Unspeakable

by Dilys Rose

Based on a true case, here a young man pays the ultimate price for saying what he thinks in this masterful historical novel by a writer at the height of her powers.

Edinburgh in the late 17th century is centre of religious authoritarianism, intolerance and fear. The flames of the city's famous Enlightenment are yet to burn.

Based on the true story of Thomas Aikenhead, this is the fictional account of a 20 year-old student who was the last person in Britain to be tried and executed for blasphemy.

Dilys Rose is one of Scotland's very best literary writers. This is a brilliant historical novel, from an acclaimed and award-winning writer at the height of her powers, with great resonance for today.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Scotland

272 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 2017

About the author

Dilys Rose is a Scottish fiction writer and poet. Born in 1954 in Glasgow, Rose studied at Edinburgh University, where she has been teaching Creative Writing since 2001. She is currently Director of the MSc in Creative Writing by Online Learning.

Rose has won many awards, including the Canongate Prize, the Macallan/Scotland on Sunday Short Story Competition, and a Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial Award; she has also been awarded a Society of Authors travel bursary and a UNESCO City of Literature exchange fellowship. Her poem Sailmaker's Palm won the 2006 McCash Poetry Prize, and her poetry collection Bodywork was shortlisted for the Sundial Scottish Arts Council Book Award. Rose's novel Red Tides won the 1993 Scottish Arts Council Book Award, as well as being shortlisted for the Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year Award and the McVitie's Prize for Scottish Writer of the Year.

Her third novel Unspeakable was published by Freight Books in 2017.

Reviews

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1697, University of Edinburgh medical student Thomas Aikenhead became the last person in England to be hung for the crime of blasphemy. A young Tom was very inquisitive. He wanted to know if more truth could be made by stretching the truth. Why, he wondered, did two of his sisters die in infancy. Why did the Lord need so many bairn? Do cats have souls, and if so, can cats go to hell?

Tom's early upbringing included weekly churchgoing where the minister preached fire and brimstone. One May day, several families including Tom's skipped church, choosing instead, to picnic by the river. Church elders were sent to determine who the Sabbath breakers were. Tom's mother was made to stand on a stool of repentance in church for six consecutive Sundays and be publicly humiliated along with gamblers and fornicators.

After losing both parents at a young age, Tom was sent to live with legal guardian, Sir Patrick Aikenhead. Thomas was deemed to be bright and well mannered. Sir Patrick, demonstrating Christian charity, sent Tom to the University of Edinburgh. The 1690's were a time of free thinkers. University libraries and booksellers stocked the works of Descartes,Spinoza and others. Students debated and hypocrisy abounded. Church informers were zealous.

"Unspeakable" by Dilys Rose is a beautifully written historic fictional account of the life of Thomas Aikenhead. Thomas lived in a time when disrespect for men of the cloth and a loose tongue invoked ecclesiastical authority to curb profanity and urge piety. An excellent read.

Thank you Freight Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Unspeakable".

[Lucy Banks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting storyline, marred by a difficult-to-follow style of dialogue.

Firstly, let me start by saying that it's clear that Dilys Rose can write. The plot itself is intriguing - and I think she captured the essence of Scotland very well. My main issue (and perhaps this is just me being a bit thick here!) is with the dialogue. It's all written in a thick Scottish brogue, and for the most part, I found it incredibly difficult to follow, which did affect my enjoyment of the book.

This is perhaps just me - maybe others won't experience the same problem, and I hate to slam the author for it, as I say, she's clearly a very accomplished writer.

[Melisende · Rating 1 out of 5]

What should have been an interesting story on the trial and execution of Thomas Aikenhead for blasphemy on Scotland in 1697 evaporated into an unreadable tome due to the author's insistence on writing in local dialect. After persevering through three chapters with no punctuation to indicate who was speaking when, I went straight to the final chapter.

