Funny, thoughtful and easy read...
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Probably one of the easiest books I've ever read, funny, thoughtful with an air of mystery. Not a Booker prize by any stretch of the imagination but if you want to have a good interesting yarn, with strong characters, and narrative - wrapped up with a little bit of religious philosophy and domestic wisdom, it hits the spot. More of a book between books if you know what i mean but a very enjoyable one at that..
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Not so much infernal fantasy, more the story of a life
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I approached this book rather warily, thinking there might be too many cloven hooves and forked tails. However, the initial fantastic scenario draws in the reader, but then the interest is retained as we follow Gideon through his rather narrow life - ordinary, except that the men and women who train as Church of Scotland ministers are now few and far between.
The female characters are somewhat one-dimensional - the pretty wife who he does not take the time to understand; the feisty older woman; the siren. But this may be deliberate - we are seeing the world through Gideon's eyes and with Gideon's faults and lack of empathy. I particularly enjoyed the open ending - is he or isn't he? This leads to speculation on other parts of Gideon's earlier history - was his father the ogre he seemed, or are his views more worthy of support?
My husband is not taken with fantasy novels of any sort but I had no hesitation in passing the book straight on to him to share my delight in reading it.
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Loved it - no clue what happened.
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I really enjoyed this novel (although it takes a while to warm up) although I am left with not much of an idea as to what went on or what it was about. The writer uses the technique of telling the story via a memoir, so throughout, we are only seeing the story that Gideon wants us to see - not necessarily the story of what actually happened. I don't just mean the scenario with the devil - but the truth behind all of Gideon's relationships, especially those between him, Elsie and Jenny - is questionable, as are his characterisations of others. Most of all though I think I enjoyed it simply because I liked Gideon so much. A real 'everyman' who I could relate to - and I imagine that was a deliberate act on behalf of the author. Gideon's issues are the issues of so many of us - bad parenting, unrequited love, inability to believe, lust, guilt... all the usual. I also loved all the little details left in to tantalise, with no definite conclusion reached.... what happened to James in the war, why did Craigie go to Mexico, was John ever having an affair, why was Mack's mum in hell and where is god? All little nuggets of mystery to mull over forever.
I would have liked a more definite conclusion, but in a novel like this, that's to some degree impossible. All in all, highly recommended.
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Best Scottish Novel You'll Read This Year: A Must for the Beach
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Wouldn't have found this book if not for the Modern Scottish Gothic course. Gripping, stay-up-all-night page turner written in the classic gothic fiction style of the 'original found manuscript'. A new take on the devil for this reader and best of all, unpredictable. Gideon is not your typical hero as he is very much the everyman, with all the fears, disbeliefs and tormented conflicts that cling to our day to day existence.
I advise reading it in a warm, sunlit place as James Robertson will have you thinking you too are being watched.
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Ho hum
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The Devil in literature - Scotland - that's why I bought this one.
Not one of the better Devils though (`The Dumas Club' - that's a GOOD one) - he doesn't appear until the book is most of the way through and I am not entirely convinced that he isn't tacked on to the narrative as a selling point. Without him, this would be a rather dull novel, I suspect.
I am also at a loss as to why so many readers seem to think that a leftist atheist cleric is a novelty - that is usually a prerequisite for promotion, at least as far as the Anglican and Catholic Churches south of the border go, the Church of Scotland is not something I know much about.
I don't see that this is much about the struggle with Faith either, seeing as the Minister never had any; the narrator meets the Devil, the Devil is a good guy, it doesn't make the narrator care one iota more about the Christ then he did before - all very post-modern and humanist, the Devil has the best tunes etc.
No, go for `Dumas', `Master and Margherita', `Justified Sinner,' William Peter Blatty's `Legion,' Neil Gaiman's Lucifer - much more interesting and multi levelled Devils all.
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