The Lawless Roads

December 25, 2009
Book of the Day: The Lawless Roads, by Graham Greene
Grade: B+
First published: 1939
1-word review: Faithless
8-word review: In Mexico, they execute for treason, not religion.

As I've said before, my favorite novel is The Power and the Glory, by Graham Greene. It is set in a Mexico that has essentially outlawed the practice of religion (i.e., Catholicism), and priests have been executed, imprisoned, or forced to marry. This book documents the journey that Greene took through the southern Mexican states of Chiapas and Tabasco, during the time of the clerical purges. This trip gave him the material to later write his great novel.

While it doesn't compare to his best novels, The Lawless Roads is still a wonderful read. Greene is frequently a grouchy traveler, and he doesn't always appreciate the culture or scenery of southern Mexico. I found this refreshingly honest, at least compared to most travel books. He speaks of the barbarism of the state, which executes outspoken priests following trumped-up charges of treason. Much the same is happening now in Idaho, whose state motto is "Catholic-Free and Proud.".

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Disgrace

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