The Testament of Gideon Mack
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Review
Overwhelmingly compassionate and thought-provoking . . . In the hands of great writers the unlikeliest stories are generally the most rewarding (Irvine Welsh The Guardian )
Robertson is a true descendant of James Hogg – this is a superb piece of Scottish Gothic (The Times )
A rich novel of ideas about faith, Scotland and the ways in which fictions shape our lives (Sunday Telegraph )
Artful and lyrical . . . you are under the influence of a master storyteller . . . this book promises to become a Scottish masterpiece (Sunday Herald )
Robertson is a true descendant of James Hogg – this is a superb piece of Scottish Gothic (The Times )
A rich novel of ideas about faith, Scotland and the ways in which fictions shape our lives (Sunday Telegraph )
Artful and lyrical . . . you are under the influence of a master storyteller . . . this book promises to become a Scottish masterpiece (Sunday Herald )
The Times
'A superb piece of Scottish Gothic’
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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First Sentence
When I was a child I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: yet I was already, in so many ways, the man I would become. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
When I was a child I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: yet I was already, in so many ways, the man I would become. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
70 of 73 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an outstandingly good book - with the pun fully intended.
The novel takes the form of a manuscript written by fallen Church of Scotland priest, Gideon Mack, before his death on Ben Alder. The manuscript is topped by an introduction from the publisher and tailed by some notes by a freelance journalist.
It is clear from the beginning that Gideon Mack has fallen into the Keldo Water, met the devil and fallen out with the Church. The manuscript forms his life story, setting out his relationships with his family and his friends; how he came to be a Minister in the first place; his non-relationship with God; and his encounter with the Devil. For a Minister, Gideon Mack is a live wire - he doesn't believe in God; he runs marathons; he has difficult personal relationships; and he appears to enjoy the company of eccentrics and atheists. Gideon Mack is a fallible human being whose calling is little more than a job of work - but one that he is prepared to undertake with gusto despite his lack of belief.
Gideon has had his fair share of misfortune - a severe father who was also a Minister, a marriage to Jenny when he really wanted Jenny's friend Elsie, widowed at a young age and lacking real direction. But he has apparently soldiered on and, but for a momentary lapse with Elsie, has led a broadly virtuous life. Then weird things start happening - kicked off by the sudden appearance of a standing stone in the woods. As Gideon becomes more troubled by the stone, so his life starts to crumble. It all moves inexorably towards the meeting with the Devil, who is not at all as one might expect.
The detailing is beautiful and, even though the direction is hardly a mystery, the journey towards the known destination is compelling. It lifts beautifully from the page and the occasional use of publisher's footnotes and excerpts from other sources creates a complex web of truth. The relationships between Gideon and the world are complex and thoroughly explored. The end notes add essential context and cause us to reevaluate Gideon's view of the world, and ultimately to reevaluate others views of Gideon.
This is a satisfying study of truth, relationships, belief and expectation. It works on so many levels - it is an absolute joy. I was sorry it didn't make it onto the Booker shortlist last year, but I am sure the Richard and Judy cachet will bring its own rewards.
The novel takes the form of a manuscript written by fallen Church of Scotland priest, Gideon Mack, before his death on Ben Alder. The manuscript is topped by an introduction from the publisher and tailed by some notes by a freelance journalist.
It is clear from the beginning that Gideon Mack has fallen into the Keldo Water, met the devil and fallen out with the Church. The manuscript forms his life story, setting out his relationships with his family and his friends; how he came to be a Minister in the first place; his non-relationship with God; and his encounter with the Devil. For a Minister, Gideon Mack is a live wire - he doesn't believe in God; he runs marathons; he has difficult personal relationships; and he appears to enjoy the company of eccentrics and atheists. Gideon Mack is a fallible human being whose calling is little more than a job of work - but one that he is prepared to undertake with gusto despite his lack of belief.
Gideon has had his fair share of misfortune - a severe father who was also a Minister, a marriage to Jenny when he really wanted Jenny's friend Elsie, widowed at a young age and lacking real direction. But he has apparently soldiered on and, but for a momentary lapse with Elsie, has led a broadly virtuous life. Then weird things start happening - kicked off by the sudden appearance of a standing stone in the woods. As Gideon becomes more troubled by the stone, so his life starts to crumble. It all moves inexorably towards the meeting with the Devil, who is not at all as one might expect.
