As a young woman, Roseanne McNulty was one of the most beautiful and beguiling girls in County Sligo, Ireland. Now, as her hundredth year draws nea...
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Jan 30, 2012
Manny
rated it: 
A wonderful, poetic book about love and memory. Also pain, and loss, and how you can miss the most important thing in the world, even though it's right under your nose.
Ireland too, of course.
We're all innocent Roseanne, locked up in an asylum for decades for no reason, or because she happened to be born with the wrong religion, or because the jealous people around her find her beauty too disturbing. She never really knows why, but she manages to forgive her tormentors an More...
Ireland too, of course.
We're all innocent Roseanne, locked up in an asylum for decades for no reason, or because she happened to be born with the wrong religion, or because the jealous people around her find her beauty too disturbing. She never really knows why, but she manages to forgive her tormentors an More...
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Apr 18, 2010
Kate
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First, if you're going to read this, please don't read the goodreads description.
I can't say this with absolute certainty, having read none of the other novels, but considering what I've heard about the Booker shortlist I'm surprised this didn't win. I guess it's part of the Booker's recent campaign to honor what is "fresh" and "important" rather than, you know. Good.
This book didn't change my world, but it was good. It's made up mostly of recollec More...
I can't say this with absolute certainty, having read none of the other novels, but considering what I've heard about the Booker shortlist I'm surprised this didn't win. I guess it's part of the Booker's recent campaign to honor what is "fresh" and "important" rather than, you know. Good.
This book didn't change my world, but it was good. It's made up mostly of recollec More...
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Nov 08, 2011
Sue
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I really loved this book, all of it, the prose, the content, the Irish-ness of it. The words are chosen so well that they flow smoothly in telling the story. Memory is a center of the tale as is Ireland and fate as in all Irish stories. There is love and hate, war but no real peace. There is always misunderstanding, but there are occasional attempts to move beyond this.
The ending was foreshadowed to some degree but I didn't mind that at all. Once again it fits with the fateful-ness a More...
The ending was foreshadowed to some degree but I didn't mind that at all. Once again it fits with the fateful-ness a More...
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Dec 04, 2008
Eva
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Whew, Irish literature is always so painful to read. Brutality, cruelty, pathos, religion - set against a backdrop of famine and war. The smooth-as-fine-whiskey writing and the completely beguiling character of Roseanne - a 100-year-old woman who gives us an intimate glimpse into not only her tumultuous history but also her inner girlish self - kept me reading, even when I didn't want to know what bad thing would happen next. Dr. Grene is more down-to-earth, but he has his own contemplative s
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(11 people liked it)
Feb 07, 2009
Eric
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My goodreads account shall not be a five-star fund, at least not without some explanation...
I began this book weary of the two narrators: a centennarian who has spent the last half century in a mental hospital; and her sixty-five-year old doctor. Alas, they are malleable and one need not worry about being bogged down in their unsavoury minutiae. At times, however, it is difficult to buy these two characters as authentic narrators of the sections alternately titled "Roseanne's Testimon More...
I began this book weary of the two narrators: a centennarian who has spent the last half century in a mental hospital; and her sixty-five-year old doctor. Alas, they are malleable and one need not worry about being bogged down in their unsavoury minutiae. At times, however, it is difficult to buy these two characters as authentic narrators of the sections alternately titled "Roseanne's Testimon More...
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Jun 03, 2011
I thought it was very skillfully constructed and written; I reckon I might read it again; and I'd like to read the author's related book.
I think that part of the reason I enjoyed this so much dates to my 25-years-ago obsession with James Joyce. Not only did I feel, reading this, that it owed much to Joyce and resembled Joyce, in style and voice (Portrait of the Artist and Dubliners more than Ulysses, though there's some Ulysses in there too); but I also realized that I am very much More...
I think that part of the reason I enjoyed this so much dates to my 25-years-ago obsession with James Joyce. Not only did I feel, reading this, that it owed much to Joyce and resembled Joyce, in style and voice (Portrait of the Artist and Dubliners more than Ulysses, though there's some Ulysses in there too); but I also realized that I am very much More...
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Jul 25, 2008
Tracy
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I loved this book. The imagery was beautiful, the narrator voices were strong and heart-felt and I just - I connected. I loved the story being told, the story that lay underneath, the mysteries that were never quite solved and even more the ones that were.
