An epic story of family, love, and unavoidable tragedy from the two-time Man Booker Prize finalist. Now a major motion picture starring Rooney Mara. Sebastian Barry’s latest novel, Days Without End, is now available. Sebastian Barry’s novels have been hugely admired by readers and critics, and in 2005 his novel A Long Long Way was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. In The Secret Scripture, … Booker Prize. In The Secret Scripture, Barry revisits County Sligo, Ireland, the setting for his previous three books, to tell the unforgettable story of Roseanne McNulty. Once one of the most beguiling women in Sligo, she is now a resident of Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital and nearing her hundredth year. Set against an Ireland besieged by conflict, The Secret Scripture is an engrossing tale of one woman’s life, and a poignant story of the cruelties of civil war and corrupted power. The Secret Scripture is now a film starring Rooney Mara, Eric Bana, and Vanessa Redgrave.
more
I could not put this book down. The story and characters were so gripping. I could not get this story out of my head and couldn’t put the book down until I fisnished it. Not really a typical “happy ending” but still ended on a high note. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!
What a unique tale of an ancient woman whose life was heartbreaking but courageous. It kept my interest from beginning to end.
This is one of the best stories I have ever written and it also is a great movie.
Really liked this book. It is beautifully written with memories and past regrets.
Sebastian Barry is an amazing writer. His books are deep and dark and definitely about very depressing times in Ireland’s history; however, his phrasing and characters are quite poetic and unforgettable.
Interesting exploration of this time in Ireland, with a unique twist of plot resolution at the end.
I lost interest less than halfway through. Meh.
I wanted to like this book, but I just got so bogged down in the words and seemingly irrelevant details. I don’t quit on many books, but sadly couldn’t finish this one.
Waste of money and time.
Beautiful writing, engrossing story and characters
I’m half way into it.I like the characters and the author’s stile of writing.
Very well written. Words flowed
This was really quite nice. I was surprised by the ending. There was enough mystery and wonder and some really clever retelling of scenes by two embattled characters that had totally different takes on what happened. I enjoyed that you didn’t know who to trust: The woman in the sanitorium, the psychiatrist ‘in charge’, the shadowy male ‘aid’ in the sanitorium, the nuns, the priest (well, I don’t think anyone really trusted him)… But the author tied it up well.
Ireland in the early 20th century was a confused and scary place, even more so for a single woman without any family. This is a look at history from a very personal angle. The characters had me laughing, and crying, throughout. Not a light-hearted story, but a happy ending after all.
This is the kind of book that immerses you in a different world. I was totally captivated by this woman’s story and the way it was revealed.
This is a beautifully written story about a tragic life and the power of caring.
As someone who has worked in the field of mental health, I found this book to be EXTREMELY important. one fo the best books I have read in quite a while.
I just couldn’t get into it.
This is one of the best books I have read recently. It was insightful and dealt with parts of Irish history that I have always been fascinated with.
He is a quiet literary genius.