In the end, I decided my time was better spent going off and reading through the real bones of the case much easier reading.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This is the story of Thomas Aikenhead. He was a young man of just twenty when he was hanged for blasphemy. He was the last man to be hanged for blasphemy in the United Kingdom.

The book starts out when he was a child and carries on through to his time at the university, where his insatiable lust for learning got him into trouble. Thomas had a love of learning throughout his life. It started very early on and was demonstrated by his always asking questions – of everyone.

The eventual charges were that for more than twelve moths Thomas decried against the word of God and said that he preferred Mohammed above Jesus. He does not recall ever thinking on the matter of Mohammed and Jesus. He believes that his words were misconstrued. He has only stated what other people believe. He has no defense counsel, no one would come forward. There were witnesses who say that he blasphemed.

Some say that he was murdered.

This book, a historical novel, is a fascinating view of Scotland, its culture and people, during the 18th Century. It is well written and easily accessible.

Thanking Netgalley and Freight Books for forwarding to me a copy of this remarkable book to read.

[BrokenTune · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a disappointment.

Here was a book with a great premise: a historical fiction story set in Edinburgh and telling the story of the last man to be trialled for blasphemy in the UK.

Unfortunately, the book turned out to be less of an investigation into the historical details of Thomas Aikenhead's life and trial, and more of a study of missed chances. Missed chances for the storyteller, that is.

If you're setting out to write a story that has a charge of blasphemy at its heart, don't forget to discuss what blasphemy is and how it was viewed in the time the story is set. Or, if this was a fairly recent law (which it was in this case) how it came about. I want to know these things. This is what I came here for together with this next aspect:

The trial. Surely, if the premise of the book is that it is about the last person put to trial for blasphemy, it is not too much to expect at least an attempt at a 17th century version of a court room drama?!

But no, we basically got that young Thomas was arrested, put in jail, had a brief private exchange with the people who accused him (this part had to be made up by the author as this certainly would not have been in the official records), then his charge is read in court, and a couple of pages later the judges put on their black caps... Ugh.

I need more than this. I need to know how the trial was handled. Did he have a defense? Did the legal system at the time allow for a legal aide to be provided? What considerations were made by the court? How come the prosecution ask for a penalty that should only have been available for a third offence, but not a first as this was? How come the court followed through with this? What was the public reaction?

I have so many questions. But, yet again, we get only a very few pages right at the end of the book.

Btw, I marked this review as containing spoilers, but really since the author and the publishers have decided to give away the outcome of the trial in the very first line on the back-cover of the book, I might not have given a damn about the spoiler warning.

Just as I really could not give a damn about the first 75% of the book which were all building up to the offence, the prosecution, trial, and punishment.

So, apart from a book of missed chances, this also was a book of misunderstanding between me and the author - I skipped much of the book between pages 99 and 158, and the author somehow managed to skip writing a story worth reading.

Oh, well.

[Naty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on my blog.

I have received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unspeakable tells the story of Thomas Aikenhead, the last person in Britain to be executed for blasphemy. It's such an interesting story! Unfortunately, I could not finish this book, but I did think it was worth 3 stars. I will explain in the next paragraphs.

The writing is really amusing and authentic and the author has such talent. It is so well done it's easy to picture the characters and Scotland back in the late 1600s. The main character Thomas is smart, inquisitive and curious. I was particularly fond of the not-so-subtle criticism to the church and law. It made me smirk many times as I read.

However, my problem with this book is that the Scottish accent is translated into the dialogues, which, especially for non-native English speakers like me, can make it hard to follow. I simply could not finish this book. It was an exhaustive mental exercise to translate something twice and try to guess what those words could possibly mean ("Nocht", "ken", etc...), which took away my pleasure for reading it. If not for that, it would have been a really, really good and interesting book, which is why I decided to give it 3 stars. If it wasn't for my trouble reading it, I would have given it 5. It is such an amazing critique of that time, and I hardly ever read stories set in Scotland, which was particularly interesting to me.

