The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg

Jul 27, 2011 Shovelmonkey1 rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: justified sinners everywhere

Recommended to Shovelmonkey1 by: 1001 books list

Shelves: 1001-books, bookcrossing-books, murder-most-horrid

The 1001 books list says that this is "at once gothic comedy, religious horror story, mystery thriller and psychological study." Way to go James Hogg! Either this book is so deep and complex that no one can actually fathom enough of it to pigeon-hole it in a convincing manner, or it is in fact, everything it says on the tin.

Personally I saw this book as a good example of what might happen when you tell a lot of people that they have an unlimited get-out-of-hell-free card. The deal is this: you...more The 1001 books list says that this is "at once gothic comedy, religious horror story, mystery thriller and psychological study." Way to go James Hogg! Either this book is so deep and complex that no one can actually fathom enough of it to pigeon-hole it in a convincing manner, or it is in fact, everything it says on the tin.

Personally I saw this book as a good example of what might happen when you tell a lot of people that they have an unlimited get-out-of-hell-free card. The deal is this: you are one of God's chosen few and no matter what you do, you will be undoubtedly ascending the golden stair case to the pearly gates of heaven. Cherubim will nudge you gently through the gates while choirs of heavenly angels sing, play their trumpets, herald in tidings of joy and generally get down with all their usual angelic business.

So, bearing this crucial knowledge in mind, do you go ahead and live an orderly, polite and most importantly morally correct life or do you decide to see how far you can stretch the whole definitely not going to hell type deal?

Protagonist Robert opts for the latter choice and with a life sized devil at his elbow rather than a cute little one perched on his shoulder, heads out onto the highways and byways of Scotland to mock, molest and murder various people who may or may not have wronged him. But its ok, remember, he's still holding that all important pass to heaven.

As time goes by, and the body count starts to escalate, Robert begins to doubt the infallibility of the heavenly bus pass and the wisdom of some of his recent behaviour. But, once you've welcomed the devil into your life, he's not an easy person to shake - like the last person to leave a party, Gil-Martin is in for the long haul. Now witness Roberts' slow descent into madness and he maybe, possibly kills a whole bunch of other people, loses track of time and generally becomes detached from reality... or is he in denial?

Towards the end the whole thing gets a bit inexplicable. Is it a morality tale, a Gothic murder mystery, a damning indightment against doctrines of predestination or an early example of a story featuring someone with dissociative identity disorder? Maybe it is all of these things. Basically you're left to make up your own mind.

Before you judge Hogg and consider this to be a plot cop-out, consider that this book, although basically ignored for ages, was totally ground breaking and introduced the world to a whole new selection of literary tools and devices. Wordsworth noted that although Hogg was a genius he was also a man of coarse manners and low and offensive opinions. James, if you were alive today, I'd definitely be trying to befriend you on Goodreads!(less)

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May 09, 2008 Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: recently-read

I found this totally addictive and read it in two sittings. He's not the writer Scott was, nevertheless I found the style and tone to be highly readable. In fact, I thought his coarser style was more appealing in many ways.
By turns sinister, terrifying, amusing, fanatical, complex, simple,realistic, supernatural, ludicrous, coarse, lyrical,poetic...All combining to make a wonderful read.
Although not always my cup of tea in novels, I found the multiple narratives to be hugely interesting and enli...more

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Jun 19, 2011 ☽ Moon ☯ 佛月球 Будда Луны rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

THE PHARISAICAL VIEW

Predestination is an infallible and rigid belief that God has irrevocably preordained the eternal salvation of some and the condemnation of the rest of mankind. For the elected few whose salvation has already been guaranteed, no past or future transgression could wobble its validity, nor any situation could alter its mandate.

This seemingly amorphous doctrine in Christian theology is from the teachings of St. Augustine of Hippo and of Calvin and James Hogg elucidates this doc...more

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Apr 09, 2009 BookRambler rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of the most important books in English literature. If you haven't read it or never heard of it get your hands on a copy.
James Hogg was a shepherd of the peasant class in Scotland and was a writer, poet, song-writer, essayist, you name it, if you could write it down he did it. That in itself is pretty amazing considering it was the early nineteenth century but the most intriguing and interesting aspect of the book is that it is unique. It was a complete departure for literature in its...more

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Aug 02, 2010 Asa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1001-books, letters

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. An interesting book in its way, mostly because the religious beliefs of the main character was something I hadn't heard about before. The biggest letdown about it was that the devil was supposed to be real (that's the way I read it anyway).

