From the Bookshelf of Constant Reader…

The Secret Scripture

Sebastian Barry

Start date: May 15, 2012

Finish date: June 1, 2012

Discussion: Reading List

Discussion leader: Melissa

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Reading List

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What Members Thought

May 06, 2012 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio-books, contemporary-fiction, irish-literature, read-2014

From BBC Radio 4 - Book at Bedtime:
Nearing her 100th birthday, Roseanne McNulty faces an uncertain future at the soon to be closed Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital. Her only solace is her psychiatrist Dr Grene, with whom she has an intense and increasingly complicated relationship.

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Jun 17, 2009 Melissa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: directed-reading

A powerful, haunting story of Rosanne McNulty, a 100-year old woman long assigned to an insane asylum in County Sligo, Ireland, and the middle-aged psychiatrist who slowly comes to see and know her as more than a silent strange crone. Told in the form of journal entries by Rosanne and Dr. Grene, moving in their own directions but finally inching together to meet by the end of the book. I noted many passages written with a simple but potent beauty, such as this one, from p. 101 of my paperback ed ...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Pang rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: culture-society-travel, historical-fiction

What an exhausting book to listen to!

The Irish accent took a little while for me to get used to (no offense, just wasn't used to hearing it often,) and the story (or stories, I should say) dragged on at many points. The history of Ireland was interesting to me, since I had little knowledge about it. I had to do a bit of researching in order for me to understand better what was going on with Roseanne and why she was treated so. But otherwise I just wasn't that invested in the characters (nor the ...more

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Apr 17, 2009 Kate rated it liked it

Sad but worthwhile. Giant twist at end puts validates the characters and their development, but it rather wraps things up too perfectly. Story is complex and layered, Barry has faith in his reader that we will follow! I love this in an author.
Writing style is poetic and heartfelt. This is for fans of Wordsworth and Coleridge! Characters are intriguing but not well fleshed out; makes them foils instead of real people.
One story is told from multiple angles with remarkable conservation of space (3 ...more

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Apr 08, 2009 Robyn rated it really liked it

I was two chapters short of finishing this book last night - then woke up at 3.00 a.m. with the plot on my mind so I had to get up, make a cup of tea and read to the end.

I enjoyed the fact that right up until the reveal I didn't guess the ending. ...more

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May 10, 2012 Melissa rated it it was amazing

Read a second time for the Constant Reader discussion that begins May 15.

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May 09, 2012 Jane rated it it was amazing

I think I like this best of the three Sebastian Barry books I've read. The writing is gorgeous. Barry's writing always is, and this plot was so moving. I can't wait to discuss it in the Goodreads discussion group. What a masterful writer. I'd love to listen to him read it. ...more

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