The Testament of Gideon Mack (Unabridged) [Audio Download]

This is an outstandingly good book - with the pun fully intended.

The novel takes the form of a manuscript written by fallen Church of Scotland priest, Gideon Mack, before his death on Ben Alder. The manuscript is topped by an introduction from the publisher and tailed by some notes by a freelance journalist.

It is clear from the beginning that Gideon Mack has fallen into the Keldo Water, met the devil and fallen out with the Church. The manuscript forms his life story, setting out his relationships with his family and his friends; how he came to be a Minister in the first place; his non-relationship with God; and his encounter with the Devil. For a Minister, Gideon Mack is a live wire - he doesn't believe in God; he runs marathons; he has difficult personal relationships; and he appears to enjoy the company of eccentrics and atheists. Gideon Mack is a fallible human being whose calling is little more than a job of work - but one that he is prepared to undertake with gusto despite his lack of belief.

Gideon has had his fair share of misfortune - a severe father who was also a Minister, a marriage to Jenny when he really wanted Jenny's friend Elsie, widowed at a young age and lacking real direction. But he has apparently soldiered on and, but for a momentary lapse with Elsie, has led a broadly virtuous life. Then weird things start happening - kicked off by the sudden appearance of a standing stone in the woods. As Gideon becomes more troubled by the stone, so his life starts to crumble. It all moves inexorably towards the meeting with the Devil, who is not at all as one might expect.

The detailing is beautiful and, even though the direction is hardly a mystery, the journey towards the known destination is compelling. It lifts beautifully from the page and the occasional use of publisher's footnotes and excerpts from other sources creates a complex web of truth. The relationships between Gideon and the world are complex and thoroughly explored. The end notes add essential context and cause us to reevaluate Gideon's view of the world, and ultimately to reevaluate others views of Gideon.

This is a satisfying study of truth, relationships, belief and expectation. It works on so many levels - it is an absolute joy. I was sorry it didn't make it onto the Booker shortlist last year, but I am sure the Richard and Judy cachet will bring its own rewards.

'The Testament of Gideon Mack' is the first book I have read by James Robertson, and I enjoyed it so much that I now feel eager to seek out his other novels. It's imaginative, brilliantly written, evokes places and characters vividly, and is consistently smart and witty without ever becoming pretentious. The plot concerns a faithless minister who has a near-death experience and a meeting with the devil, but it's more than just a story; as Gideon's 'testament' unravels, we are shown a portrait of one man's life, his questioning of that life (his beliefs, relationships, passions and ambitions) and himself, and possibly his descent into madness.

It isn't perfect - the book is so rich with information and wide in scope that some aspects suffer; some of the characterisation is weak, with Gideon's wife, Jenny, being particularly two-dimensional. But the clever thing about this book is that, since it is written as the protagonist's personal account of his own life, the reader is constantly aware that we are only being told what Gideon wants us to know, and shown what he wants us to see.

Other reviewers have found the book's finale inconclusive, but I think that this 'open' ending is the only way a story like this could have come to a close. The epilogue reminds us forcibly that Gideon may well have been mad and that his 'testament' could have been lies and fantasy; but the mysterious clues left behind (such as the devil's trainers!) give the story a supernatural edge which sends a delicious chill down your spine.

More than just a good read, 'The Testament of Gideon Mack' really makes you think - about life, death, the afterlife, love, religion and everything inbetween; it left me reassessing my thoughts on these issues days after I had come to the end of the story. This novel works on so many levels that I find it almost impossible to imagine anyone not savouring at least some part of it. Most definitely the best book I have read so far this year!

Gideon Mack's life is full of contradictions: he's a Church of Scotland minister, and yet he doesn't believe in God; he loves his wife Jenny, but not as much as he loves his wife's best friend Elsie; he does good works, runs marathons for charity and is there for those who need him in his church capacity, and yet he ultimately finds his existence somehow hollow and bereft of purpose. And then, while trying to rescue a friend's dog, he plunges into a deep ravine and is, or so he later claims, saved from drowning by the Devil.

James Robertson has written a fascinating novel, one that weaves folklore and the supernatural in with issues of possible mental illness, deep questions of what it means to believe in God and what it means to live a good life. On the surface it sounds a little heavy, but trust me, the excellent plot and well-drawn characters make this an absolute joy to read. It's clever, witty (there's a fabulous passage in which the Devil explains why he is particularly fond of Scotland), entertaining, thought-provoking and ultmately very moving. Gideon's life is given a lot of depth: a lonely childhood with a father who was feared rather than loved and a mother too meek to intervene on his behalf, followed by an escape from authority at university, love (and unrequited love) and, even allowing for his lack of belief, a worthwhile career in the Church.

His worthy but slightly purposeless existence is altered beyond all recognition however by his near fatal accident. During the three days between his fall down the ravine and his discovery alive (the same length of time Jesus was thought to be dead before his resurection) Mack meets (possibly) the Devil, but not the Devil of eternal flames and sulphur but rather a smooth, considerate Devil who is, frankly, rather weary of it all. Gideon Mack's life changes forever.....

Give it a go. It's thought-provoking enough to keep you wondering about all the possibilities thrown up by the narrative for days after you have finished reading; it's compassionate enough to make you feel a little warmer and more tolerant of your fellow humans, whatever their faults and frailties, and it's entertaining enough to keep you reading into the small hours. I loved it. Highly recommended.