The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson

The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson. New York: Viking, 2006. ISBN: 978-0-670-03844-2

If it weren't for the supernatural elements of this book, I probably never would have read it. First, the title, which suggests something Biblical in nature. Then the cover, which has a crude depiction of a devil's head on it. And then the flyleaf plot summary, which describes a Scottish Presbyterian minister, a good man, albeit an atheist, who is thought to have fallen into a chasm and drowned, but is miraculously raised from the dead three days later, and claims to have seen (and been saved by) no less than the devil himself.

This all made for a premise intriguing enough to grab me, for for me to grab the book and bring it home from the local public library. I'm not sorry I did, although the book is ultimately disappointing. So, the man claims to have seen the devil. So what? This is only fiction, after all. This is the kind of story that would be shocking, were it claimed to be true, but since it isn't (true, that is), it isn't (shocking, that is).

Still, the book is interesting enough, for all that, to not disappoint while one is actually reading it. The author is a master of his craft, and the story quite compelling as presented. Recommended for those who like fiction with supernatural elements.