The Fanatic (novel)
Encyclopedia
The Fanatic is a novel
written by the Scottish
author James Robertson, first published in 2000
.
of the 17th Century. The second thread tells the story of a tourist guide (Andrew Carlin) in devolution-era Edinburgh, whose interest in the character he portrays leads to his study and obsession with two men: James Mitchel, a protestant fanatic, convinced of a deep connection with God; and Major Thomas Weir, a presbyterian hardliner who was executed in 1670 for supposed witchcraft. The novel was Robertson's first major work and showed early signs of the success that was to follow in Joseph Knight and The Testament of Gideon Mack
.
(United Kingdom
) / Fourth Estate
(United States
), 2001. ISBN 978-1841151892.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
written by the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
author James Robertson, first published in 2000
2000 in literature
The year 2000 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* February 13 - Final original Peanuts comic strip is published...
.
Overview
The book progresses along two lines. The first is historical and deals with the events of the Scottish CovenantersCovenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
of the 17th Century. The second thread tells the story of a tourist guide (Andrew Carlin) in devolution-era Edinburgh, whose interest in the character he portrays leads to his study and obsession with two men: James Mitchel, a protestant fanatic, convinced of a deep connection with God; and Major Thomas Weir, a presbyterian hardliner who was executed in 1670 for supposed witchcraft. The novel was Robertson's first major work and showed early signs of the success that was to follow in Joseph Knight and The Testament of Gideon Mack
The Testament Of Gideon Mack
The Testament of Gideon Mack is a novel written by the Scottish author James Robertson, first published in 2006. It pays conscious homage to ideas and themes originally explored with powerful effect in the novel The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by the Scottish novelist,...
.
List of main characters
| Character | Notes | Historical/Fictional |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Carlin | Protagonist, tour worker | Fictional |
| James Mitchel | 17th century religious fanatic | There was a James Mitchell (2 ls) who tried to kill Sharp executed 1676 |
| Major Thomas Weir Thomas Weir Major Thomas Weir was a Scottish soldier and presumed occultist, executed for witchcraft.Weir was a Scottish Covenanter who professed a particularly strict form of Presbyterianism, and whose spoken prayers were popular and attracted visitors to his home in Edinburgh... |
Covenanter, executed for witchcraft | Historical |
| Hugh Hardie | Tour guide | Fictional |
| Jean Weir | The Major's sister, executed for incest and witchcraft | Historical |
Information
Andrew Carlin works as a ghost on a nightly tour of Old Edinburgh. With Stick, cape and rubber rat he pretends to be the spirit of Major Weir, a religious extremist burnt at the stake in 1670. Carlin's research into Weir draws him into the past and, in particular, to James Mitchel, a 'justified sinner', imprisoned in 1674 for the attempted assassination of the Archbishop of St Andrews. Through the story of Carlin and Mitchel, The Fanatic reveals an extraordinary history of Scotland: a tale of betrayals, stolen meetings, lost memories, smuggled journeys and disguised identities.Critical response
Like the majority of Robertson's other work, The Fanatic has a strong historical, social and political backbone running throughout the novel. Taken from the blurb of the 2001 edition, the Scotland on Sunday newspaper was full of high praise: 'Robertson takes not just history but the notion of history; not just the question of what truth is but the act of questioning itself and breathes an extraordinary life into them...In this complex, superbly claustrophobic novel where everything is meticulously researched and, just as importantly, meticulously imagined, he urges us to see ourselves anew.'Publication information
Published by HarperCollinsHarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
(United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
) / Fourth Estate
Fourth Estate
The concept of the Fourth Estate is a societal or political force or institution whose influence is not consistently or officially recognized. The Fourth Estate now most commonly refers to the news media; especially print journalism, referred to hereon as "The Press"...
(United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
), 2001. ISBN 978-1841151892.