Whitney Solves a Dilemma with Solomon: And Learns the Importance of Honesty Book

Tom, the narrator is the 30 year old intellectual son of a vicar, a professional student and also a militant atheist. His long drawn out PHD in philosophy has been delayed by a secret writing project leading up to a spiritual crisis which he chronicles in a deadpan, unintentionally comic way. His project is a debate about the existence and nature of God and the insoluble 'problem of evil'
(i.e. if God is omnipotent and benevolent, how can he allow evil to exist in the world?)

This is a thought provoking and witty approach to difficult concepts, full of literary and philosophical allusions, but enlivened by Tom's over-dramatic style, rendering his existential angst too comic to be tragic.

[This was Woods first novel and as gamekeeper turned poacher, he was given a rough reception by fellow reviewers due to his own reputation as the Guardian's unforgiving literary critic in the late 80's]

Reviewed for Whichbook.net