The book is about a chain of events that happened in Scotland in the early 1700s, and is presented by the author as things that he has found out from official records and folk memory, to support a document he has found that contains the memoirs, called by the...more

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Oct 08, 2009 Lauren Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Lauren by: Luxx (LibraryThing)

Shelves: classic, ebook, religion, reading-challenge, horror, historical

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read this novel for an “I’ll Read Yours if You Read Mine” challenge. It was chosen for me because I normally avoid classics. Nevertheless, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner had many of the features I enjoy in fiction – conflicting perspectives on the same events, a close psychological study of a tortured character, torment and seduction by a devil, and a criticism of strict religious doctrine. Consequently, I quite enjoyed it (which I often do, with classics, when I tak...more I read this novel for an “I’ll Read Yours if You Read Mine” challenge. It was chosen for me because I normally avoid classics. Nevertheless, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner had many of the features I enjoy in fiction – conflicting perspectives on the same events, a close psychological study of a tortured character, torment and seduction by a devil, and a criticism of strict religious doctrine. Consequently, I quite enjoyed it (which I often do, with classics, when I take the time and patience to read them).

My feelings about the main character, Robert, were unusual. As much as I disliked him and was angered by the injustice of his actions in the Editor’s narrative, I found Robert’s narrative to be the most interesting. The first part of the story reveals him to be a grossly self-righteous, cruel, petty little man. This is no less obvious in his own story, but Robert’s memoir allows you to understand him, without condoning any of his beliefs or behaviour. Usually, if I enjoy the narrative of such an unfavourable character, there is at least something I admire about him/her, but not so with Robert.

Through Robert, Hogg illustrates one of the things I dislike about religion – the way it can encourage people to put dogma above compassion. From ruining a boy's reputation with lies to committing murder, Robert justifies his sins with the excuse that he is doing God's work. His 'divine' motives thus cause him to be cruel to others. Another problem is that Robert sticks to religious doctrine rather than thinking for himself. I think this is one of the reasons he's so susceptible to Gil-Martin's influences - initially he can't see past Gil-Martin's religious pretences, and when he finally does it is too late for him to resist. Robert is also unable to see all the logical flaws in his beliefs. I felt that the torment he suffered as the devil's follower was, in a way, the logical conclusion of his irrational beliefs. His suffering was as much a consequence of trying to cling to such extreme, illogical beliefs as of his relationship with the devil.

About Gil-Martin - I liked how he assumed the looks and ideas of whoever he was thinking about or focussed on. A nice touch, and pretty creepy. I'm wondering if it was some kind of twisted version of the idea of being made in God's image? Instead the devil shapes himself according to human images, and as a result is more grotesque and scary.

The narrative as a whole is beset with doubt. The editor’s narrative is a factual account of the novel’s events, but as the editor did not experience anything personally, he must rely on other sources. Robert’s narrative differs from the editor’s at certain points, giving a slightly more favourable account of himself in some situations. Robert’s narrative also has a supernatural element which the editor refuses to accept. And of course there's Hogg's letter, which is revealed to contain a few odd lies. I think the story’s uncertainties are a suitable counterpoint to Robert’s unquestioned religious beliefs. The reader, unsure of the truth, should have more reason to criticise Robert, Wringham and Lady Colwan’s assumptions about their acceptance into heaven. If the editor, and thus the reader, can’t be sure of history, how can anyone be sure of God’s mind?

My only real problem with the book was the Scottish brogue. Normally I adapt to accents fairly easily, but I found this frustrating, especially since there were many colloquial terms and pronunciations I had to try and figure out. Language is actually one of the main reasons I tend avoid classics. While I don't mind taking my time to appreciate the nuances of an author's writing, I have less patience for taking my time merely to understand what is going on, which is often the case with older styles of writing. However, with the exception of the Scottish accent, I found this to be a relatively easy read. Overall, my half of the reading challenge proved to be a worthwhile one, and although I probably won’t seek out many more classics in future, it sparked my interest in gothic literature.

