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

[juushika]

Title: The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner: Written by Himself: With a detail of curious traditionary facts and other evidence by the editor
Author: James Hogg
Published: 1824
Rating: 4.5 of 5
Page Count: 390
Total Page Count: 550,215
Text Number: 2049
Read Because: this recommendation list, Project Gutenberg has this one
Review: Predestined for salvation, the second and unrecognized son of a laird can commit no sin—he can't be guilty even when his mysterious companion urges him to murder his brother. This isn't the easiest historical novel to get into; I found the Scots a consistent barrier to entry, and the frame narration is incredibly effective but also makes for a divided tone and pacing. But! Who cares! The frame introduces the external facts; the titular memoir, the subjective reality of unreliable narration. In combination, this is a why-/how-dun-it satirical psychological gothic novel, simultaneously comically unsubtle—

I had a desire to slay him, it is true, and such a desire too as a thirsty man has to drink; but, at the same time, this longing desire was mingled with a certain terror, as if I had dreaded that the drink for which I longed was mixed with deadly poison. My mind was so much weakened, or rather softened about this time, that my faith began a little to give way, and I doubted most presumptuously of the least tangible of all Christian tenets, namely, of the infallibility of the elect.

—and beautifully indeterminate, namely in the uncanny friend's seduction, liberation, and harrowing of the sinner himself. I immediately pinged Dumas's A History of Fear as inspired by this (it is), but I'd go further and call it a retelling, structurally but also thematically, right down to the queerness. But Justified Sinner is better: a seductive subtext (fascinating counterpoint to the devil in MacLane's I Await the Devil's Coming or Warner's Lolly Willowes), much denser narrative, and frankly hilarious. This is one for the reread pile, particularly trusting that the difficult parts will be easier with familiarity.


Another quote:

"I have always been swayed by your counsel," said I, "and for your sake, principally, am I sorry that all our measures have proved abortive. But I hope still to be useful in my native isle, therefore let me plead that your highness will abandon a poor despised and outcast wretch to his fate, and betake you to your realms, where your presence cannot but be greatly wanted."

"Would that I could do so!" said he woefully. "But to talk of that is to talk of an impossibility. I am wedded to you so closely that I feel as if I were the same person. Our essences are one, our bodies and spirits being united, so that I am drawn towards you as by magnetism, and, wherever you are, there must my presence be with you."

Comments

[starshipfox]

So interesting to read this review! I had to read this book in university in Scotland and HATED it, but I wasn't in the best place mentally to appreciate anything, and I have since come to enjoy books that I hated then. So perhaps I should try to read it again? You make it sounds interesting!

[juushika]

There's something about loathing the assigned reading that I've never been able to remediate; never in the sense that I feel like I should try but I can't force myself to make the effort, even when I see people make reasonable! even enticing! statements about the Tainted Tome.

Catcher in the Rye is one of mine. I'd probably like if it were dropped into my lap now, but, back then? loathing loathing loathing.

Anyway, I'd be interested to see what you think of Justified Sinner if you're braver than I! It hits notes that I'm particularly drawn to, so I'm no objective reader, but I definitely found it interesting.

[starshipfox]

I have these feelings about 1984. I'm sure it has its good points, but I can't even think about it without getting annoyed. I was lucky that Catcher in the Rye was never assigned reading, because I love it.

I think reading assigned at university was less tainted, because it felt like we spent a YEAR reading stupid old 1984, whereas I only sat through one lecture on Justified Sinner, and I don't remember it well enough to feel too wound up about it.