Veredict: This is such an interesting story about a young man who ultimately will be hanged for blasphemy. Set in Scotland in the late 1600s, it is written so well the reader feels as if they were there, too. The dialogue as a literal speech transcription, however, made it really hard for me to read this book, and turned an otherwise great read into a laborious exercise for me. If you have no problem reading this type of dialogue, I recommend this book very much.

[Elizabeth Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no mystery about the fate of young Thomas Aikenhead, the protagonist of Dilys Rose's excellent new historical novel, "Unspeakable"; we know, right from the start, that he is destined to die by the noose which hangs so ominously on the front cover. The suspense in the novel lies in why he suffers such a dreadful fate: what is his crime? What factors in his character and in the culture and environment of the time and the place (Edinburgh, in the 1690s) bring him to such an unhappy end?
We first meet Thomas as a young boy, son of an Apothecary/Chirurgeon who, as a man of science encourages the boy's garrulousness and his habit of questioning everything he encounters around him. The opening chapter describes the exciting spectacle of the arrival of an elephant in Edinburgh. Young Thomas is, of course, enthralled. The people of the city flock to gaze on the exotic beast, just as at the end of the novel, they will gather to relish the spectacle of Thomas Aikenhead's hanging.
This period of Scottish history, on the cusp of the Enlightenment, is a fascinating one, in which, essentially, two worlds collide: the modern spirit of scientific enquiry, discoveries and new inventions and the older tradition of unquestioning obedience to God epitomised in the dour, Scots Presbytrianism that hangs over the city like a pall, discouraging enquiry and harshly punishing any who offend against the rules imposed by the Presbytery, whether by fornication, Sabbath breaking or in any way challenging the doctrines of the Church.
For anyone of enquiring mind and independent thought, the atmosphere is challenging. For one who combines these qualities with an enjoyment of debate and a garrulous habit, like Thomas Aikenhead, it proves deadly.
Dilys Rose's excellent eye for authentic, historical detail, combined with her skills as a storyteller and a creator of convincing characters, vivid scenes and lively, Scots dialogue, make this an outstandingly well written and engaging novel which I highly recommend.

[Ami Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fictional accounts of real people are really hard to write. There have been few that I've read where I feel that the author does the history justice; the true curse of the history major. My matrilineal descent stems from Edinburgh so I've long been fascinated with its history. This novel is an excellent demonstration of what a well researched book can be. The explanation and portrayal of Scottish culture, the dynamic and enigmatic personality of Thomas Aikenhead, the general uncertainty of whether or not his death was justified, these are only a handful of reasons to love this book. Even in a modern setting the fear and utter hatred that was felt for him and by him, the zeal for knowledge and the almost addictive need he had for it still feel every bit as real now as they must have back then.

[Emi Yoshida · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have complained in the past about books set in Ireland or Scotland that were written without brogue or burr, so I feel ridiculous complaining now about having trouble understanding Dilys Rose's dialog, but alas twas well impossible ta ken. I would recommend this to those who like dark, and like historical fiction, and who can get past unspeakable real life injustice; for this is good but it is harsh. God-abiding, good kids Thomas, his big sister Katharine and little sister Anna cannot catch a break: first debt and drinking kills their apothecary father, then an utter lack of resources and mercy kills their mother and renders them homeless. Distant relatives with money provide them a period of relief, but it's short-lived even though they study hard, never misbehave, and remain uncorrupted by bad influences all around them. Times were hard in 1697, at the tragic end of Unspeakable; but after that times just kept getting harder - what with bloody uprisings, mass exodus and the potato famine, etc.

[ManOfLaBook.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unspeakable by Dilys Rose is a novel taking place in 17th Century Scotland. Ms. Rose is a famous, and prolific Scottish author, this is the first book I read which she wrote.

Thomas Aikenhead lived in Scotland his whole life, he was a bright student who loved his country, family and religion. Thomas though had an enemy, a childhood bully, who tried to get him in trouble for blasphemy, but got Thomas executed instead.

