'Gospel' by Wilton Barnhardt follows the journey of two main characters, Patrick O'Hanrahan and Lucy Dantam, as they search for a lost first-century gospel that could potentially revolutionize Christianity. The plot involves a mix of historical references, intriguing characters, and a quest filled with endless intrigue that includes encounters with a mad monk, a rabbi, the CIA, a TV evangelist, and more. The writing style combines elements of scholarship, humor, and mystery, with footnotes that add depth to the narrative and challenge the reader to question the book's premise.

Characters:

The characters include a disillusioned professor and a young doctoral student, each grappling with personal challenges, presenting a mix of humor and insight throughout their journey.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is verbose and detailed, rich with historical references and humor, interspersed with scholarly elements such as footnotes, focusing more on character development than the plot.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around a quest for a missing gospel, featuring a young graduate student and an aging professor as they navigate numerous adventures and challenges, alongside various intriguing characters.

Setting:

The setting spans several countries in Europe and Africa, incorporating academic environments and sites of religious significance.

Pacing:

The pacing is lengthy, potentially slow in areas due to its focus on character development rather than continuous action, reflecting its substantial page count.

2. It had parted as the flower falls from the wilting stalk, as the tide recedes to reveal the mud beneath the sea, gone as the moon behind a large cloud, as Helios in bed at Eridanus at nighttime’s e...

Notes:

The book is over 700 pages long.

It involves a young grad student searching for her mentor, an aging theology professor.

They are on a quest for a missing gospel of an original disciple of Jesus.

The central characters are Professor Patrick O'Hanrahan and student Lucy Dantam.

The story takes them through Europe and Africa amid various intrigues.

It features characters like a mad monk, a rabbi, and spies from different countries.

The book intertwines two main plots: the journey for the lost gospel and its translation.

Barnhardt's writing includes extensive research and historical trivia about early Christianity.

It contains footnotes and an index, making it a scholarly adventure novel.

Readers have mixed feelings about the characters, finding them both entertaining and annoying.

Some see the book as a humorous take on academic struggles and faith.

It explores themes of disillusionment and finding purpose.

Gospel is compared to Dan Brown's work but is said to focus more on character development than plot.

The Holy Spirit is portrayed humorously through insightful asides.

The book has been appreciated for its engaging narrative and well-crafted stories.

Several readers have repeatedly bought the book after loaning it out and losing it.

From The Publisher:

Author of Emma Who Saved My Life and Lookaway, Lookaway

Gospel concerns the search for a lost first-century gospel of the Bible, a document that could shake the foundations of Christianity. Wilton Barnhardt's narrative races through three continents, nine countries, and dozens of colorful locales, as two characters-shy theological student Lucy Dantan and hard-drinking, disillusioned ex-Jesuit Patrick O'Hanrahan-pursue rumors and clues about the gospel's whereabouts and contents. In the end, what they discover will challenge and forever change the nature of faith.

An intellectual detective story with the erudition of Umberto Eco and the grand swirling entertainment of a nineteenth-century novel, Gospel is exciting, profound, revent, and terrifically funny.

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About the Author:

Wilton Barnhardt is the author of the author of three other novels: Show World, Lookaway, Lookaway and Emma Who Saved My Life. A native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he teaches fiction in the master of fine arts in creative writing program at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, where he lives.

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Gospel

Wilton Barnhardt