The Testament of Gideon Mack

James Robertson

Penguin Adult, Jan 18, 2007 - Fiction - 400 pages

A son of the manse, Mack has grown up in an austere and chilly house, dominated by a joyless father. Unable to believe in God, he is far more attracted by the forbidden allure of television and popular culture. Father and son clash traumatically one day and it may be guilt which drives Mack to take up a career in the Church.

This minister, who doesn't believe in God, the Devil or an afterlife, one day discovers a stone standing in the middle of a wood where previously there had been none. Unsure what to make of this apparition, Mack's life begins to unravel dramatically until the moment when he is swept into a mountain stream, which pours down a chasm before disappearing underground.

Miraculously Mack emerges three days later, battered but alive. He seems to have lost his mind however, since he claims that while underground he met the Devil.

Written with tight pacing, superlative storytelling and immense imaginative power, this is Robertson's most ambitious and accessible novel to date.

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - raisedbybooks - LibraryThing

Goodreads doesn't actually allow me to give half stars, because honestly I feel this was a 3.5. I couldn't quite give it a 4, but I also don't think the 3 does it justice. The premise of this book ...

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - dylkit - LibraryThing

Not as strong as some of Robertson's earlier books which have more of a historical bent. I was expecting it to be a bit more like James Hogg's 'Justified Sinner'. A bit more psychological. There was a ...

About the author

James Robertson is the author of two previous novels, The Fanatic (2000) and Joseph Knight (2003). The latter was awarded the two major Scottish literary awards in 2003/4 the Saltire Book of the Year and the Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year. He has also published stories, poetry, anthologies and essays. In 2006 he was selected for a prestigious Creative Scotland award and was also nominated for a Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland award. The Testament of Gideon Mack was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Saltire Book of the Year award.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Testament of Gideon Mack; Penguin books: Fiction
• Author: James Robertson
• Edition: reprint
• Publisher: Penguin Adult, 2007
• ISBN: 014102335X, 9780141023359
• Length: 400 pages
• Subjects: Fiction / General