This book is based on the true story of the protagonist. He was the last person in Scotland (and Britain) to be executed for blasphemy.

“The preachers who were the poor boy’s murderers crowded round him at the gallows, and… insulted heaven with prayers more blasphemous than anything he had uttered.”
– Sir Thomas James Babington Macaulay, Baron of Rothley

Something drew me to Unspeakable by Dilys Rose, the subject matter was fascinating and I felt that I could learn a thing or two while being entertained. But what really prompted me to read this book was the dialogue.

Ms. Rose wrote a beautiful book about the fictional life of the very real Thomas Aikenhead (ache-in-head). The author captures the time when a loose tongue and disrespect of men (and only men) of the cloth would land one in a heap of trouble.

This is a fascinating chapter (or maybe it is just a footnote?) in Scottish history. The people and places come to life, the Scottish culture written about is utterly fascinating, and the story is engaging.

For me, the star of the narrative was the dialogue. Ms. Rose wrote the dialogue in Scottish accent, which at first was tough to read but the more I deciphered it the more I enjoyed reading it.
The secret: try to say the dialogue out loud, even if it’s just a whisper – you’ll immediately gain the pleasure of discovery, almost like solving a simple puzzle and getting that rush of simple amusement.

This is an interesting, well written book. The author makes you feel as if you are part of the story and has taken you with her to old Scotland.

For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com

[Lauren Wards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, especially as I sometimes find it hard to read fiction based on a real person.

The story is not really about Thomas's sentence, and eventual death, rather I like the story for the way it dealt with the harshness of 17th century Scottish life, Edinburgh and the religious beliefs that were at risk during the time. Rose's description of Edinburgh is so incredibly realistic, I could almost taste the rancid air and feel the fog on my skin.

Some reviews have drawn attention to her use of Scots throughout, and I think it is important to note it in this review too. Brought up in the north east, I was raised surrounded by the Doric, so Rose's Scots is probably not dissimilar to what I would recognise, however in some places it didn't seem like she was using quite the right word or turn of phrase. I did however like that the characters were written in Scots and the narration in English, because to me Scots (and indeed Doric) is a spoken language. If you can handle the bastardisation of Scots like I did, I think you would enjoy the story it helps weave of Thomas's plight.

Sadly it is my understanding that the publishers went into liquidation so the book is stuck in limbo, which I think is quite sad as I'm sure there would be many folk interested in 17th century Scotland would enjoy reading this! I found it in my local library, but struggled to find it to buy.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received the book on Netgalley.

The description of the book seems very interesting, which is why I started reading it. However, soon after I started, my struggles with the language began. I am a huge fan of Scotland, but as a non-native speaker and having only been there twice, I do not have much experience with the dialect used in the book. That made the book more of a struggle to read even though I am sure the content is interesting.

Due to the language, I gave up on the book since, as I already said, it was a difficult to understand and follow. At the beginning, I thought I could get over it, but it turned out that I can't and I had to put the book down. I usually try to get through the book but here the language made it almost impossible, and too much of a work and less of enjoyment to read. I am sure the author is good, knows the history and the characters but I gave up a few chapters in.

I can't write much in a review since I could not read the whole book, yet I wanted to say something. I know I criticised the book, but I would maybe recommend it to someone who has experience/knows the dialect used, as it would be easier for them to follow and get interested in the story.

[Geraldine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unforgettable historical novel. From its opening on Edinburgh's Royal Mile with its bustle of poor folk and gentry thrumming about, the rich colours and no less rich stench rise up off the page to transport the reader to where an elephant is being taunted and bullied by the crowd in what is an eerie foreshadowing of the fate that befalls the main character, the young student Thomas Aikenhead.
Son of a feckless father, an apothecary, and of an independent- minded mother this is no time to be arguing about Religion when the Church is bearing down on the people, no less than a nervous an insecure State is doing.

