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Reviews of Foreword to The Gospels of Eibhlin 8

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  Review: Foreword to The Gospels of Eibhlin
  A review of Foreword to The Gospels of Eibhlin
  by writermorris on 04/18/2013
  Having read three of the Gospel series by this terrific writer I welcomed this foreword to help me get a grasp on the overall picture of this magnificent powerful work. This by far the most professional writing on TS and I can see why Francesca would like to try and edit and burnish it via a team of sub-editors! As a practising catholic myself I know the power and comfort... Having read three of the Gospel series by this terrific writer I welcomed this foreword to help me get a grasp on the overall picture of this magnificent powerful work.
  
  This by far the most professional writing on TS and I can see why Francesca would like to try and edit and burnish it via a team of sub-editors! As a practising catholic myself I know the power and comfort that truly believing something can bring, so it's easy to see why a frightened confused mass of people would need a future to cling on to, and when the old ways had failed them a new order and set of values would be needed, and that's what I think is so impressive about this work, the writer has taken a big idea and turned it into a huge one. Just one point I'd like to make. In my opinion you need a truly evil enemy for this to work! Although it's so beautifully written, at times it just reads like a too happy hippy commune. So give her a really bad antagonist, think Voldemort in Harry Potter! Great work, I adore your writing. read
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  overview of series
  A review of Foreword to The Gospels of Eibhlin
  by steven b on 12/11/2012
  I recently reviewed Gospel of Lucas and found there were things I didn't know since I was in the middle of the series so I decided to review from the beginning. I found the first part but it was a screenplay. I can't handle screenplays with the distracting stage instructions in parenthesis. So i chose this. It has me interested in reading the full series if I can find them... I recently reviewed Gospel of Lucas and found there were things I didn't know since I was in the middle of the series so I decided to review from the beginning. I found the first part but it was a screenplay. I can't handle screenplays with the distracting stage instructions in parenthesis. So i chose this. It has me interested in reading the full series if I can find them as short stories but it is largely a synopsis so it lacks a story line. It doesn't stand alone well. It shouldn't, I don't fault that about it. but it's hard to review. Like how do I judge character development.
  I can say it's style is in keeping with the intent of the books. About the only complaint is if the footnotes could be at the end the writing might be more fluid.
  Bottom line it left interested in reading more, which is pretty much its purpose.
  to finish review I need to rate character and dialogue my choice would be N/A but that's not available so ignore my answer on these two areas read
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  Good read.
  A review of Foreword to The Gospels of Eibhlin
  by rockstartori on 11/06/2012
  At first glance I thought this story was going to be some type of Christian historical essay. I began to read it and was drawn in. I love the concept, and if/when it becomes a novel I would definitely read it (I saw that you have written some of the gospels and am going to check them out as well). It is very creative and well written. I really liked how it is set in the future;... At first glance I thought this story was going to be some type of Christian historical essay. I began to read it and was drawn in. I love the concept, and if/when it becomes a novel I would definitely read it (I saw that you have written some of the gospels and am going to check them out as well). It is very creative and well written. I really liked how it is set in the future; it makes me feel like I am reading it in 2215. read
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  Great Anchor
  A review of Foreword to The Gospels of Eibhlin
  by Schism83 on 11/01/2012
  Miss -ceska! Read the 'Forward'; here are my thoughts. The biggest thing I want to touch on is your tone in this section. I love the footnotes (though some of them are lengthy), the academic, professional tone and style, and the straight-forward, informative, non-fiction nature of the piece. It really sets it apart from the actual gospels, in addition to giving those gospels... Miss -ceska! Read the 'Forward'; here are my thoughts.
  
