'The Secret Scripture' by Sebastian Barry - Review

'The Secret Scripture' by Sebastian Barry

Through researching St. Columbas Lunatic Asylum and The Clarion Hotel, Sligo, I discovered that a film director was staying at the hotel in order to gain a feel of what it felt like when it used to be the asylum. He was doing this as part of research for his upcoming film which is based on a book, 'The Secret Scripture' by Sebastian Barry. The book itself is based upon harsh yet tru Irish history. Basing the story on his own aunt, from which he knew very little about, the story was about elderly lady - a patient of Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital - who is writing diary style extracts of her life and hiding them under the floor boards. The narrative of the whole novel is set through these diary extracts and that of her doctor's, Dr. William Grene.

SPOILER ALERT - this post and the next will describe certain events that someone planning on reading the book may wish to avoid so this is my warning!

I did a quick read up on the book and thought it could help me decipher some sort of story for my environment which the main character, Roseanne McNulty had actually stayed in at one point in her life - The St. Columbas Lunatic Asylum, now known as The Clarion Hotel, Sligo. With such a rare opportunity I managed to get a hold of the book which my grandparents ended up owning and began to read it.

At first I was a little disappointed to discover she was in fact, staying at another mental hospital and thought my research must of been wrong, however, I then, upon further reading, discovered that Roseanne did stay at St. Columbas Lunatic Asylum prior to her now home, Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital. So even with this I still managed to figure out a rough story idea that for now, I can use too plan my actual final piece

Example From Book

This book involves lots of memories - as it is narrated through characters diary extracts/ notes - hence memories. Throughout the book you discover different versions of stories which question who is telling the truth however further on - you discover that both stories are truthful but just happened at different times. It is remarkably done. Here is an example:

As a child, Roseanne remembered her father going to the top of a tower in the graveyard to show her the laws of gravity - by dropping hammers and feathers at the same time - the ideal result, they land together. She waited at the bottom while he went up to the top and dropped the said items. This whole scene is described beautifully by Roseanne and is a very sweet and wonderful memory. She had great admiration for her father and loved him ever so much.

However, another account of this event was from the local Priest, who in his notes explained that the father was abducted and taken to the top of this tower, in which Roseanne followed. She watched from the bottom - struggling to see what was going on at the top, in which the group of men had stuffed her fathers mouth with feathers, and beaten him with a hammer - the priest believed they initially planned to through him off the tower. At some point he blurted out the feathers and the group of men through the hammers over the edge in which one hit and knocked out Roseanne.

Now what is interesting is the difference but yet eerie similarity in these two stories - who do you believe? The Priest who would have no reason to lie, however does have a dark side too him and did not get on with Roseanne or the father, or do you believe Roseanne, who after all, was in a mental asylum.

You eventually discover that both events actually happened. First was Roseanne's father showing her the gravity law then years later, him being brought too the top of the tower and beaten with hammers. There were no feathers at this point, Dr. Grene had just mis-wrote his 'diary extract'. So obviously, with the blow to the read, Roseanne forgot this memory or choose not too remember or write about it. 

This book is full of interesting/disturbing memories which I can perhaps use and showcase in my story.