Read more reviews on my blog Violin in a Void (less)

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Feb 28, 2008 Boris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First of all, this edition is optically scanned with numerous errors. So get a different one.

Like a lot I've read recently, it deals with the religious conflicts of 18th century England and Scotland. This book deals specifically with Calvinism and the notion of the elect brethren -- a small group of people whom God has selected from the beginning of time to be let into heaven to the exclusion of everyone else, actions for good or ill on their part or on the part of the damned notwithstanding. A...more

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Nov 02, 2007 Ben rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It seems most of the books I'm determined to read until the end always somehow hold me in their grip. That's kind of weird, I think, because it's hard to pinpoint exactly why I read certain books. But they all end up having been a good idea.

I was interested in this because the back of it said it was '[s]et in the gloomy world of 18th-century Scottish Calvinism'. I guess that sounds pretty dorky but it's true.

I guess I don't really want to spoil the plot, or anything, in case anyone who might pos...more

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Sep 05, 2008 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: thinkers

Shelves: recommended

A 19th century piece about religious mania.

The book is split into three parts - the first is an account by The Editor (whoever that may be), the second is the actual memoir (and confession), and the final part is a wrap-up, so to speak, by The Editor once again.

I didn't enjoy the first part as much as the second, but I wouldn't have enjoyed the second part as much if I hadn't read the first, if you get what I mean.

I think this book, even though it was first published in 1824, is a timely reminde...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Nan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, gothic, victorian, family-fiction, ninetheenth-century-fiction, dissertation

One of the most bizarre and compelling books I've ever read. I can't wait to write about it--academically, rather than for fun. That said, I won't waste too much of my time reviewing it here.

This much you should know: three times, you hear the story of Robert Wringhim and his parents, and each telling is different. No teller is impartial, and each version of the events varies greatly. Few things are certain by the end of the novel. Only one thing, I would think, remains certain--absolute faith i...more

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Mar 16, 2013 kingshearte rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, fiction

Well, blurb writer, if you take "The Editor's Narrative" as part of the story (which I do, because it basically presents the story from a more outside point of view before we get it directly from the sinner himself), then it becomes pretty clear that if Satan is a figment of the boy's imagination, he's also a figment of number of other people's imaginations, because he is seen by several other people. Leaving "The Editor's Narrative" out, then yes, I can see the ambiguity, but based on what I wa...more Well, blurb writer, if you take "The Editor's Narrative" as part of the story (which I do, because it basically presents the story from a more outside point of view before we get it directly from the sinner himself), then it becomes pretty clear that if Satan is a figment of the boy's imagination, he's also a figment of number of other people's imaginations, because he is seen by several other people. Leaving "The Editor's Narrative" out, then yes, I can see the ambiguity, but based on what I was presented with and read, I'd have to say no, not a figment.

Not that I think that excuses the boy, whose name, for ease of future reference, is Robert. Obviously, the whole book is meant to be a kind of condemnation of the notion of salvation by Grace alone, but I feel like Robert was on his way before Satan ever showed up. Satan may have egged him on and gotten him to the point of murder a bit sooner (and perhaps more frequently) than he would have on his own, but his reaction to learning that he was indeed one of the "elect," who was guaranteed a spot in Heaven no matter what, was not exactly admirable. He immediately jumped to believing that his elect status meant that he was better than everyone else and that whatever he did had to be condoned by God because he was elect. And frankly, you get that kind of narcissistic megalomania and I think it's only a matter of time before he ends up harming other people. When your own exalted view of yourself leads you to start seeing other people as no more significant than bugs, why shouldn't you eliminate them if they bother you? So I really think he was on that path already when Satan showed up, for whatever that's worth.

Which brings me back to the notion of salvation by Grace. I wasn't a big fan when I first learned about it in Rabbi Paul, and I'm still not. Don't get me wrong. I don't object to the belief that God and Heaven are so mind-blowingly good that we as mere humans couldn't possibly deserve them on our own merits in and of itself. But I feel like works should not be discounted in anyone's belief system, because it really does open the door to the kind of behaviour described in this book. It would only be minority who would go that route, I'm sure, but still. I just can't support a belief that, even if giving these sorts of people free passes is not the intent, does exactly that. I guess I think a better way would be Sara Crewe's attitude toward being a princess: that you don't get good stuff because you're entitled to it; you just get it, but these gifts present you with the responsibility of always doing your best to deserve them, whether you ever truly can or not.