  The biggest thing I want to touch on is your tone in this section. I love the footnotes (though some of them are lengthy), the academic, professional tone and style, and the straight-forward, informative, non-fiction nature of the piece. It really sets it apart from the actual gospels, in addition to giving those gospels a greater sense of gravity and importance. Furthermore, it sets the mood for what the reader is about to embark on, enhancing the overall entertainment factor while also highlighting the underlying global, progressive, socio-political themes at play. And that is your whole point - entertaining but also getting a personal message out, a message that is rooted and intelligently considered in regards to the present and its shaping of the future. With this piece, especially since it is the opening, you up the 'ante' for the reader's experience and what he and she will ultimately walk away with post-Gospel completion. In all honesty, for me, it's what takes your story from good to freaking awesome! While I really enjoy the Gospels, they are entertaining because you are such a good story teller. The forward, however, draws attention to and maps out the themes that you are presenting and offers the whole piece as a formidable, though fictional, contemplation on the future. Again, coupled with your natural story telling, I think you have a serious piece of fiction on your hands.
  
  If I could suggest anything, about mid-way through the piece, the tone I mentioned in the beginning of the above paragraph gives way to a more loose, emotional voice. I would suggest tightening that and keeping the reserved, professional style that you start with. A quick, obvious example of what I'm referring to is ending the piece with "Enjoy". I think you'd be better served to save those kind of mild, personal effusions in order to maintain the seriousness of what is to follow. That's just a thought, though. I may be thinking too academically stringent.
  
  Typos:
  3 - 'THE' Gospel of Michael...
  
  Syntax/Wording suggestions:
  4 - 'In Dublin, Michael reveals that a large # of the population had already left Ireland in the last days of democracy and that social infrastructure was already falling apart' - this sentence works, but you use 'already' twice. Consider dropping or rewording.
  4 - About 3 or 4 lines up from the footnotes on this page, you shift from talking about Ryan's gospel and when he possibly wrote it to Eib's personality and kind/miraculous actions. While I got what you were doing, I think the bit would read clearer if you tied Eib's description to the Gospel of Ryan so the comment doesn't appear to come out of nowhere. For example, consider saying "Much of what we assumed about Eib's youth is confirmed in Ryan's (or this) Gospel - he describes her..." As it is currently worded, I found myself feeling like I was reading something unrelated to Ryan, and my first instinct was to suggest a new paragraph. Then I saw that you were relating events found in Ryan's Gospel, so I think mentioning it again will provide clarification. Just a suggestion.
  
  Again, I think this section of the story is what really drives home the emotional, thematic, and entertaining value of the whole piece. It anchors it in the themes that you are driving at, while heightening the emotions at play and the socio-political projections you are making for the future. Killer job, and, to speak candidly, I want an autographed copy of this book when you finally sell it. I don't know much about the current reading market, but it seems a Fool's errand to not publish 'The Gospels of Eibhlin'. It's a really good piece of writing. Thanks so much for the read, and Keep the pen moving!!
  
  JT read
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  A Gospel it is!
  A review of Foreword to The Gospels of Eibhlin
  by Wilsun on 10/26/2012
  It wasn’t easy for me to believe that ‘The Song’, ‘The Dining Room’ and ‘Forward to The Gospels of Eibhlin’ are written by the same person. What a versatile writer! Hats off to Francesca! An interesting approach, a thought-provoking subject, an experienced writer, and well used citation styles and rules including footnotes make this piece of work ‘one of a kind’. (At least... It wasn’t easy for me to believe that ‘The Song’, ‘The Dining Room’ and ‘Forward to The Gospels of Eibhlin’ are written by the same person. What a versatile writer! Hats off to Francesca!
  
  An interesting approach, a thought-provoking subject, an experienced writer, and well used citation styles and rules including footnotes make this piece of work ‘one of a kind’. (At least on TS)
  
  Capturing most of the global fears and the possible aftermaths is handled in a very smart manner. And, presenting these elements in the form of gospel is brilliant.
  
  Eibhlin managed to grab my attention and interest. Also, one of the most important aspects, which has always bugged me while reading the Bible, was treated quite well here. The Bible gives an impression that the Evangelists had no idea how big the world was at their time. While reading this gospel somewhere I had a feeling that I might face the same problem here. Until page seven, my opinion was that though this gospel presents an account of the past ‘Global’ events but all those events revolve only around Europe. Fortunately, there was a footnote on page seven and it made me say Thank YOU! :-) Good Job!
  
