THE POWER AND THE GLORY

Graham Greene's novel follows a priest in his flight from authorities who are trying to eradicate the Catholic church in a Mexican state. Andrew Sachs gives thoughtful voice to the priest's inner life, effectively conveying his gentle, innocent nature; his guilt over both his flight and his past sins; and his fear of death. The tension of his long flight and the irony throughout the novel are captured in Sachs's reading. The priest's spoken voice, as well as most of the minor voices, is also handled well. One sour note is the clichéd voice given to the mestizo who travels with the priest; he's too reminiscent of Sachs's slapstick Manuel from TV's "Faulty Towers." J.A.S. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 00]