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Sebastian Barry
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Book
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Publisher | Faber & Faber | ||
ISBN | 9780571215294 | ||
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Reviewer
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Ann
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Synopsis
Nearing her one-hundredth birthday, Roseanne McNulty faces an uncertain future, as the Roscommon Regional Mental hospital where she's spent the best part of her adult life prepares for closure. Over the weeks leading up to this upheaval, she talks often with her psychiatrist Dr. Grene, and their relationship intensifies and complicates. Told through their respective journals, the story that emerges is at once shocking and deeply beautiful. Refracted through the haze of memory and retelling, Roseanne's story becomes an alternative, secret history of Ireland's changing character and the story of a life blighted by terrible mistreatment and ignorance, and yet marked still by love and passion and hope.
Review
The imminent closure of the Roscommon asylum where Roseanne has spent the majority of her long life prompts her to record what she remembers of her history. Hiding her ‘secret scripture' from the well-meaning psychiatrist who also belatedly wants to know, she divulges her memories of the incidents and people in her life in a calm, matter of fact way totally at odds with the cruel twists of being a beautiful, protestant woman in catholic Ireland during the Civil War.
Beautiful prose, rolling and rippling, and so evocative of the celtic landscape. The form of Roseanne's recollections echo her age and situation, and Dr Grene's investigations and observations, and thoughts on his unhappy marriage provide a marvelous counterpoint which prevents any monotony. So sad too, that the life she has had has been caused by other people's perceptions and prejudices regarding her parentage, sex and religion, rather than actual deeds.
Haunting - recommended for a educative and fulfilling read.
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