The Opposite of Art: A Novel by Athol Dickson

I’m always on the lookout for literary fiction with a Christian theme. To see the world through the eyes of a painter intrigued me. Dissatisfaction with his work and a quest for artistic perfection send the artist on an intense spiritual journey that ultimately brings him to “the poverty of self-awareness.”

At once a spiritual travelogue and a sophisticated fable, the story line grounds us in the everyday (people have to eat), whisks us to exotic locations, and veers into magical realism. The literal circus of characters is highly entertaining and heartbreakingly poignant. Is that how God sees us?

Any spiritually-themed book worth its salt will employ the element of mystery. Dickson gives us layers of mystery, especially in his chilling portrait of a polite killer. The lovely language is only occasionally dense. Gems of realization sparkle that much clearer when the artist manages to unearth meaning in the forest of confusion that grows in his mind.

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