Now, I suppose, if one really believes that whatever one has decided to do is the right thing, then that would still kind of apply. But that's not really what's happening in this book. Robert has plenty of doubts about killing people, and whether or not that could possibly be the right thing to do, and even questions whether those killings might actually revoke his elect status. Satan, right beside him, often argues him into it, and not always by convincing him that it's the right thing to do. That's part of it, but he also often assures Robert that even if what he's about to do is wrong, he's still going to Heaven, so he might as well go for it.

So. Anyway. The whole book is pretty much just a protracted exploration of this theme, which is not to say that it wasn't a good read. I actually found it quite compelling. And more thought-provoking than a lot of things I've read lately (even if those thoughts mostly go around in circles).(less)

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Sep 20, 2012 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Interesting story about murder and the justification for it...at least in the mind of the main character. A forced marriage of a Calvinist and strictly religious young woman and a loud, boisterous, drinking and partying older man result in an unhappy marriage and two sons. One son is the image of his father and the other is a sulky and sullen boy, who is believed to actually be the son of the mother's priest. The lord (as the father is) likes the oldest, but not his sullen child, leaving that yo...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Penny rated it 4 of 5 stars

"We have heard much of the rage of fanaticism in former days, but nothing to this." A fun pre-Victorian tale of demonic possession. This 1824 Scottish novel describes a young man strictly brought up in an extreme Calvinist faith that declares that some small portion of humanity is pre-destined for heaven, and the rest doomed to hell, and that actual good or bad works during one's life are immaterial. On the day that Robert Wringhim Colwan is assured by his spiritual father, a pastor (likely also...more "We have heard much of the rage of fanaticism in former days, but nothing to this." A fun pre-Victorian tale of demonic possession. This 1824 Scottish novel describes a young man strictly brought up in an extreme Calvinist faith that declares that some small portion of humanity is pre-destined for heaven, and the rest doomed to hell, and that actual good or bad works during one's life are immaterial. On the day that Robert Wringhim Colwan is assured by his spiritual father, a pastor (likely also his biological father), that he is among the pre-destined elect, he is approached by "a young man of mysterious appearance... I felt a sort of invisible power that drew me towards him, something like the force of enchantment, which I could not resist." This young man becomes Robert's only friend, and pushes him in his beliefs: if he is really among the elect, then worrying about the morality of his actions is not only pointless but could be seen as questioning his faith; if non-Calvinists are damned anyway, it can serve God's purposes to kill and torment them. Robert was an ill-natured lying creep before finding he was among the pre-destined, and now becomes a murderer.

The novel is divided into two parts: an Editor's Narrative telling us the story of the Colwans and Wringhams, and then the Memoirs and Confessions themselves, which the editor says he found in an old Scottish grave. I first read this book when I was studying the Romantics in England, and recently got it out of storage. It has stayed with me for years so I was glad to reread it. The novel is a contrast between two sides, one of them straightforward evil (Robert's dear friend is in fact Satan). Opposing this, however, is not Good per se, but rather a good-humored irreverence. In Hogg's world, anyone too self-serious and religious is potentially open to the devil's preaching. Those given to piety are shown to be vain and judgmental. Contrasting them are jocular fellows who are impatient with people who claim to know God's will; their conversations with Robert and other Calvinists provide some of the comic relief. Towards the end of the book there is a well-meaning weaver's wife who cites her faith as a reason to shelter a vagrant ("them that winna entertain a stranger will never entertain an angel unawares"), but in general, putting too much store in the Bible is, in this novel, a very bad sign.

Characters could be better developed; for the most part, we see people in one particular stance and there they stay. Robert's parents, for example, are always humorless, bullying pedants (though I felt rather sorry for Robert's mother, who as a young woman used prayer as her excuse not to go to bed with her new husband, the Laird of Dalcastle; she might have been tiresome but the old Laird might have had some pity for her panic). The most complex character is Robert, whom we get to know better once we read his memoirs. Following the steps of his corruption is fascinating. I loved the moments when his dear friend is convincing him that some particular action is part of God's purpose, and Robert agrees but then secretly realizes that he just wants to do the crime for its own sake. They should have gone further with this. There are parts in the plot when Robert falls under enchantment and the devil takes actions in his person. Robert's helplessness and fear in response is gripping, but I would have been interested to read this same story with Robert as the conscious actor throughout. One thing is clear, selling your soul to the devil appears to be a very very bad deal.

