Book Review: The Testament of Gideon Mack

Once I started reading The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson, I couldn't put it down. The quote from Moby Dick that introduces The Testament summed it up very well:

"I say, we good Presbyterian Christians should be charitable in these things, and not fancy ourselves so vastly superior to other mortals, pagans and what not, because of their half-crazy notions on these subjects...Heaven have Mercy on us all--Presbyterians and Pagans alike--for we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending. "
~Herman Melville, Moby Dick

Gideon Mack is a Church of Scotland (Presbyterian in the US) pastor who doesn't believe in God. His "testament" recounts his troubled life and ultimate encounter with the Devil, who rescued him from what should have been a fatal accident. The novel has several other memorable and well-drawn characters who are also "dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending". These include Gideon's stern minister father, his abjectly subsurvient mother, his good friend and fellow atheist Catherine Craigie whose funeral service featured the Mexican song La Cucaracha, his friend and fellow minister Lorna who suffers unrequited love for Gideon, and of course the Devil himself dressed in black slacks and black polo shirt.

Fractured relationships are one of the themes of the novel. Gideon's relationships with his father, mother, deceased wife Jenny, Lorna, and his married friends John and Elsie are fraught with tension, betrayal and misunderstanding. Of course, his relationship with the church and his entire professional life are profoundly hypocritical because he confesses that he was an atheist when he became a minister and persisted in living a lie. My PresbyBlogging pals and Presbyreaders with an interest in the Scots antecedents of their church will find many references to life in the modern day Church of Scotland in the book.

Here's a sample from the book to pique your interest, taken from a conversation at the end of the book between Gideon Mack and the Devil as they discuss God. The Devil says:

"...I feel sorry for him actually. What's in this for him? if things are going well, people forget about him. They unchain the swings, turn the churches into casinos and mock anybody who still believes in him. He's a very easy target. And who does he get left with? Fanatics and maniacs of every faith and every persuasion, who want to kill the heretics and blow themselves to pieces in his name. I feel sorry for God, I do..."

Robertson is a superb writer. He explores the difference between faith and belief, salvation and redemption, and revelation and madness in this compelling tale. Testament is the first of his books to be published in the US and I trust it won't be the last.