We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)
(4) Base Camp
The Power and the Glory is a relatively short novel with only a handful of major characters and the basic plot conventions of a good thriller. You know where you're going. However, you don't always know right away who you're with. Only a few characters have names, and Greene will sometimes refrain from identifying a character, using suggestive description instead. So that's the first main difficulty. The second challenge is the religious and political content. You don't have to know the nuances of Catholic theology or the history of anti-clericalism in Mexico to follow the narrative, but it helps if you really want to get deep into the themes. But hey, that's why Shmoop is here!