I'm guessing that the Calvinists were none too pleased with James Hogg when this novel came out!(less)

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Jun 08, 2012 David Rain rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of the great Scottish novels, and a classic of gothic fiction. It’s set in the early eighteenth century. The Colwan brothers, children of a boisterous old laird and his sour, puritanical wife, are brought up entirely differently after their parents separate. George, the elder, becomes popular, sporting, devil-may-care; Robert becomes a religious fanatic, resentful and envious of his dashing brother. When his brother is murdered, Robert escapes suspicion, and succeeds to the family es...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Lizixer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-finished

When a young man is told that he belongs to the Elect, he rejoices in his good fortune. Now, he will go to New Jerusalem and nothing on earth can prevent him from receiving Grace. So if nothing can prevent him from going to Heaven, is the logical conclusion of this that he is then free to do whatever he wishes on Earth so long as he is serving god's will. Gil-Martin, a mysterious stranger who appears shortly after our young man is told he has been accepted in the Elect, manages to convince our y...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Bob rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Set in Scotland at the end of the 17th century, The Private Memoirs... is an "anti-Calvinist" novel in a style that might now be called black humor. The broader theme of religious hypocrisy can be appreciated and the humor enjoyed without needing to know the specific doctrinal disputes of the time.
The trope of having the Devil incarnate as one of the characters reminds me of The Master and Margarita and bearing in mind the centuries and disparate world views that divide the two, I enjoyed it qui...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Frank Clarke rated it 3 of 5 stars

Calvanistic Scotsman is told he is one of God's elect and can do no wrong in the eyes of God as Jesus' death has wiped the sin-slate clean. He then is persuaded by a stranger (Gil Martin-who we suspect is Satan, but are never quite sure if he is a doppelganger or a figment of the sinner's imagination) to commit murders in the name of religion.

Interesting structure. Begins with an introdution of events that the "editor" has garnered from popular tradition and then we get the events told from the...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Annette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-worldview, classics, gutenberg

Fascinating, again primarily from a historical perspective. The bulk of the book is a diary of sorts written by a young, 18th century Scott raised a Calvinist of the stripe that takes the iffiest parts of their theology to its (il)logical conclusions and beyond. On the very day his father joyfully shares with the young man that his salvation is assured, the unfortunate fellow meets and becomes bound to a stranger who, first through convincing theological argument, and later through more obviousl...more

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May 17, 2010 Anastasia Fitzgerald-Beaumont rated it 5 of 5 stars

So, what is the best Gothic novel ever written? For me there can only be one candidate: The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg, a nineteenth century Scottish poet and author. Hogg wrote it with a straight-forward intention: as a good macabre tale and as a satire on the Calvinist theology of his native Presbyterian church.

But with the passage of time more complex readings can be made; as an examination of a mind on the brink of collapse or, perhaps more import, es...more So, what is the best Gothic novel ever written? For me there can only be one candidate: The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg, a nineteenth century Scottish poet and author. Hogg wrote it with a straight-forward intention: as a good macabre tale and as a satire on the Calvinist theology of his native Presbyterian church.

But with the passage of time more complex readings can be made; as an examination of a mind on the brink of collapse or, perhaps more import, especially from the perspective of the last century, the way in which people, both individually and collectively can be seduced into crime; and I’m thinking here not of crime as a social pathology but as a state-sponsored practice.

So, before proceeding, let me say a word or two about Calvinist theology. One of the central tenets is the doctrine of predestination. In simple terms this means that one is either bound for heaven or hell irrespective of one’s earthly actions. God, in other words, has already determined who will be among the Elect and who will be among the Damned. He does not do deals; so the Catholic teaching of justification by works-or the sale of Indulgences-is totally without merit. It’s a complex doctrine, almost impossible to explain in a few words. But the important point is this: one cannot be removed from the company of the Elect, because God cannot be wrong. Earthly actions are of no relevance whatsoever.