This ranks up there as one of the best books I've read in a long time - and I've read some pretty strong contenders lately!
The story is told by alternating narrators - the secret scribblings of a woman nearing her 10 More...
This ranks up there as one of the best books I've read in a long time - and I've read some pretty strong contenders lately!
The story is told by alternating narrators - the secret scribblings of a woman nearing her 10 More...
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Feb 27, 2009
Julie
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I just read an article about Ian McEwan in which he said that suspense is built by the withholding of information. This wonderful novel illustrates the masterful application of that principle. Complex and involving, the story is told by two narrators, and this dual narration is handled here much more adeptly and interestingly than it was by Julia Glass in I See You Everywhere. The two narrators are both flawed but sympathetic, and as their stories unfold the reading becomes intense! Highly recom
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Aug 19, 2011
Jeanette
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Tragic and heartbreaking in that very Irish way of being tragic and heartbreaking. But also very tender and beautifully written in that very Irish style of tender and beautiful writing.
Don't let the title fool you into thinking this is about religion. It refers to a life story being written by a 100-year-old woman. No one knows she is writing it, and she keeps it hidden "like a secret scripture."
I recommend avoiding amateur reviews of the book. If you accide More...
Don't let the title fool you into thinking this is about religion. It refers to a life story being written by a 100-year-old woman. No one knows she is writing it, and she keeps it hidden "like a secret scripture."
I recommend avoiding amateur reviews of the book. If you accide More...
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Sep 19, 2011
Andi
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I really loved this book. It's lyrical, well written, and delves into the complexity of human emotions.
It is a two person narration. Roseanne McNulty is almost a centurian, living in the Mental Hospital. She begins to write the story of her life in Ireland. Dr. Grene, who is her psychiatrist, is asked to evaluate the patients at the Mental Hospital to see who can return to society. As her story and his story develop they become intertwined in ways that are heart-breaking and b More...
It is a two person narration. Roseanne McNulty is almost a centurian, living in the Mental Hospital. She begins to write the story of her life in Ireland. Dr. Grene, who is her psychiatrist, is asked to evaluate the patients at the Mental Hospital to see who can return to society. As her story and his story develop they become intertwined in ways that are heart-breaking and b More...
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Jan 30, 2012
Blair
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I raced through this in two afternoons; I loved it. The unusual, lyrical prose is mesmerising and I found both narrative voices compelling from the start. I was desperate to know more about Roseanne's story and I relished the way its details were slowly revealed, not necessarily in the 'right' order but in a perfectly controlled sequence that made the detailed events all the more spellbinding. If I had to make any criticism of the plot, it would be that the final twist of the connection between
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Aug 08, 2011
I have to say I was slightly disappointed with this novel as I found the end very predictable and a real non-event. The main bulk of the novel is beautifully written, with magically portreyed characters that provoke empathy, sympathy and a whole other mixture of emotions all at the same time. I thought Barry's characters were very believable and really were beautifuly constructed. The description of Rosanne's life from 2 perspectives was also really well done.
However, mid-way through, at the More...
However, mid-way through, at the More...
Aug 03, 2011
When Dr. Grene tries to reconcile the conflicting recollection of Roseanne and the written testimony of Father Gaunt, he initially thinks that the former is memory and the latter is history. Towards the end, Dr. Grene realises that to “a large degree, both Roseanne and Fr Gaunt were being as truthful as they could be, given the vagaries and tricks of the human mind.” Sebastian Barry concludes the same about the people of Ireland and their perception of their country’s history: a country steepe
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Mar 04, 2011
Deb
rated it: 
The way the author created two narratives that eventually relate to each other in a surprising way was ingenius, but I had a hard time getting into this story. One part of it follows the rambling narrative of Roseanne, a 100 year old Irish woman who has much to tell about her troubled past. The other part is told by the doctor/administrator of the mental hospital where she resides. He starts by trying to relate an assessment of Roseanne, as the hospital is to be torn down and the County wants
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Mar 24, 2009
Alison
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jan 07, 2009
Felicity
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This is a book that needs to be read in as few sittings as possible. I strongly recommend that you don't keep picking it up and putting it down as I did in the middle of the book. It is a suspense story--and like all such tales, you lose that sense of suspense if your reading is constantly interrupted.
