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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I find it hard to know what to say about this because the story is really about a pretty ordinary life - obviously the devil meeting story is important but it's a small part of the story and you shouldn't go in expecting much fantasy type stuff. It's a fictional memoir of an ordinary person, a particular way of life, a particular location, told from a maybe not completely reliable perspective. The events are mostly pretty ordinary yet the writing makes them really come alive and it's easy to get emotionally wrapped up in it, feel all the little details which feel real. Along the way there's a good amount of thoughts and conversations about "deep" questions - eg does god exist, what does it mean to believe, what should life be about, how we relate to stories, what history means today, what sort of life you should choose, the way life inevitably involves "settling" for stuff that's not your ideal. It's all done in a very natural style that doesn't feel out of place or pretentious and it's all pretty interesting and thought provoking. It's hard to get across the feel and plot of the book because so much relies on very good writing and well thought out scenes. I just think it's really good if the description takes your fancy, as long as you're willing to read more about the life of the minister than that of the devil (although that bit is very very good too). Highly recommended, very human, very emotional, very sad, very thought provoking. There's lots of questions I could think of about the plot but it wraps itself up well enough and the questions are interesting to think about - how much "really" happened within the story? what was going on in Gideon Mack's mind? It's very good anyway
Very interesting read, especially narrative frame as if it were a true story which we don't know what actually happened with Gideon. Devil was not as expected and def more kind than I believe him to actually be
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a fantastic book. It reminded me a bit of [b:The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner|87580|The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner|James Hogg|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407402411s/87580.jpg|1602161], not only because of the similar subject matter but also because it is simply captivating. So I was very pleased to find a footnote that confirmed the link.
I suppose that is what you aim for when you introduce the devil as a character. But it's easy to make him a charicature, and Robertson avoids that mostly (although - why is the Devil often depicted as a stylish and handsome man? A jab at vanity and consumerism?). He also doesn't give you all the answers - a mystery remains a mystery, but it is really more about the people than the truth. And the people are heartbreaking in their familiarity and particularities and their inability to cope with life but to keep going anyway.
Gideon Mack didn't like himself, and in the end few people did. They think he was a hypocrite, or mad, or both. He is far too busy doubting himself to concern himself with God. The Devil notes that he is not really needed to tempt us to come to the dark side - we humans are very capable at creating dark sides all over the place. Would it also work for the other half?
I suppose that is what you aim for when you introduce the devil as a character. But it's easy to make him a charicature, and Robertson avoids that mostly (although - why is the Devil often depicted as a stylish and handsome man? A jab at vanity and consumerism?). He also doesn't give you all the answers - a mystery remains a mystery, but it is really more about the people than the truth. And the people are heartbreaking in their familiarity and particularities and their inability to cope with life but to keep going anyway.
Gideon Mack didn't like himself, and in the end few people did. They think he was a hypocrite, or mad, or both. He is far too busy doubting himself to concern himself with God. The Devil notes that he is not really needed to tempt us to come to the dark side - we humans are very capable at creating dark sides all over the place. Would it also work for the other half?
Not something I thought I would like, but the excellent writing drew me in.