Reviews from

The Gallery

The terminally ill inspire scenic art.

12 total reviews 
Comment from Bill Schott
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

This story, The Gallery, is a special tale which pulls in the reader to discover more about the artist, the cleaner, and what it all means to have a painting in the gallery. Neat.

 Comment Written 21-Jun-2022


reply by the author on 21-Jun-2022
    Thank you very much, Bill, for your insightful review. Rod
Comment from Teri7
Excellent
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Rod, This is a really great supernatural story you have penned for the Flash Fiction prompt. You had me from the beginning until the end. Great descriptive words and dialog. Thank you for sharing. Best wishes in the contest. Blessings, Teri

 Comment Written 21-Jun-2022


reply by the author on 21-Jun-2022
    I am so pleased you enjoyed THE GALLERY, Teri. Many thanks for your kind praise. Rod
Comment from tempeste
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

Ciao!

You had me hooked fast,
I actually had to tell myself to slow down because I wanted to know the mystery.

The revelation did not delude.

What a beautiful story, worthy to be made into a twilight episode. I started to smile when finally Helena stopped refusing to believe what she was seeing.

My father would have talked about his valley in the Alps and the vineyards to Dr. Nadari Guglean. He would have loved to wake up there after his passing.

And it would have brought me comfort to see him there., waving to me.

I got emotionally wrapped up in the story.


 Comment Written 21-Jun-2022


reply by the author on 21-Jun-2022
    Tempeste, I can?t thank you enough for your marvelous reaction to my story and those six bright stars. I was intrigued to read how your father could have been a character in the story, wishing to be buried in an Alpine valley. Rod
Comment from LisaMay
Excellent
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Well, that certainly turned out to be an unusual first day at work for Helena... making a connection with the dark-haired bearded man - I was trying to work out if his name was an anagram. Your story drew me in and as it was about art and painting it kept me intrigued. I truly enjoyed how a painting could be a source of comfort and relief and being reborn. Great to have a happy ending.

 Comment Written 21-Jun-2022


reply by the author on 21-Jun-2022
    Lisa, I truly appreciate your sharing my story and your kind praise. And you are the only reviewer to guess the doctor?s name is an anagram?GUARDIAN ANGEL. Rod
reply by LisaMay on 21-Jun-2022
    Oh thank you so much for telling me... I was spending too much time racking my overloaded brain! How clever of you to put that into the story, and how intriguing other reviewers didn't mention it. There seems to be a lack of imagination in many, but writing is all about imagination. You and I know that for a fact.
    Maybe I was more aware of the possibility because my writer's name is an anagram - LISAMAY = MY ALIAS
Comment from Gypsy Blue Rose
Excellent
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Excellent entry for the Supernatural Flash Fiction writing prompt contest.

I enjoyed reading your supernatural story. Im not sure about the ending. Is the painting with the waving figure hers? Is she dead?

It moved along nicely and the plot was intriguing. Good character development.

Gypsy Blue Rose
The poet waits quietly to paint the unsaid. Atticus

 Comment Written 20-Jun-2022


reply by the author on 20-Jun-2022
    Hi Gypsy. Thank you so much for reading my story. I am delighted you enjoyed it.
    The painting with the waving figure is the same one that was hung earlier that day.
Comment from Tom Horonzy
Excellent
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Compositionally pleasant. Hopeful. A splendor of color and imagination. Well phrased. I enjoyed the tour of words you have written. Be well today and best wishes for your entry.

 Comment Written 20-Jun-2022


reply by the author on 20-Jun-2022
    Thank you, Tom, for sharing my story. I am delighted you enjoyed the tour.
Comment from leather
Good
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

I followed along quite well until the last paragraph. I felt like I had been dumped out of the story and didn't know why. I felt clueless as to why Helena left the gallery screaming. The story just felt cut off and dangling.

But the top 90 percent seemed engaging. There were no spelling errors.

Nice effort.

This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.

 Comment Written 19-Jun-2022


reply by the author on 19-Jun-2022
    Thank you, leather. Other reviewers don?t care for the ending. I am waiting to hear from the CEC to see if it?s too late to edit before voting starts.
reply by leather on 19-Jun-2022
    Wishing you the best.
reply by the author on 20-Jun-2022
    The CEC allowed me to edit. I wrote a new ending. Do you like it better?
reply by leather on 20-Jun-2022
    The new ending is a lot different and more developed. I give you credit for reworking your work.
reply by the author on 20-Jun-2022
    Thank you.
Comment from Wayne Fowler
Excellent
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Great story. Well written. I liked it a lot - until the last line.
She could just as easily felt humbled and overjoyed that the dead people were raptured into their concept of a heavenly place. Or conversely, you could have somehow implied that the 'good' doctor supernaturally 'sent' their souls onto the canvass to be forever locked onto a two-dimensional netherworld, their 'waves' being calls for help.
Best wishes.

 Comment Written 19-Jun-2022


reply by the author on 19-Jun-2022
    Thank you very much,Wayne, for sharing my story. I am delighted you enjoyed most of it. You are not the only reviewer who would like a happy ending.
Comment from lancellot
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

Your story is very nice. I think you may want to look at repeating yourself at point. You show her stammering, and then tell us. You tell she is tired, then show us, she staggard into the room. It something I warned about when I last tried for a Seal.

She flipped off the lights. The room was dim, but not dark. She peered closely at the meadow scene . . . and left the room screaming.

- Wouldn't a happy ending work better?

 Comment Written 18-Jun-2022


reply by the author on 19-Jun-2022
    I truly appreciate your close reading of my story, lancellot, and your suggestions. I definitely will give my phrasing more thought. I thought about a happy ending, but I think this one is more realistic.
reply by the author on 20-Jun-2022
    Hi again. I revised my ending. It?s happier and longer. I?d like your impression if you have time.
Comment from Dolly'sPoems
Excellent
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Oh my goodness this story took a turn for the worst in the end, I enjoyed your entertaining and inventive story and was surprised by the ending as you drew me into your skilful words, much enjoyed, love Dolly x

 Comment Written 18-Jun-2022


reply by the author on 19-Jun-2022
    Dolly, I am so pleased you found my story inventive and that I drew you in. Many thanks for your kind praise.