Sebastian Barry

While the story of the book wasn't all bad, from a historical perspective I kind of liked it, I really hated this book. I just could not get over the poetic ramblings by Barry. The fact that Sebastian Barry felt like he had to describe every little thing in his book as if it was a melancholic painting just made me angry. So it didn't matter what happened in the book, everytime when he so much as described a ray of sunlight my eyes involuntarily started to roll. I think this book had a nice premise with an average story which was thoroughly ruined by a writer trying to be dramatic.… (mais)

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 various sources. It's a turbulent time in Ireland, the civil war is raging to be followed by WW2. Non Catholics are viewed by suspicion, the population are in thrall to the Catholic priests, who in turn believe their word is law and they are not to be ignored. Women who do not submit and conform (especially if they are pretty or sexually aware) are to be downtrodden, and if necessary committed to an asylum.[return][return]Roseanne tells her own version of her young life and what led to her committal to the asylum. Grene finds the alternate version, and in himself finds that he has put his own version of the truth, so recognises that noone's recollection is perfect. He also learns some shocking and surprising truths in the end.[return][return]Lovely, occasionally painful (it reminds me of my cultural heritage, and pushes a set of buttons in me that makes me very angry - primarily directed against the Catholic church and Irish priests in particular!), this has been catching my eye several times over the last few years and am now glad have read it… (mais)