Diabhlaíocht Dé

“Sular chruthaigh Dia an chéad domhan ní raibh an domhan seo ná aon domhan eile ann…” Ach ní hé an domhan seo é, nó más é, go bhfóire Dia eicínt eile orainn. Scéalta buile, scéalta mire iad seo ina n-imríonn Dia cleasanna den uile chineál ar chine daonna nach bhfuil ach díreach tagtha ar an saol. Ach más le teann oilc nó mailíse nó spite eicínt é, is iad an cine daonna a bhíonn thíos leis. 

Scéalta iad seo a bhfuil blas an Bhíobla ar chuid acu agus a bhfuil aithne againn ar chuid de na carachtair cheana féin, leithéidí Lazarus agus Iúdás Iscariot. Carachtair eile, shílfeá gur ón mbéaloideas nó ón miotaseolaíocht nó ón Domhan Thoir féin a tháinig siad: ainmhithe a bhfuil bua na caint acu agus daoine a bhfuil ainmhithe mar thuismitheoir nó mar chéile acu. 

Sa chnuasach seo tá an meascán den draíocht agus den réaltacht is dual don Chonghaileach go rábach tríd sios. Scéalta iad seo a mbainfidh ilchreidmhigh, ainchreidmhigh agus neamhchreidmhigh araon tairbhe agus sásamh astu.

“Before God created the first world, neither this world nor any other world existed…” But He didn’t create the world found in the pages of this book, or if He did may some other god help us!

Mankind emerges groggily, blinking into existence in these stories, innocent as a child. These stories are a madcap swirling frenzy in which God is a trickster and his favourite target is his new creation. Why? Is it anger, malice or just pure spite? Who can say?

These are stories reminiscent of biblical tales and we will recognise many of the characters; the likes of Lazarus and Judas Iscariot make an appearance. Other characters populating the stories might be plucked from folklore or mythology or the Orient: animals who can speak, people who are raised by animals, and the lines between mankind and the animal world are blurred if not erased entirely.

Likewise, the worlds of magic and of realism are merged as Ó Conghaile returns to his familiar stomping ground in this collection that will entice and delight deists, theists, atheists and agnostics alike.