"The Secret Scripture" by Sebastian Barry.
A craftily clever novel set in Sligo, Ireland and relating the troubles of Ireland in the early 1920s via the recorded thoughts of Roseanne McNulty, a beautiful but ageing resident in a community facility,
and a small number of other characters with which she interacted.
The book interweaves the power of the religious leaders and the social problems and how these factors bear down on the lives of ordinary mortals.
Both the story and the writing are cleverly constructed , and much of the prose is quite vivid, in spite of the Irish tilt of much of the dialogue.
The story is unremittingly gloomy with only a very few chinks of light to break up the darkness.
The reader is left confused to a great extent on both the physical and the temporal location of the action.
Clarity requires some knowledge of Irish history.
Quote from one absent member:
“ think the writing was excellent quality and I enjoyed reading – apart from the actual story which I found awful and reading about naked babies laid out to die/ rats (dipped in paraffin) / wars /guns/ fires /orphanage burning down
and 123 burning children having to jump from windows to their deaths means this is a book I will remember through the continuing nightmares in the months ahead”.
Various detailed comments from club members were noted including On the positive side:
- Well written
- Cleverly constructed
- Vivid, almost poetic imagery
- Important that the memory of horrors is kept alive
On the other hand:
- Confusing
- Irritating
- Generally miserable, dismal and grey
- Horrid Little Book
- Not bedtime reading
The moral of the story: Awful things happen to ordinary people
Doorly score: 3.8
PC. 2025
|