No time indeed for young students to be openly arguing and testing out the stuff they are reading at the College of Theology. Young Thomas is clever but unwise. As his fate unwinds around him we are transported to the period through the intensity and beauty of the prose and grip of the powerful storytelling. Thomas Aikenhead is a tragic character and I read of the injustice wreaked upon this first time offender,he is indicted for Blasphemy, with horror and sorrow, the more because this is a true story. In 1697 Aikenhead was the last person to be executed for the crime in Scotland.

[Andrew McPake · Rating 5 out of 5]

One only discovers a novel of this quality every decade or so. With precision, humour and humanity, Rose provides a compelling depiction of Scotland’s darkest century - the 17th century. Harsh conditions and food shortages meant that half the adult population left. Meanwhile, religious fanaticism gripped the country. Few works as movingly capture the poisonous effect “The Glorious Revolution” had upon Scotland. The novel should interest anyone who wishes to learn more about the psychology of absolutism.

The elephant at the start of the novel is now one of my favourite metaphors in literature. In this chapter-long description of the animal cruelty that passed for entertainment in those days, Rose manages to foreshadow most of the novel’s evens. With meticulous regards for historical detail and speech, Rose obliterates any kind of nostalgia we might have for Old Edinburgh. Nonetheless, we can take hope from this. Less than a century later, Edinburgh was home to the world’s greatest thinkers and one of the most vibrant intellectual cultures that has existed since the ancient world. We must hope that North Korea or Syria might, in a century’s time, experience a similar transformation.

[Len Northfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to confess to being a bit disappointed in this book. It is built on a series of vignettes throughout Thomas Aikenhead's life and it felt like a series of short stories bolted together to create a novel. This has been used successfully by other authors (notably Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout) but, what was singularly missing from this book was depth to any of the characters, especially Aikenhead.

Given that the book was about him, and how he came to be the last person executed for blasphemy in Britain, the shallow characterisation spoiled it for me. Rrally all we learn of him is that he was a good boy with a penchant for speaking out of turn. The other characters were as flimsy, especially the cause of Aikenhead's demise, Mungo Craig.

The vignettes were well enough written, but the author really missed the opportunity to delve into Thomas's personality and that of his nemesis, and, frankly, every other character in the book.

I enjoyed the writing and some of the scene setting was excellent, but my overall reaction was, what actually happened here?

Sorry...

Actually, when i think about it, the second major issue i had with the book, despite the skill of the writer, it always felt like writing, if you know what i mean?

[Sonia Jackett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thoroughly unenjoyable really. As probably attested to by the length of time I took to read it.

I don’t really have much sympathy for those who say they didn’t enjoy the book because it was written in Scots dialect. Some brilliant books are - Trainspotting and Budda Da to name but two off the top of my heid.

I do however, have a lot of sympathy with those who say they didn’t enjoy the book because of the way Dilys Rose uses the Scots dialect. I think it’s done quite badly, in the sense that it seems to me she had used unnecessary words just to make it sound even more Scottish and thus sentences do not flow properly.

But for me it wasn’t the dialect that put me off this book it was the story and the writing. I just found it quite boring. Lured in by the sense of a morbid hanging, I was slightly irked to find only the last 2 chapters deal with this issue. The rest is more of a development of Aikenhead’s life (ok albeit littered with evidence later used against him) but it just didn’t hold me captive.

I also found the earlier chapters extremely difficult, filled with anachronistic hyperboles as they were. The second half of the book seemed better but as much as I tried I just didn’t like this book.