Having said that, I still think this is the least enjoyable of the short-listed Booker Prize books I've read so far (please note: it's much better than other books I've rated 3 stars, More...
Having said that, I still think this is the least enjoyable of the short-listed Booker Prize books I've read so far (please note: it's much better than other books I've rated 3 stars, More...
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Jan 04, 2009
Cynthia
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Elderly Roseanne McNulty is writing her memoirs, her secret scripture, as her days in the Irish insane asylum are ending. The asylum will be closing and Dr. Gaunt’s trying to weed through which residents should be let back into society and which will transfer to the newer but smaller facility. Gaunt is a recent widower and is still feeling acute lose as well as regrets for mistakes he made in his marriage. Roseanne and Gaunt begin to spend time together overtly so Gaunt can reach a conclusion
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(3 people liked it)
Nov 21, 2008
Pete
rated it:
Sebastian Barry's The Secret Scripture is both poetic and captivating. I love the balance: imagery and lyricism serve the story, and not the other way around. Nothing detracts from the momentum. Set in Ireland, the novel weaves the perspectives of two first-person narrators: 100 year old Roseanne McNulty and her psychiatrist, Dr. Grene.
Roseanne has been imprisoned in a mental hospital for most of her life, and is now urgently writing her autobiography on a sheaf of papers kept hi More...
Roseanne has been imprisoned in a mental hospital for most of her life, and is now urgently writing her autobiography on a sheaf of papers kept hi More...
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Nov 21, 2008
Mag
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the epistolary/diarist style didn't really work for me, i could see why roseanne would write a personal memoir but i didn't find a valid reason for the doctor's diary, especially at the points when he was merely transcribing the written notes of others... far fetched. it seemed like a structural gimmick rather than good storytelling.
i haven't read long long way or eneas mcnulty and i found it to be a hinderance--the references to eneas in the first half were confusing. i think they More...
i haven't read long long way or eneas mcnulty and i found it to be a hinderance--the references to eneas in the first half were confusing. i think they More...
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Jan 29, 2012
Karen
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As a young woman, Roseanne McNulty was one of the most beautiful and beguiling girls in County Sligo, Ireland. Now, as her hundredth year draws near, she is a patient at Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital, and she decides to record the events of her life.
As Roseanne revisits her past, hiding the manuscript beneath the floorboards in her bedroom, she learns that Roscommon Hospital will be closed in a few months and that her caregiver, Dr. Grene, has been asked to evaluate the patients More...
As Roseanne revisits her past, hiding the manuscript beneath the floorboards in her bedroom, she learns that Roscommon Hospital will be closed in a few months and that her caregiver, Dr. Grene, has been asked to evaluate the patients More...
Jan 08, 2012
Bayansa
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الكتاب حقيقه ممل للغايه .. احسني وانا اقراه قاعده اقرا واتخيل الاشياء بالابيض والأسود
كئيب .. غريب .. غامض .. يمدك ب معلومات عن تاريخ ايرلندا .. بس قتلني الملل وانا اقراه
.
انا من النوع اللي يحب يستنتج قبل ماايشوف النتيجه .. وغالبا استنتاجاتي صحيحه ..
.. احب اتوقع النهايه للقصه .. ولمن القى نتيجتي صح افرح كثير
حلوه القصص اللي تشوقك للقصه او تسألك سؤال في الكوفر وتشوقك لمعرفة الجواب
الاجمل لمن تجاوب عن هالسؤال قبل مااينعطى لك ..ماعرف هل هو شيء جميل دائما .. او More...
كئيب .. غريب .. غامض .. يمدك ب معلومات عن تاريخ ايرلندا .. بس قتلني الملل وانا اقراه
.
انا من النوع اللي يحب يستنتج قبل ماايشوف النتيجه .. وغالبا استنتاجاتي صحيحه ..
.. احب اتوقع النهايه للقصه .. ولمن القى نتيجتي صح افرح كثير
حلوه القصص اللي تشوقك للقصه او تسألك سؤال في الكوفر وتشوقك لمعرفة الجواب
الاجمل لمن تجاوب عن هالسؤال قبل مااينعطى لك ..ماعرف هل هو شيء جميل دائما .. او More...