The detailing is beautiful and, even though the direction is hardly a mystery, the journey towards the known destination is compelling. It lifts beautifully from the page and the occasional use of publisher's footnotes and excerpts from other sources creates a complex web of truth. The relationships between Gideon and the world are complex and thoroughly explored. The end notes add essential context and cause us to reevaluate Gideon's view of the world, and ultimately to reevaluate others views of Gideon.
This is a satisfying study of truth, relationships, belief and expectation. It works on so many levels - it is an absolute joy. I was sorry it didn't make it onto the Booker shortlist last year, but I am sure the Richard and Judy cachet will bring its own rewards.
41 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Gideon Mack's life is full of contradictions: he's a Church of Scotland minister, and yet he doesn't believe in God; he loves his wife Jenny, but not as much as he loves his wife's best friend Elsie; he does good works, runs marathons for charity and is there for those who need him in his church capacity, and yet he ultimately finds his existence somehow hollow and bereft of purpose. And then, while trying to rescue a friend's dog, he plunges into a deep ravine and is, or so he later claims, saved from drowning by the Devil.
James Robertson has written a fascinating novel, one that weaves folklore and the supernatural in with issues of possible mental illness, deep questions of what it means to believe in God and what it means to live a good life. On the surface it sounds a little heavy, but trust me, the excellent plot and well-drawn characters make this an absolute joy to read. It's clever, witty (there's a fabulous passage in which the Devil explains why he is particularly fond of Scotland), entertaining, thought-provoking and ultmately very moving. Gideon's life is given a lot of depth: a lonely childhood with a father who was feared rather than loved and a mother too meek to intervene on his behalf, followed by an escape from authority at university, love (and unrequited love) and, even allowing for his lack of belief, a worthwhile career in the Church.
His worthy but slightly purposeless existence is altered beyond all recognition however by his near fatal accident. During the three days between his fall down the ravine and his discovery alive (the same length of time Jesus was thought to be dead before his resurection) Mack meets (possibly) the Devil, but not the Devil of eternal flames and sulphur but rather a smooth, considerate Devil who is, frankly, rather weary of it all. Gideon Mack's life changes forever.....
Give it a go. It's thought-provoking enough to keep you wondering about all the possibilities thrown up by the narrative for days after you have finished reading; it's compassionate enough to make you feel a little warmer and more tolerant of your fellow humans, whatever their faults and frailties, and it's entertaining enough to keep you reading into the small hours. I loved it. Highly recommended.
James Robertson has written a fascinating novel, one that weaves folklore and the supernatural in with issues of possible mental illness, deep questions of what it means to believe in God and what it means to live a good life. On the surface it sounds a little heavy, but trust me, the excellent plot and well-drawn characters make this an absolute joy to read. It's clever, witty (there's a fabulous passage in which the Devil explains why he is particularly fond of Scotland), entertaining, thought-provoking and ultmately very moving. Gideon's life is given a lot of depth: a lonely childhood with a father who was feared rather than loved and a mother too meek to intervene on his behalf, followed by an escape from authority at university, love (and unrequited love) and, even allowing for his lack of belief, a worthwhile career in the Church.
His worthy but slightly purposeless existence is altered beyond all recognition however by his near fatal accident. During the three days between his fall down the ravine and his discovery alive (the same length of time Jesus was thought to be dead before his resurection) Mack meets (possibly) the Devil, but not the Devil of eternal flames and sulphur but rather a smooth, considerate Devil who is, frankly, rather weary of it all. Gideon Mack's life changes forever.....
Give it a go. It's thought-provoking enough to keep you wondering about all the possibilities thrown up by the narrative for days after you have finished reading; it's compassionate enough to make you feel a little warmer and more tolerant of your fellow humans, whatever their faults and frailties, and it's entertaining enough to keep you reading into the small hours. I loved it. Highly recommended.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This really is a very readable book - the pages just seem to turn themselves, and I raced through it in two or three days. It tells the story of a Scottish Presbyterian minister, living in a remote village, where as one would expect, he is a prominent citizen. He has ministered at the church for many years, and his congregation know him well, and mostly respect his contribution. All this is to change however, for Gideon Mack goes walking one day, soon after his wife has died, and falls into a great chasm, with a raging stream at the bottom of it, and is swept into an underground cave, where he is rescued from the waters, by Satan.