It is around this that Hogg’s novel takes shape. The narrator, Robert Wringham, the supposed author of the papers that make up the The Private Memoirs, is approached by a Mephistophelean figure known only as Gil-Martin. It is Martin who seduces Wringham, telling him that he is among the Elect, convincing him to believe that he is in this august company. So, what does it matter what he does in life? After all, this great truth cannot be alerted.

Convinced of this truth, and now beyond all normal moral boundaries, Wringham is seduced into murder and other crimes. So, here in proto-type, is the central dilemma later posed in existentialist literature, in the work of people like Dostoevsky and Camus. If there is no God, if there are no ethics, then the strong, those beyond the limits of good and evil, can do and act as they will.

The book caused an outrage among certain sections of the Scottish Presbyterian community when it was first published in 1824, so much so that subsequent editions had to be modified.

The Private Memoirs is a simple yet complex text, well ahead of it’s time, in the use of narrative and perspective; of stories within stories, of truth as lie, and lie as truth. The ambiguity is quite wonderful. We never quite know if Gil-Martin, who may very well be Satan himself, is real or simply a product of the narrator’s disturbed mind. Hogg never reveals the full truth! (less)

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Sep 21, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book and I had a Love/Hate relationship, at times it bored me, the main character is infuriating, self-righteous and stupid, but hey, that's the point. However, there was no point at which i wanted to stop reading it, and i got through it rather quickly.

The philosophical / religious side of the book sparks a fascinating debate, even with itself, and leaves the reader pondering her own fate and the nature of predestination long after the book has been set aside.

The language is both lyrical...more

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Jun 17, 2013 Julio rated it 2 of 5 stars

I had a hard time getting into it at the beginning and thought about not continuing it but I did. After awhile I was a bit interested in the story. The situation between the two brothers and how Robert's mind is being manipulated and his ideals warped by this stranger intrigued me but not for long. There were moments where that I wanted to skip over because I just couldn't understand much of what the Scottish characters with their accents are saying some of the time. In one scene, one of Robert'...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Keely rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, horror, uk-and-ireland, fantasy, reviewed

I came across Hogg through his interactions with de Quincey, and so I grabbed his most notable work from Project Gutenberg, expecting another 'Opium Eater' about some clever reprobate's adventures through the Victorian. If you know anything about this book, then you can imagine my shock and wonder at discovering the story it actually contains.

It begins simply enough, as a witty picaresque set in Scotland and making some mockery of self-righteousness and Calvinist pre-destination in particular. B...more I came across Hogg through his interactions with de Quincey, and so I grabbed his most notable work from Project Gutenberg, expecting another 'Opium Eater' about some clever reprobate's adventures through the Victorian. If you know anything about this book, then you can imagine my shock and wonder at discovering the story it actually contains.

It begins simply enough, as a witty picaresque set in Scotland and making some mockery of self-righteousness and Calvinist pre-destination in particular. But then the thing breaks off, it becomes suddenly clear that it is impossible for it to continue as it began, and we are split off into a second telling of the same events from a new point of view, a la Rashōmon. This second version is much darker and the prose becomes experimental, until we seem to be dealing with a crazed serial killer attended and impelled by a strange figure who may be the devil himself--if indeed he exists, at all.

The narrator is what we'd call a 'flat character', as despite his doubts and concerns, he remains static throughout and does not go through a great revelation about his state. This can be somewhat frustrating, as often, the only thing we desire of the character is for him to show the slightest bit of self-awareness, but the story is also a kind of satire of allegory, and those of us who recall The Pilgrim's Progress, Piers Plowman, and Everyman will see that Hogg's work provides a sort of parallel to Candide , and that the wooden characters are a fuel for mockery, and for deeper thought.

Yet I found Hogg's work much more interesting than Voltaire's, for as much as Voltaire turned the allegory on its head, in the end that's just an inverted allegory, relying on the same stereotypes for its message, but mocking instead of lauding them. Hogg, on the other hand, manages to make the whole thing conflicted, self-consuming, deluded, and mad. His treatment of Calvinist doctrine might be said to play rather straight, but all the other notions his story is concerned with intermingle and subvert beyond any straightforward interpretation.

