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The Secret Scripture

The Secret Scripture

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The Secret Scripture

by Sebastian Barry

  • Used
  • Fine
  • Hardcover
  • Signed
  • first
Condition
Fine/Fine
Seller
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
BATH, Somerset, United Kingdom
Item Price
£70.00
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About This Item

London: Faber and Faber, 2008. First edition. Cloth. Fine/Fine. 9.5" by 6". None. A signed first edition, first impression, of Sebastian Barry's novel about the life of a Mental Hospital patient, in the original unclipped dustwrapper. The first edition, first impression of this work. Signed by the author to the title page. In the original unclipped dustwrapper. Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. 'The Secret Scripture' is a novel about an old woman, Roseanne McNulty, who is a patient at the Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital. Written by Sebastian Barry, an Irish novelist who is best known for this novel, and for his other Man Booker nominated 'A Long Long Way'. In the original publisher's cloth binding, in the original unclipped dustwrapper. Externally, smart. Dustwrapper is smart. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean. Signed by the author to the title page. Fine

Synopsis

An epic story of family, love, and unavoidable tragedy from the two-time Man Booker Prize finalist 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 , 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 vivid reminder of the stranglehold that the Catholic church had on individuals throughout much of the twentieth century.

Reviews

On Oct 7 2022, a reader said:
The Secret Scripture is the seventh stand-alone novel by Irish author, Sebastian Barry. Against the background of the imminent closure of an Irish mental facility, an ageing psychiatrist reviews his remaining patients for suitability to re-enter the community at large. Dr William Grene, Senior Pyschiatrist at Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital, is particularly concerned about hundred-year-old Roseanne McNulty, suspecting that her sectioning some sixty-plus years ago, like many others of that era, may have been based on social convenience rather than psychiatric need.

Barry sets up his story as twin narrations: "Dr Grene's Commonplace Book" is meant to contain a professional account of the last days of the hospital, but Will includes his personal observations about Roseanne McNulty and the results of his investigations into her admission as well as events, past and present, in his own life; "Roseanne's Testimony of Herself" is a secret memoir that Roseanne writes and keeps hidden, detailing events in her life leading up to her sectioning, along with present day happenings. This novel has a marvellous cast of characters, credible dialogue and a brilliant plot.

Astute readers will have twigged to the who and what of the mystery half-way through the novel, but this in no way reduces the enjoyment or the compulsion to continue reading Barry's beautiful prose for the how and why. Barry touches on many topics including the chequered history of mental institutions, the Irish Civil War, the power of the Catholic Church in 20th century Ireland and whether there is such a thing as factual truth (or does it all depend on the accuracy of a person's memory?). This was a great read and I will be looking for the companion works to this one that Barry has written: The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty, and Our Lady of Sligo.

This unbiased review is from a copy provided by NetGalley and Faber & Faber

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Details

Bookseller
Rooke Books GB (GB)
Bookseller's Inventory #
670P9
Title
The Secret Scripture
Author
Sebastian Barry
Illustrator
None
Format/Binding
Cloth
Book Condition
Used - Fine
Jacket Condition
Fine
Quantity Available
1
Edition
First edition
Binding
Hardcover
Publisher
Faber and Faber
Place of Publication
London
Date Published
2008
Size
9.5" by 6"
Keywords
the secret scripture sebastian barry man booker booker prize sebastian barry rosecommon regional mental hospital

Terms of Sale

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About the Seller

Rooke Books

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2007
BATH, Somerset

About Rooke Books

Welcome to Rooke Books Antiquarian Bookseller
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Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Cloth
"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
Publisher's cloth
A hardcover book comprised of cloth over hard pasteboard boards. ...
Dustwrapper
Also known as book jacket, dust cover, or dust wrapper, a dust jacket is a protective and decorative cover for a book that is...
Title Page
A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
Fine
A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
First Edition
In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...

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