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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is a hidden gem. I loved how Scottish it felt, like it felt like home reading it. I'm from a small town in Scotland where I attended Chirch of Scotland and feel like the characters are so believable. I really liked the character of Gideon in particular and the ambiguity surrounding him. Definitely worth a read.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
¡La primera lectura del 2022! ¡Yaay! Esto sí que es un buen comienzo del año, espero que el resto de lecturas sean igual de buenas, porque he disfrutado del libro como una enana. Y eso que he de confesar que entré a la lectura con muchas dudas y con la idea preconcebida de que iba a ser una gran decepción y que no me iba a gustar nada. Peeero, gracias a una compañera de la uni que lo puso entre los mejores del 2021, mis esperanzas aumentaron y fui con la mente más abierta.
El testamento de Gideon Mack relata la historia del sacerdote Gideon Mack, desde su juventud hasta su adolescencia. Al ser el hijo de un sacerdote, se espera de él que siga los mismos pasos que su padre, pero el problema radica en que la fe en Dios de Gideon es prácticamente inexistente, y su odio por su padre bastante elevado. Sin embargo, la vida da muchas vueltas, y termina siendo el sacerdote de un pueblecito escocés, donde las cosas se complicarán aún más, cuando, tras un accidente cercano a la muerte, predique que ha conocido al Diablo.
Realmente estoy sin palabras, porque el viaje en el que James Robertson me ha metido ha sido mind-blowing. Obviamente, al ser una historia sobre un sacerdote, la religión se encuentra bastante presente en el libro, pero la forma en que se trata no es para adoctrinar al lector, sino para hacerle cuestionar todo lo que sabe sobre el tema y plantearse las grandes cuestiones de la vida y de la filosofía. Y bueno, más preguntas surgen a medida que se avanza en la lectura sobre la familia, el amor, la amistad y las relaciones en general. Los personajes están tan bien representados que llegas a empatizar con ellos, especialmente con Gideon, ya que, al fin y al cabo, estamos ante su historia. Sinceramente, el único motivo por el que no le he puesto las cinco estrellas es porque el final se me ha hecho algo extraño, pero vamos, que es un libro maravilloso. Desde luego, ya presiento que va a estar dentro de los highlights del 2022 ✨.
El testamento de Gideon Mack relata la historia del sacerdote Gideon Mack, desde su juventud hasta su adolescencia. Al ser el hijo de un sacerdote, se espera de él que siga los mismos pasos que su padre, pero el problema radica en que la fe en Dios de Gideon es prácticamente inexistente, y su odio por su padre bastante elevado. Sin embargo, la vida da muchas vueltas, y termina siendo el sacerdote de un pueblecito escocés, donde las cosas se complicarán aún más, cuando, tras un accidente cercano a la muerte, predique que ha conocido al Diablo.
Realmente estoy sin palabras, porque el viaje en el que James Robertson me ha metido ha sido mind-blowing. Obviamente, al ser una historia sobre un sacerdote, la religión se encuentra bastante presente en el libro, pero la forma en que se trata no es para adoctrinar al lector, sino para hacerle cuestionar todo lo que sabe sobre el tema y plantearse las grandes cuestiones de la vida y de la filosofía. Y bueno, más preguntas surgen a medida que se avanza en la lectura sobre la familia, el amor, la amistad y las relaciones en general. Los personajes están tan bien representados que llegas a empatizar con ellos, especialmente con Gideon, ya que, al fin y al cabo, estamos ante su historia. Sinceramente, el único motivo por el que no le he puesto las cinco estrellas es porque el final se me ha hecho algo extraño, pero vamos, que es un libro maravilloso. Desde luego, ya presiento que va a estar dentro de los highlights del 2022 ✨.
Starting off the third year in a row with a book that will undoubtedly be in my top five, if not my book of the year. This is the story of when Gideon Mack cheated death and met the Devil, and it ticked all my boxes:
found text - check!
unreliable narrator - check!
the uncanny - check!
footnotes - check!
set in a wee village in Scotland - check!
folklore and local customs - check!
standing stones - check!
religion vs the de’il - check!
ambiguous ending - check!
cantankerous but soft hearted auld wummin character I’m probably going to grow into - check!
James Robertson is an incredible storyteller, and I can’t wait to read more of his work.
found text - check!
unreliable narrator - check!
the uncanny - check!
footnotes - check!
set in a wee village in Scotland - check!
folklore and local customs - check!
standing stones - check!
religion vs the de’il - check!
ambiguous ending - check!
cantankerous but soft hearted auld wummin character I’m probably going to grow into - check!
James Robertson is an incredible storyteller, and I can’t wait to read more of his work.
What's real anymore? That what the book wants you to question
Here goes my rapid fire reasoning for my 5 stars:
1. I couldn't put it down.*
2. The characters felt so real I wouldn't doubt this as much, but I doubt anyway. *
3. The twists and turns of the structure had me engaged, very stream of consciousness. *
4.The writing was simple, yet catchy and authentic. *
5. Critique on religion? Yes, give me all of it.
Fantastic novel. For brief moments it made me question whether this minister was a real person.
Here goes my rapid fire reasoning for my 5 stars:
1. I couldn't put it down.*
2. The characters felt so real I wouldn't doubt this as much, but I doubt anyway. *
3. The twists and turns of the structure had me engaged, very stream of consciousness. *
4.The writing was simple, yet catchy and authentic. *
5. Critique on religion? Yes, give me all of it.
Fantastic novel. For brief moments it made me question whether this minister was a real person.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved this book. Have read it a few times. Love the description of Scottish Presbyterian life and not fitting in.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've read this book before- almost exactly one year ago in fact. I remember being underwhelmed, but looking back at the review I wrote, I was clearly even more displeased than that.
But I recently saw a play (The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart) with similar tones of Scottish folklore about the Devil, and got a taste for it, so I decided to try again. (Actually, I could literally make a Goodreads list for 'tones Scottish folklore about the Devil' as Witch Wood also comes to mind). Point is, this book bumped up to 4 stars from a second read, and I now see why I was compelled for a second read. Maybe in a year I have become a kinder, gentler me, more disposed to empathy. Because I understand that as the reader, we do see the chaos and selfishness of Gideon Mack, the aspects of his personality that drew him into this encounter. But also, the circumstance of life that made these so. On the second read, this became not just an appealing aesthetic of a story line, but an illuminating mindset to put yourself in.
"...Perhaps it is that I am too young and idealistic, but I could find very little sympathy for such a piece of shit protagonist. It is a pretty story, but the character development that seemed like it was being set up never happened- Gideon remained as self obsessed and oblivious of his harm to others throughout...."
But I recently saw a play (The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart) with similar tones of Scottish folklore about the Devil, and got a taste for it, so I decided to try again. (Actually, I could literally make a Goodreads list for 'tones Scottish folklore about the Devil' as Witch Wood also comes to mind). Point is, this book bumped up to 4 stars from a second read, and I now see why I was compelled for a second read. Maybe in a year I have become a kinder, gentler me, more disposed to empathy. Because I understand that as the reader, we do see the chaos and selfishness of Gideon Mack, the aspects of his personality that drew him into this encounter. But also, the circumstance of life that made these so. On the second read, this became not just an appealing aesthetic of a story line, but an illuminating mindset to put yourself in.
Yes, again. Yes, again. I don't know what it is about Scottish folk devilry but I can't stop reading this book, at least partially because James Robertson writes it so well.