But in the end, and for all that, I'm not sure what to say about it. As a piece of art, it is powerful and unusual, prefiguring existentialist and experimental literature, but for what it all means, I feel somewhat less qualified to say.(less)

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Jul 28, 2011 Naomi Begg rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics, reading-writing, scottish

Super, super religious and a little strange! Its about a young man whose father is a reverand, and a few pages into the story his father tells him he's been added to some holy list of people who are guaranteed a place in heaven no matter what they do wrong. He has the idea that as God's servant its his calling in life to wipe out the sinners of the world, although this is really just a fantasy he has. However, he meets an anonymous stranger one day, who forms a bizarre attachment to him, and man...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Kaput rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, really-enjoyed

Oh what a pleasingly deranged book. I picked this up because I was intrigued by the title, can you confess to something you think is justified? I'm not sure, it sounds a little bit contradictory to me but that pretty much sums up the main character.

I was quite surprised this was written in the 19th Century as it doesn't contain the ridiculously over long sentences that afflict a fair few novels of this period. Basically, a shepherd known as er, James Hogg (presumably taking the pee out of himse...more Oh what a pleasingly deranged book. I picked this up because I was intrigued by the title, can you confess to something you think is justified? I'm not sure, it sounds a little bit contradictory to me but that pretty much sums up the main character.

I was quite surprised this was written in the 19th Century as it doesn't contain the ridiculously over long sentences that afflict a fair few novels of this period. Basically, a shepherd known as er, James Hogg (presumably taking the pee out of himself a bit) comes across a dead body that has a manuscript attached to its fingers. The manuscript is the confession of The Sinner and Hogg writes a brief essay for a magazine about it which interests someone known as 'The Editor', who then researches the events contained within the manuscript and comes up with his own version of what happened. But...this all occurs ass backwards in the novel so the Editors research of the events comes first followed by the manuscript and then Hogg makes a brief, gruff appearance at the end. Take that Post Modernism!

So what's really good about this is that you get two completely contradictory accounts of the same events, the Editors and the Sinner, with each one casting doubt on the other. The Sinner admits to being a liar so there is a good chance he's written what he has with the intention of looking good, but he's also the primary source to the events of his life, and so maybe has some greater claim to them. The Sinners tale at least casts some light on his motivations for what occurs in the Editors tale. Confusingly the Editor decides that the Sinners manuscript is probably just an allegory or that he's a complete maniac and that he can't possibly have done some of the things he claims to have done in his text, so, is the Sinner then even the same character that appears in the Editors version of events? Really I have no idea and the ending was either a bit of mess or there was another level of mischief going on by the author(probably, he was known for it).

I actually thought this started off quite amusing, the obvious caricatures of the type of religious person Hogg dislikes were really snide and some of the scenes, like where the Sinner follows his brother around everywhere and freaks out all his friends were so bizarre I found them quite funny as well as unnerving (that is, if there was a sinner, maybe it was just one guy talking to himself and telling his shadow to stop following him around that freaked everyone out *Twilight Zone music*).

The thing I didn't like is really nothing to do with Hogg. Occasionally he would have his characters talk in a Scots dialect complete with its own vocabulary, which is cool, I like mentally putting on an accent to read these parts but although you receive a glossary of some of the more unusual terms in this dialect I found plenty of times I went to look something up in the glossary and it wasn't mentioned! This also happened when I read John Buchan's 'Witch Wood' and made a really cool book a bit of a nightmare at times to read. Thankfully it didn't happen so much in this one but it can kind of interrupt the flow of your reading.(less)

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Jan 13, 2011 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, 1001-before-you-die, guardian-1000, new-1001-to-read-before-you-die-2n, own

A strange, deeply interesting, challenging and, at times, maddening book that looks at the dangers of self-righteousness and a belief in your own religious and moral superiority.

The second child of an extremely unhappy marraige (though his paternity could be in doubt), Robert's father refuses to recognise him and so he goes to live with his fanatically pious mother and the Reverend Robert Wringhim, who fill his head with their own fanatical and strict religious views along with a deep hatred of...more A strange, deeply interesting, challenging and, at times, maddening book that looks at the dangers of self-righteousness and a belief in your own religious and moral superiority.