  Overall, a very good read. I’d recommend this. read
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  The epic
  A review of Foreword to The Gospels of Eibhlin
  by nick74 on 10/01/2012
  Hey Fran! Warning: There’s no critical input, here, so if you don’t want your head to swell, don’t read. The Gospels of Eibhlin, unabridged. I think once I overheard (or read) that you had published in the past some sort of educational texts, or whatnots(?) Well, I believe it, in fact such experiences make your historical telling of Eibhlin’s gospels clean, well constructed,... Hey Fran!
  
  Warning: There’s no critical input, here, so if you don’t want your head to swell, don’t read.
  
  The Gospels of Eibhlin, unabridged. I think once I overheard (or read) that you had published in the past some sort of educational texts, or whatnots(?) Well, I believe it, in fact such experiences make your historical telling of Eibhlin’s gospels clean, well constructed, and concise without sacrificing any entertainment value. In short, this “history book” wasn’t really like reading a “history book”, but rather the theatrical synopsis found on the backs of DVD and Blue Ray cases, which, strangely, is a hobby of mine. I’ve been known to go into movie rental stores, stay for an hour, maybe longer, just standing there reading DVD covers, then leave without purchasing a damn thing. So you can imagine my delight at this particular piece.
  
  Implied is a central character, Eibhlin (who, ironically, isn’t truly a central protagonist of any of the individual gospels as they were written by those nearest her, observing her, or whose situations were affected by her.) Also implied are all kinds of obstacles, from the money wars (and I have to hit on these, but in a minute), food wars, water wars, Cholera outbreaks, genetic diseases, famine, etc. And, implied is dialog, especially in reference to teachings and human interactions, friendships and story telling. But - and I know you already know this - there are no narrative tools that AREN’T implied, like character, obstacles, dialog, etc. in this historical rendering, so this entry will suffer in its ranks. But not by me. I don’t really give a hootinanny about that. Good writing that captivates is good writing that captivates. (And also, I know this is the synopsis of a much larger piece, so T.S. is just going to have to deal with me being a part of their short story forum and not ALWAYS going by their short story criteria. Perhaps they should bring back their long fiction forum so that quality stories like Eibhlin would have a proper home!)
  
  What that leads me to, are a few points. The aforementioned “money wars” and the cataclysm that occurs once the Central Bank begins wielding its powers of life and death over the world is a downright frightening element in the story - and that is to say a thread that runs throughout the gospels as a whole. The fact that many people believe such a thing to be a grand possibility with vast and far reaching consequences makes The Gospels of Eibhlin prophetic (Maybe. Let’s hope not, actually --- unless it’s too late and the wheels are already spinning.) That, combined with so many other global circumstances of deadly consequence sets the gospels apart from other works and shows your crafty imagination as it translates authenticity into your work. After all, to complete an entire sociological-economical-militaristic-governmental-industrial-geologically-based downfall of humanity on a global scale, (and let’s not forget the most important element: theological) there would have to be a fluster-punch of multiple catastrophes occurring on a short or simultaneous timeline. Eibhlin achieves this terrifically, and sends a message that many of these terrors can be avoided if such a choice is made to do so.
  
  Sidenote: World fiscal policy not withstanding, I’d love to debate some of these issues with you one day, specifically global warming (which I’m not fully sold on, just yet) and unmitigated sexual freedom, gay or hetero (which I don’t think is a point of policy to any degree, but rather a point of character. I know, I know - she shakes her head saying, “My dear, Nick, such a hard-boiled Texas conservative, you are.” It would make for an enjoyable pint... or four.)
  
