Booker Prize - a little more conversation
Posted by scott on September 21st, 2008As some readers of this blog will know, every year I make an attempt to read all six of the Booker prize short-listed books. Being a bit mad, I even try and manage it (and in all but one occassion fail) to read them all before the announcement of the winner - which this year will be onTues 14th October.
I have already polished off the current bookies favourite, The Secret Scripture by Sebastain Barry, and can report that it is a book well worthy of being a favourite. I’m not going to go into great detail about the plot (a google search will do that), but a brief synopsis is as follows.
The book, set in a Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital in modern-day Ireland, tells the story of 100 year old Roseanne Clear/McNulty through the accounts of two narrators, Roseanne herself and her Doctor, and the head of the Hospital, Dr Grene. The Hospital is being closed down to be demolished and Dr Grene has to assess all the patients to decide whether they can be relocated to a new hospital or whether they can be released.
Her story (the Secret Scripture), which she is hiding away under a floorboard, sets out to tell the story of her life and how she came - at an early age - to be committed into mental institutions. In doing so it covers a key points in Irish history, such as the partitioning of the country in the 1920’s. By contrast, Dr Grene’s story mixes his own personal torments and the break down - due to a one off infidelity - of his marraige, with his assement of Roseanne’s case.
At first it is hard to see how the two strands work together, but slowly as memory and history conflict some truth is drawn out, and the two very different stands are pulled together.
This is a terrific book. Barry has succeeded in creating two very real central characters.He also brings to life a number of other minor character, such as Father Gaunt, and John Kane who both play important roles in explaining the mystery of how Roseanne ended up sentenced to life in mental institutions (misogyny and politics).
Well worth a read.
[There are a couple of other things I would like to say about the plot, but will hold off doing so, because in a new twist for this year, a fellow blogger - Jen - has also expressed an interest in tackling the books, so I will be doing something I had not ever expected to do - give someone ‘guest blogger’ staus on this blog. So, I may hold back on some comments so as not to tip off Jen of plot developments. This is also to warn regular readers that if I start to sound more wise and erudite, it may mean you’re reading my guest blogger.]
How lucky am I ! Oh, crap, just re-read the email and I’m supposed to “keep this transaction as [my] top secret”. Bugger, do you think this will discount me??
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