“Mr. G: A Novel about the creation” by Alan Lightman. Pantheon Books. 215 pages. $25.
Philosophers, scientists, theologians and so many others have contemplated the universe, trying to organize understandings, seeking faith in a higher order. Alan Lightman adds levity and literal and figurative gravity to the dialogue as he puts forth a remarkably open-ended answer to it all with the diary of the omniscient Mr. G.
Mr. G is the creator of all, his initial deliberately selected to allow for a variety of naming rubrics. Living in the timeless immaterial void with his long-haired Aunt Penelope and her henpecked husband, Deva, Mr. G is bored. This spurs him to do something exciting, to create a new universe from matter available in the void. What begins as a whim takes new form, outgrowing its creator while still in his dominion and becoming the preoccupation for the three immortals.
It starts through constant expansion, swirling masses, then atoms and molecules regenerate and adhere to G’s new laws governing force, gravity, matter and energy. He names this universe Aalom-104729, and in it he sees goodness. He allows it to simmer and grow on its own accord and allows creatures to animate it as they develop. Then the fun begins.
His onetime playground of ideas spawns a nemesis in the form of a wily Belhor and his beastial companion Bahomet. Belhor becomes G’s foil, his mental sparring partner, his inquisitor who imposes a sense of self doubt in Mr. G and a great deal of vexation for the new creatures of the Universe. To counter this, Penelope and Deva offer counsel, stressing patience and organic development and temperance when it comes to the creatures and their newly created free will.