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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
A really great read. Wonderfully written both humorous and intriguing. Personally I like my books with some ambiguity and mystery so this was a dream. Is this the story of a man's descent into insanity or is this story of a man who really met the Devil? You decide.
This may be the first book I've read this year that I unequivocally loved. I can definitely see myself reading this again several times. It's really hard to describe what it's about - saying it's about a Scottish minister who claims he's met the Devil really doesn't do it justice, because it's so much more than that. It's about religion and rationality and truth and the choices we make in our lives. And Gideon...oh, I may have fallen a little in love with Gideon as a character, even though he's a deeply flawed man. All I can really say is that I will be recommending this to everyone!
This was different than I thought it would be. It was more about the minister and his doubts and faith and life rather than the whole Devil thing, which is why I picked it up in the first place. Also, unresolved ending, which I sometimes have trouble accepting. Well-written, but not my thing.
This was not the book I was expecting after reading the synopsis. I'm finding it hard to review as Its been a few days since I finished it and still am not sure what I think of it. I've given it 4 stars but really it could change up or down a star. Without giving too much of the story away I would say that if you are expecting a supernatural type story with some human interest drama then you will be surprised, I would say its the other way around. The story is well written and easy to follow but at times felt a little laborious. I would recommend this book more as a study of the human condition more than a tale of a man meeting the Devil.
If you are looking forward to the man meeting the Devil and the situation that develops from that then you will have to wait patiently as this portion of the story is well into the the last third of the book. For me it was worth the wait. Once I had got over the fact that this was not the story I thought it would be, I really enjoyed it for what it was. A story of how a man is influenced and molded by the environment hes lives through and ultimately how he breaks away from it. I am not sure how I feel about Gideon as a character, which I think was kind of the point of the story. For the most part I felt sorry for him.
I would say read this book if you like stories about flawed people and their struggles through life. But if you are just hooked by the Devil element of the story, still read it but don't expect to story to revolve around it.
I would say read this book if you like stories about flawed people and their struggles through life. But if you are just hooked by the Devil element of the story, still read it but don't expect to story to revolve around it.
I enjoyed this, but I think it was boosted in my opinion by its Scottish setting. I don’t normally like things that try to be books within books, but this was good... it felt like a modern-day Confessions of a Justified Sinner.
This is the story of a Scottish minister who doesn't believe in God. In what I believe to be his slow descent into mental illness, he first sees a standing stone on a run in the woods which isn't really there, and not long after, in the aftermath of an accident, he believes he spends three days in the company of the Devil.
I really enjoyed the storytelling of this book. I believed that Gideon Mack was really seeing and living through the events as he told them. The epilogue throws the whole thing into doubt, though, which I thought was a nice touch.
I think James would enjoy this book.
I really enjoyed the storytelling of this book. I believed that Gideon Mack was really seeing and living through the events as he told them. The epilogue throws the whole thing into doubt, though, which I thought was a nice touch.
I think James would enjoy this book.