Nov 04, 2011
Sorcha
rated it:
Told from two different angles, both of whom are unreliable narrators.[return][return]Roseanne, an elderly woman of not-quite-determined age has been living in an Irish mental hospital for at least 60 years. Dr Grene, nearing retirement, tries to assess Roseanne as the hospital is about to be relocated and he needs to assess where she should go. [return][return]In secret Roseanne starts to write her history, and running along side this you get to hear what Dr Grene finds out about her from vario
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Sep 20, 2011
Laura
rated it:
Astonishingly magnificant! This has got to be one of the finest works of art ever written. The story is so well told; from both the perception of an old woman (deemed insane long ago and institutionalized) words v.s. notes from a Catholic Priest (Fr. Gaunt)of the 1930's Ireland. The author writes (as Dr. Grene ponders) of the type of abusive power and misjudgment of priests during this time in stating " I wonder if such all-knowing, stern-minded, and entirely unforgiving priests still exist
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Sep 19, 2011
Larry
rated it:
Barry writes well and with such empathy for his characters even the most despicable. This is a heart-breaking story of a 100 year old patient of a decaying mental hospital in Ireland while she reflects on her long tragic life. Yes, another beyond sad story of the much suffering Irish. There is so much material there of a people desecrated by centuries of so-called Christian care under the all invasive Catholic Church. Its too bad that even to this day the headlines can't give the nation respite
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Sep 13, 2011
Rebecca
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Aug 01, 2011
Eva
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A beautifully written book about the surprising survival of a generous spirit during difficult times.
Roseanne McNulty is secretly writing her life story while confined to a mental institution. She was placed there as a young woman after the birth of her child. Her child was taken from her and all she was told is that it was "taken to Jerusalem". She is nearing, or past, her 100th birthday. No one is sure. No one knows why she is there.
Roseanne recalls the ter More...
Roseanne McNulty is secretly writing her life story while confined to a mental institution. She was placed there as a young woman after the birth of her child. Her child was taken from her and all she was told is that it was "taken to Jerusalem". She is nearing, or past, her 100th birthday. No one is sure. No one knows why she is there.
Roseanne recalls the ter More...
Jun 03, 2011
Mary Helene
rated it:
I finished this book last night and thought - 5 stars! There was a satisfying wrap up at the end. This morning I thought, "That was a contrived ending...4 stars." By midday, I'm thinking - 3 stars. It's a horror story, really, with one of the most evil characters I've ever encountered, a priest, and indifferent institutions (psychiatric hospitals) and the grinding blood lust of insurrections. The story wants to be about forgiveness, and redemption. The heroine is "saved" by l
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Feb 10, 2011
Margaret
rated it:
I knew very little about The Secret Scripture when I started reading it, apart from the fact that it was on the shortlist for the Man Booker Prize and it was about an old woman in a mental hospital in Ireland, secretly writing her life story. [return][return]At the beginning of the book the hospital is due to close and at the same time as Roseanne is writing her own account of her life, Dr Grene is assessing whether she could cope with living on her own. He delves into her past trying to find th
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Dec 08, 2010
Kirsty
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Finishing this it's difficult to see how I managed to leave it lying around the house for a year or so before picking it up to read. Though I did leave it lying around numerous times during the reading too - putting it down while other books took my fancy. And indeed I've set down far more books halfway through than I've finished in the last couple of years so maybe it's not so odd.
It is a really good read, and one that I think I'd enjoy as much on a second reading - if I didn't have far too man
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Dec 05, 2010
Appu
rated it:
The Secret Scripture refers to a diary kept by a 100 year old woman, Roseanna. She is a resident of a mental asylum for the past 50 years or so. Intermingled with it is the notes by chief doctor at the hospital, Dr. Greene.
Roseanna's memories of her early life, despite weathered by passing time, remains vivid and poignant. Hers was an ordinary life that got lost in the whirlwind of political turmoils and petty prejudices. The sheer raw beauty of prose through which her memories are More...
Roseanna's memories of her early life, despite weathered by passing time, remains vivid and poignant. Hers was an ordinary life that got lost in the whirlwind of political turmoils and petty prejudices. The sheer raw beauty of prose through which her memories are More...
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