by James Wood
First published 2003
Thomas Bunting sits in his study, supposedly working on his philosophy PhD after seven years of delay. Instead, he writes "The Book Against God," his secret atheistic manifesto. His marriage crumbles around him while his academic career stalls. When his father falls seriously ill, Thomas travels back to his childhood village in northern England. His father remains the local parish priest, a brilliant Christian who represents everything Thomas rebels against. Thomas arrives hoping for honest conversation and personal clarity. But he cannot stop lying, even now. The old patterns return immediately. He slips back into the evasive habits that defined his youth. His chronic dishonesty sabotages every attempt at genuine connection. The village setting intensifies the conflict between father and son, believer and atheist. Thomas discovers that his philosophical rebellion means nothing if he cannot speak truthfully to the man who raised him. His lies multiply as the crisis deepens.
Genres: literary-fiction, christian-fiction, contemporary, atheism, family-drama, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: England, Northern England
Period: 21st-century
Hardcover · Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Content warnings: depression, mental-illness