The second child of an extremely unhappy marraige (though his paternity could be in doubt), Robert's father refuses to recognise him and so he goes to live with his fanatically pious mother and the Reverend Robert Wringhim, who fill his head with their own fanatical and strict religious views along with a deep hatred of his natural father and older brother George. Already a sullen, malicious and deceitful boy, things turn for the worse when he is seduced into friendship with a stranger, Gil-Martin, who shares his beliefs and soon starts to encourage and influence Robert's view of himself as being free to sin as he pleases due to his belief of being one of the elect, sure to find a place at God's right hand due to his faith. Embarking first upon a campaign against his brother, Robert's deeds soon become bloody as he sets about cleansing the world of what he sees as sinners.

Told in two narratives, the first is a relatively 'straight' telling of events as related by an 'editor'. The second are Robert's version of events, along with his thoughts and feelings. This method worked extremely well, allowing us to see events in a linear fashion as well as getting a non-fanatics view of George as a person, before plunging us into Robert's viewpoint, allowing us to feel a small measure of empathy for him and, while not condoning his actions, understanding why he's acting in this way whilst raising interesting questions about his companion.

At first thinking that Robert might be schizophrenic, I threw that theory out when it became apparent that Gil-Martin had been seen by many other that Robert. Instead he would appear to be the devil, using Robert's vanity and beliefs, particularly those of self justification and superiority, to encourage him into further crimes. However, Robert has already confessed and been shown to be deceitful so his word can't be entirely trusted. It would also appear that we can't trust the editor's narrative either, as he states his version of events is based not only on old records but old testimony and handed down stories, which could also be subject to exaggerations and falsehoods.

I would have rated this higher had the nature of Gil-Martin been left a little more ambiguous and if I had been able to understand some more of the sections written in broad Scots dialect (I only realised there was a glossary after I'd finished reading...doh!) but nonetheless this is a fascinating book, extremely well written, that will leave you thinking about it for a long time.(less)

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Jul 16, 2012 Raj rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, religion, philosophy

This book is a satirical deconstruction of an extreme religious pre-deterministic position. The protagonist firmly believes himself to be saved by the Grace of god and so feels free to indulge his religious position to engage in some mightily unchristian behaviour. It's difficult to say more without spoilers.

I think this book has problems with its structure. I nearly gave up with it several times before I had even got to the confession. The editor's narrative is very slow to start with and the w...more

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Jul 08, 2010 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1001, 19th-century

Written by a Scottish peasant turned poet/writer, this story is about the son of a Calvinist minister who is assured that he is one of the elect, and nothing he could do would change that. He then falls in with a character of great persuasion and rhetoric that leads him to act as God's avenger, killing those he deems wicked, or perhaps not one of the chosen. The more and more he aligns himself with this man, the stranger he appears to be, with numerous otherworldly powers. Towards the end, from...more

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Jan 16, 2010 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I've long known James Hogg as a collector of Scottish songs, particularly Jacobite ones. I'd never known he wrote a novel until very recently. The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner is pretty cool, but after reading it I'm not too surprised it isn't better known. It's about a serial killer, Robert Wringham, in early eighteenth century Scotland whose predestinarian views have drifted into antinomianism. Sure that he is God's instrument to chasten evil-doers, he acts accordingly...more

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May 27, 2012 Corinna Hann rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was such a quick read, which maybe gives it 3.5 stars. Not that the dialect laden dialogue wasn't a bit hairy at times (so thankful for the glossary at the end of the book), but the plot of both the Editor's Narrative and the Private Confessions moved smoothly and seamlessly. It was nice to have the Editor's Narrative to sum up the events of Robert Wringhim's quite eventful life. This novel is the gothic version of Boondock Saints without the cute Irishmen and Willem Dafoe's classically ind...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Fiona rated it 5 of 5 stars

An amazing, complex novel that can be read a hundred times over and still leave the reader gagging to come back for more. It follows the story of a young man who embarks on a career as a serial killer, and the look into the mindset of such an individual is fascinating. The best aspect of this novel for me was the alternating theory that he believes the devil is convincing him to wage a war against God, or that he is havig delusional episodes. The concept of predestination to heaven is a signific...more

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