Satan of course, does not have horns and a red cloak, but dresses in a scruffy casual way, and almost immediately steals Gideon's boots, exchanging them for a pair of old trainers (the only visible evidence Gideon brings back to the world above when eventually he returns home). I will not recount what happens next, but needless to say, an encounter with Satan is as life-changing as an encounter with God himself, but not necessarily in a way the reader would expect.
Gideon is a complex person, a Minister with little belief left, and a friend of atheists and sceptics, rather than the staunch church-goers of his congregation. We read about his childhood (in a strict Scottish home, his father himself a stern minister) and education, his courtship and marriage and his calling to the ministry. We find someone keen to do good in the world, despite his lack of an evangelical conviction. All goes reasonably well until his wife dies, and then his world slowly starts to unravel, leading him to adventures and experiences denied to most Presbyterians. Poor Gideon, we grow to like him, and we follow his progress with interest and understanding. He is all to human, but his calling has dictated a style of life and manners which rarely seems the natural way for a whole lifetime.
The final unravelling is dramatic and moving, and as Gideon disappears from our lives, like all good fictional creations, we miss him and wonder what happened next. A fine, clever, entertaining novel, well worth a few hours of anybody's time.
Satan of course, does not have horns and a red cloak, but dresses in a scruffy casual way, and almost immediately steals Gideon's boots, exchanging them for a pair of old trainers (the only visible evidence Gideon brings back to the world above when eventually he returns home). I will not recount what happens next, but needless to say, an encounter with Satan is as life-changing as an encounter with God himself, but not necessarily in a way the reader would expect.
Gideon is a complex person, a Minister with little belief left, and a friend of atheists and sceptics, rather than the staunch church-goers of his congregation. We read about his childhood (in a strict Scottish home, his father himself a stern minister) and education, his courtship and marriage and his calling to the ministry. We find someone keen to do good in the world, despite his lack of an evangelical conviction. All goes reasonably well until his wife dies, and then his world slowly starts to unravel, leading him to adventures and experiences denied to most Presbyterians. Poor Gideon, we grow to like him, and we follow his progress with interest and understanding. He is all to human, but his calling has dictated a style of life and manners which rarely seems the natural way for a whole lifetime.
The final unravelling is dramatic and moving, and as Gideon disappears from our lives, like all good fictional creations, we miss him and wonder what happened next. A fine, clever, entertaining novel, well worth a few hours of anybody's time.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Testament of Gideon Mack
This is a fascinating and exciting book, well-reviewed by numerous reviewers. I have read the first 30 pages and could hardly put it down, but my wife picked it up and began... Read more
Published 2 days ago by JCB
Excellent book
It is interesting that this book manages to keep your interest despite the fact that the whole story is pretty much described in the fictional introduction; but despite knowing... Read more
Published 4 months ago by anonymous
The Mark of the Devil?
Other reviewers have already revealed the plot so I will spare you another synopsis. One of my favourite novels o all time is Mikhail Bulgakov's Master & Margarita in which we meet... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Murdo
Faith and fantasy
The short blurb on the back of The Testament of Gideon Mack suggests that this is a story all about a meeting between a minister and the Devil, and several other reviewers have... Read more
Published 8 months ago by A. M. Hendry
Great Read!
I love this book, it is one of my favourites. When I mention it to other people, mostly they have not heard of it and it is a bit of a shame. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Goranka
A book about a tedious, boring psychopath
A minister falls into a gorge. For three days, he is lost. Then he returns, and tells people that he met the devil down there. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Federhirn
Interesting.
The book promises to be scandalous. But what it actually offers is a fascinating first person narrative that leads you into the mind of Gideon Mack. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mrs. D. L. Cox
Don't expect Dante
When a novel promises a depiction of the Devil, my fingers are in a tap-tapping frenzy as I fast-forward to Amazon to secure a copy. Read more
Published 19 months ago by C. Gardner
Derivative and unengaging
I persevered with this book in the hope that it would eventually come to life but, disappointingly, it was a dreary read from start to finish. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Karoo Karoo
Rip-off of 'The private memoirs and confessions of a justified sinner'
...and not nearly as good. The lack of originality here is pretty startling. Robertson, to what I hope is his eternal regret, has copied not only the concept and plot but also the... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Mr. C. Wilson
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