Sebastian Barry

a novel

The secret scripture

Nearing her one-hundredth birthday, Roseanne McNulty faces an uncertain future, as the Roscommon Regional Mental hospital where she's spent the best part of her adult life prepares for closure. Over the weeks leading up to this upheaval, she talks often with her psychiatrist Dr Grene, and their relationship intensifies and complicates. Told through their respective journals, the story that emerges is at once shocking and deeply beautiful. Refracted through the haze of memory and retelling, Roseanne's story becomes an alternative, secret history of Ireland's changing character and the story of a life blighted by terrible mistreatment and ignorance, and yet marked still by love and passion and hope.

The Secret Scripture

edith w.

I absolutely loved half of this book (Roseanne's story) and completely uninterested in the other half (Dr. Grene's story). And I'm afraid that the Costa Prize judges were correct - the ending was very disappointing.

A Novel

Melody Izard

I'm so sorry that is over. I kept the book way longer than I should have. Checked it out from the library. Renewed it one more time. Even though I finished it in about a week. I could have read it much quicker. But. I. did. not. want. it. to. end. It had everything on my check list. Beautiful language. Interesting plot. Thought provoking circumstances. Introduction to things I needed to know more about. Mystery. Surprise. It was a book group book and the only problem was that no one had finished the book since we've been a bit too laid back in the women on Wednesdays group and it was just "We're meeting and oh, by the way, this is the book we'll discuss." But I forgive - because I don't care why I learned about this book - only that I did. Just sorry I didn't get to discuss it with anyone.

Rose Stanley

"Really liked" isn't quite how I'd describe my response to this book - it made me angry and sad, but in a way that made me want to reread it, so can highly recommend, if that's the right word.

María Belén

2.5 stars

I liked the concept of the book, and the fact that things like what I read about in this book used to happen for real is crazy but at the same time it adds to the atmosphere of the story. 

Barry's writing is not for everyone, that's for sure. At times the narration is slow and gloomy , much like the book I think, and it was a bit boring but he has a way of weaving the story together that makes you want to keep on reading. 

Overall The Secret Scripture is a good book and I liked it.

Trevor Berrett

This was a good book until the end, when it turned really stupid and completely erased the esteem I had for it.

For my complete review:

http://mookse.wordpress.com/2008/08/2...

The secret scripture a novel

Reviews