[Josie Crimp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This historical novel had an intriguing premise, and the quality of the writing is very good. I found I enjoyed the first half far more than the second half; I felt that the plot slowed down, and the new characters weren't as interesting. In the first half, there would be a jump forward in time with each chapter, almost giving it the feel of a short story cycle, and surprisingly effective in inviting the reaader to join up the dots. The second half, on the otherhand, was more of a steady flow. Also, perhaps the problem with a book with this kind of premise is that the reader knows the end before they even start it; this means it is harder to keep up any sense of suspense as that ending approaches. That said, I'd recommend this to anyone who likes historical fiction and has an interest in Scotland.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book somewhat dull, particularly the first 100 pages. I appreciate that the description of 17th century Edinburgh is very well done but it did somewhat fail to grip. There was a ghastly inevitability about the whole thing. The abhorrent behaviour of the Kirk authorities aided and abetted by their hypocritical lickspittle toadies in the general populace made my blood boil as I knew it would. Those in power screwed over those without power, no change there then. However I did learn some historical facts that I had not known before. My favourite lines are Naismith's, on the topic of education - "There's those that can and will, those that can and willna, and those that canna even if they will". Oh so true.

[Ignacio Peña · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found myself initially engaged with the book, but found myself distanced from the whole thing after the first third, and ultimately became a bit of a chore to finish. Unspeakable feels like a collected series of vignettes that centers around the Aikenhead family leading up to Thomas' execution, and while at times (mostly near the beginning) this created an interesting look at old Edinburgh, it began to feel really unfocused and impersonal and I never found myself invested either Thomas, his sisters, nor the potential scandal surrounding what his death could have triggered around the crime of blasphemy in Edinburgh. For me I just kind of shrugged at the end.

[GBL · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a challenging book as much of it is written in Scots but is well worth the effort for it tells a story of injustice and intolerance in a society where religion has become the leading authority and power.
Thomas Aikenhead, a young student, is tried and condemned for blasphemy at a time when the Kirk, the Church of Scotland, was powerful and intolerant of dissent and challenge. A free thinker, Thomas is beginning to open his mind to new thinking that would lead to the enlightenment of the next century. He stands as a hero of the time, sent to his death " As Ane Example and Terror".

[Hettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm in two minds about this book. It's premise and the idea behind it, the use of Scots, the flowing narration all work wonderfully well, however, the pacing of this book lets it down. I debated between giving it 2 or 3 stars and settled on 2 but I would still recommend it as a narrative about a very interesting event in Edinburgh history and its place in the wider history of Scotland and the Kirk

[Julie Gustafson-Monk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very hard to read. I couldn't follow the dialogue of the book. I agree the storyline was very likable. But not being able to understand the dialogue made it a very unenjoyable to read.
I refuse to give bad reviews. Yet, the need to be honest is always a good thing.
The author can definitely write a very good book. This just wasn't easy for me to read.

[Bookdrblog · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review and more on my blog bookdrblog.wordpress.com

I was sent an ARC of this book from the publisher for review, so thank you to them.

This is a difficult book to rate and for such a short book it took me a long time to get through, I very nearly gave up on it multiple times. The story is ok, nothing spectacular, but ok. The language is the main issue.

The dialogue is written as though every character has an incredibly strong Scottish accent, and can be very difficult to understand. The more I read at once the more I got used to the language but even then there were times where it was difficult to understand, I could be half way through a chapter before I knew what was going on. I imagine those with no experience of the Scottish accent would struggle with the language even more than I did.

In terms of story, the first few chapters were a struggle, and some seemed completely unrelated to the previous ones. Even once I got used to the dialogue it seemed like there wasn’t really a lot going on, a whole chapter would be about the most minor thing. About a third of the way through things started to get a little more interesting.

In terms of character development it was mixed, though overall not great. There are a few snippets of information about the family members but that is all it is in most cases, snippets. There is a little more when it comes to Thomas, one of his sisters, and a couple of other male characters, but basically nothing with many others beyond their name and a little dialogue. The book is told in three parts and in the third part this did change a little but I think it would have been nice to know more about the family members in particular, and they were minimally featured in this part of the book.

Overall I wouldn’t recommend this book to the majority of people. If you like a bit of history and think you can make it through the dialogue then by all means give it a try but I think many will find this a frustrating read.

