests. Maybe that's why he put his faith aside and struggled with self afflictions. I wonder if writing this novel was expressing what he was going through and he learned how to receive the power and the glory of his inner struggles.
I also found it interesting that the persecution was based on the perception by the Red Shirts that the church was based on collecting money from people. This would be another example of "man" rules versus God rules that caused this drama.
I loved how you included the "lines that made you take pause" from the readings. Didn't you notice a lot within this novel! Greene produced a powerful work that made me stop and examine what I was reading, feeling, etc. several times.
This is definately not your usual novel or your usual protagonist. Paying a priest for his services is a touchy situation. I thought that since he had no parish to support him, he asked for the money so he could sustain food and shelter. The fact that the rate changed according to his mood was a bit suspicious. Greene does say that he slides back into his old ways and perhaps this was a part of his coming to redemption. Men don't giggle. It was an interesting word choice. I will have to look closer into it.
I didn't enjoy this book either. Maybe it was because it was not anything like I thought it would be. It was depressing. The one part I did like was at the end when the man said to the little boy "I am a priest" indicating that the catholic faith was still alive.
I liked your comparison of Coral and Eva. Both had sickly mothers and both became sick themselves. I too found the novel sad but it made me think about my own religious convictions and how I would react in a difficult situation.
Very interesting comments. I agree that the story was terribly depressing. I guess it's another human desire for us to find something hopeful in even dire circumstances. We don't want to see life as futile and miserable.I didn't see any glory in the story either. Maybe the appearance of another priest at the end was the author's way of telling us that we keep searching for it anyway.The point about the unhappy man always being ready for tragedy to strike is something I missed. It's so true.
I love the analysis of adults showing children an attitude of repentance and humility when they are wrong. I couldn't agree more.
I laughed out loud and somewhat inappropriately when I read that you were torn between finishing the book and mowing your lawn. Here is my tie-in: I see you as Asher Lev's troubled mother, standing in front of the blinds in the living room. "To mow or not to mow, that is the question," but the book, and the obligation to it is drawing you to turn away! In the words of the Grail Knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, "You have chosen... wisely."
What was up with that giggling? Isn't giggling just something that 8 year old girls do? It seemed out of place and disjointed as the rest of the characters throughout. The difficulty in making connections and the amount of characters seemed very distracting to me as well.
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