  Another point you hit on that I’ve always found fascinating, because this particular concept divides choice from fate along a line that I have yet to define for myself entirely, and that is the idea of the “self-fulfilling prophecy” as expressed in Alfonso. Are our futures dictated by forces beyond our control? Or do WE have complete control? Could fate and choice actually be the same thing? If so, how can some try so hard at a thing and fail? If they tried harder would they fail less? Then why are so many undeserving blessed? Are we all just tiny members in a big play, or, as individuals, are we the source of reality-building? So, what was Alfonso’s true role? Did something call him to Eibhlin because IT (whatever IT is) wanted him to do this thing, or did he do this thing because HE chose to? If you asked him, what would Alfonso say? Did he have a choice, or was it fate that trekked him 10 years through Europe, right into indentured servitude? And, when asking things of this nature, is it our decision to define the answers, or is there a truth out there that’s calling us closer to it? Wow - how inspiring? You rock!
  
  And I really like your use of the footnotes. For the first time, I found an undeniable similarity between Eibhlinism (or as it was shown to be phonetically pronounced in Maire - Evleenism) and, uhem... Evangilism. Was this another one of your clever intentions? I always give the author the benefit of the doubt. Very smart!
  
  Okay, no more dragging of the feet. The last and final (which means virtually the same thing) book is next. Of course, I’ve got my Cowboys playing a Monday nighter tonight, so I’ll be occupied, but soon... very soon.
  
  Oh, and you might find this interesting. I had the strangest dream last night. I was in a highly industrialized, and a bit grimy, warehouse with these huge 50 gallon drums swinging on chains from a high ceiling. There was a boy, almost a man, much younger than myself, in the distance walking toward me, when I saw one of the drums snap free and go plummeting down toward him. I screamed, “Move!” And this person (at the time I had no idea who he was, but as I woke I could remember knowing him - not recognizing him, but knowing him, as if I knew this person in real life) jumped to his left not seeing the falling drum. And lo and behold, it fell on top of him, clipping his back and making him scream out while this terrible, black, tarry substance sprayed out from the drum and got in my mouth. It was actually a quite horrible dream with many other elements that I won’t go into, but it was also very profound on many personal levels, as I self-diagnose. But hours later, I’m scoping through T.S. and I see the young man in my dream. It was the picture of Liam. Isn’t that provoking of thought?
  
  Nick read
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  Bringing it all home
  A review of Foreword to The Gospels of Eibhlin
  by Point_and_shoot on 09/19/2012
  Here we are finally in 2215, the war is over, the myths have circulated, and the religion is cemented. The structure I found to be very professional, with annotations at the bottom to ensure we are all on the same page of events and references in the story. So as a reader I can use this piece as a guide. There are seven gospels in total. Each bringing within it a story, and... Here we are finally in 2215, the war is over, the myths have circulated, and the religion is cemented.
  
  The structure I found to be very professional, with annotations at the bottom to ensure we are all on the same page of events and references in the story.
  
  So as a reader I can use this piece as a guide. There are seven gospels in total. Each bringing within it a story, and I hope unique description as to the effects on nature, and society within the several years that encompass the tale.
  
  I also hope that by reading this, if and when I get round to the other stories (having already read Liam part 1) that in every gospel they each give a part of the body that is the main heroine. Making up the full unit in their own parts. Because it is her story after all.
  
  There are obvious parallels intended or not when dealing with fiction that mentions, 'gospels', 'saviour' etc with the Bible. And i suppose they add authenticity to it.
  There are debates as to who wrote what, when, and where. There are tales that are open to interpretation, as well as controversy on the subject of humanising the heroine as there should be. Well done read
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  Trying to sale?
  A review of Foreword to The Gospels of Eibhlin
  by Cheyenne30 on 09/02/2012
  I started reading this and realized that it sound way too much like an advertisement for a book instead of something profound. I was expecting some illustrations of each book but instead found that I was being 'told' what was in it then 'seeing' what was in it. The concept is wonderful and I give you kudos for that but over all this story was simply boring to me. There was... I started reading this and realized that it sound way too much like an advertisement for a book instead of something profound. I was expecting some illustrations of each book but instead found that I was being 'told' what was in it then 'seeing' what was in it. The concept is wonderful and I give you kudos for that but over all this story was simply boring to me. There was also some miss spellings of words. Once this is rewritten I will be glad to re-read it. I simply don't want to feel like I am reading a person's Thesis in graduate school. read