[Chris Wiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dialogue was sharp, well written and glory’s in guid Scots tongue. Observant of the times but still with a clear message for today in terms of religious tolerance and brotherhood- an excellent read

[Michael Bruce · Rating 2 out of 5]

was expecting a similar read to his bloody project. way off the mark and gulf in class between the two books.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. An engaging look at the life of Thomas Aikenhead (the last person in Britain to be hanged for blasphemy). The author was one of my mom's poetry professors at the University of Edinburgh!

[Sonia Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not very well written. The pure Scottish speech was difficult to read. Not detailed enough as it just ended.

[Dale · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is great if you want to soak up the ambience of late 17th century Edinburgh. Fascinating descriptions of various locations around the city and of its inhabitants from various social classes.

This book is not so great if you are curious about the case of Thomas Aikenhead, which is what initially spurred my interest. I first heard about the Aikenhead case by reading the prologue of the great history book The Scottish Enlightenment by Arthur Herman. The Aikenhead case is both fascinating and important. There are interesting political and philosophical dimensions to be explored, so much so that even John Locke felt compelled to weigh in on it. But you won't find much of that in this book.

From the blurb on the front cover "A fair and just account of the case against the criminal, Thomas Aikenhead" I was misled into expecting more coverage of the court case leading to his execution. However, I was disappointed to find that the case occupies only the last 26 pages of the book. I was surprised that it totally missed Aikenhead's stirring speech on the gallows, partly reproduced in Herman: "I can charge the world, if they can stain me, or lay any such thing on my charge, so that it was out of a pure love of truth, and my own happiness, that I acted... It is a principle innate and co-natural to everyman to have an insatiable inclination for the truth".

[Annemarie Macken · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing and wholly paradoxical read, following the true story of Thomas Aikenhead, a 20-year-old Scottish student, who was also the last British person to be hanged for blasphemy in 1697. There are many good aspects to this book, namely the fact that it is based on real events and the introducing of the characters and mystery into the events surrounding the storyline, though the biggest deterrent to the reading is undoubtedly the use of Scottish dialogue attributed to the whole of the speech throughout the book. Although this lends an authenticity to the writing and it places the reader directly in events at the time, there is no denying that use of this as a writing style forces the reader to work hard to understand what they are reading. There is no chance that this story can be rushed through - the reader must slow down to take in what they are reading and listen to the accents filling the mind as characters speak.
Another possible setback is the fact that there are so many things rushed through that we don't get to know, and that includes the characters themselves at times. Time rushes on and we are sent from place to place, without really getting to know how and why events take place. It is hard to fully engage with all the characters are they are not given the time and space to develop fully in parts. The writing style becomes a little dry through this and the reader loses the closeness they seek in order to get into the mind of the characters. We are shown that Aikenhead is a little outspoken and wholly inquisitive, even as a child, but we never really find out much about what he truly thinks. There are clearly issues within the background and growing up in the family, but, again, we are left to wonder and fill in the blanks a little too much - for a reader, this makes for a gap in the understanding, which is a shame in what has the potential to be a really good, intriguing event from history.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unspeakable is about Thomas Aikenhead, the last person to be executed for blasphemy in Britain. I enjoy reading fictional accounts of real life people, especially ones that I'd never previously heard of, but I did struggle with large parts of this.

The use of strong Scottish dialect for every character made it very difficult to read at times. I'm the kind of person who likes when authors use dialect in their writing but this was too much. It was a distraction. It was difficult. It took away rather than enhanced. What made it doubly difficult was that there were no speech marks used. It's a shame because for the non-speech parts, the writing was strong and I really got a feel of the places, especially Edinburgh in parts one and three.

I thought that parts one and two were stronger than part three. Part three I felt was a little rushed. I would have preferred, and was expecting, a bit more in the lead up to Thomas' arrest, trial and execution.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free digital copy.