The Book Against God

It's a heavy comparison to be sure, but I couldn't help thinking how similar Wood's writing style is to Evelyn Waugh's. I've lost count of how many times I've been told a novel is going to be funny, or that the book is a "comic novel," and it produced a nary a snicker. But aside from Waugh and probably Kurt Vonnegut, Wood's novel is one of the funniest I've read in recent memory. Of course, this achievement is all the more remarkable since Wood's book is chiefly a thoughtful meditation on religion, belief, and, most of all, father-son relationships. How many writers can say they've written a top-notch philosophical novel that makes one laugh out loud? The more I read this book and began to realize what an achievement it was, the more annoyed I became as I recalled the snarky reviews it received. There were many positive reviews and, sure, Wood is well known for his own occasionally mean-spirited reviews, although they are always unfailingly thoughtful and critical for good reason (at least in Wood's mind). I remember reading one review that went something like, "Wood's `The Book Against God,' is merely that, a book that tries to convince the reader there is no God." Um, no. Not even close. What this book is, more than anything, is an intelligently philosophical look at a father-son relationship where neither party is at fault, intimacy is painfully difficult to come by, and philosophical differences get in the way of familial love. It would seem to me that any review of this book by a professional reviewer that is entirely negative is the result of someone trying to dish out some kind of payback. The immaturity of such an act strikes me as an act by someone who either takes him of herself entirely too seriously or has enjoyed an extraordinarily easy life in which he or she has nothing more important to get upset about. Literary journalism and journalism in general has always been a profession where thick skin is a necessity, and if a reviewer doesn't understand this, perhaps he or she should consider another line of work. The biggest shame of this type of attitude may be that it prevents one from learning from Wood's reviews, which never fail in this regard whether they are positive or negative. I think many fiction writers could also learn from Wood's splendid novel.

An atheistic and rather seedy son and his relationship with (principally) his attractive clergyman father. Superb, inventively and wittily phrased descriptions of a large cast of characters and of places; intelligent conversations about belief and non-belief; a moving coda (not quite at the end of the book). Because the chronology is all mixed up, it really needs to be read twice.

Thomas Bunting suffers from self-pity, disorientation, and lethargy as he realizes he cannot worship the god of his parents, both Christians. Nor can he keep his wife's affections largely in part because his inner turmoil seeps too much into his married life. His wife would prefer him to be more upbeat, socially adroit, clean, and ambitious, but Thomas' religious struggle slowly and insidiously consumes him as he forges his own "gospel," a Book Against God, which articulates his reasons for being an unbeliever.A good companion piece that covers someone losing his faith is Martin Gardner's The Flight of Peter Fromm.

An amazing bit of writing, remarkable for both its style and its intellectual honesty. Despite the fact that the fictional narrator is exceptionally unappealing, the author, James Wood, still manages to make us sense his despair, his inadequacy, and his worthiness as a fellow human being. This is an amazing feat. The theological and philosophical arguments are skillfully constructed and simultaneously wholly integral to the plot (and highly entertaining). Wood also seems to draw on a wealth of musical knowledge that is, in itself, quite dazzling and engrossing. A wonderful book that has made me feel all the better about life for having read it.

The Book Against God serves as a modern novel written through the use of many old techniques. Instead of being consumed with flashy magical realism or strange postmodern techniques, Wood writes the (purposefully unreliably narrated) story of Thomas Bunting--and he does it well. The writing is spectacular, using nuanced Jamesian metaphor and descriptions to achieve mutable yet distictively believeable characters. Wood is truly an amazing writer, as his criticism shows. In his first novel, he succeeds in telling an interesting while sometimes disturbing story. Had he used a third person narration technique, it is possible the characters could have been even more vivid and complex. If you like a novel that bursts with packed prose, yet is a fun read, The Book Against God will suit your fancy.