The Fanatic (novel)

Overview

The book progresses along two lines. The first is historical and deals with the events of the Scottish Covenanters 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.

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 HarperCollins (United Kingdom) / Fourth Estate (United States), 2001. ISBN 978-1-84115-189-2.