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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 February 2010
I've been reading Andrew Rilstone's writings on the Internet for many years, and find myself returning to them again and again or the sheer delight of re-reading them. It's as much a relief as anything to find a selection of some of his works in book form. This volume -- apparently to be the first of many -- collects essays on Richard Dawkins' book The God Delusion, not so much critiquing it as playing with it. Although Rilstone can be careful and meticulous in his arguments, much like C. S. Lewis who he so admires, the best comparison is maybe with G. K. Chesterton: like GKC's best work, Rilstone's draws you effortlessly into thinking about important issues simply by being so much fun. The writing is simultaneously playful and erudite, witty and profound.
Downsides: there are rather too many typos and homonyms ("too" for "to", "it's" for "its" and the like), and the book is not terribly big: having accumulated such a substantial backlog of material, I do think Rilstone might have included a little more in this book than he did. Still, these are minor black marks to put against a writer who as far as I can tell is unique the modern world. Outstanding book, and I am very much looking forward to the promised volumes of the Star Wars films and on Lewis and Tolkien.
Downsides: there are rather too many typos and homonyms ("too" for "to", "it's" for "its" and the like), and the book is not terribly big: having accumulated such a substantial backlog of material, I do think Rilstone might have included a little more in this book than he did. Still, these are minor black marks to put against a writer who as far as I can tell is unique the modern world. Outstanding book, and I am very much looking forward to the promised volumes of the Star Wars films and on Lewis and Tolkien.
