I have been an enthusiastic follower of Sebastian Barry for a few years now. I love his work and I have heard and watched a number of interviews with him and he comes across as a wonderful man too – humble, compassionate, witty and someone who even despite his immense and widely acknowledged literary prowess does not take himself too seriously. There are a couple of his novels that I have still to read, but I was very excited when Old God’s Time was published earlier this year and received strong reviews.
It is not like any of Barry’s other novels that I have read. It bears his trademark command of prose, his profound empathy, particularly for those in their dying years, and his extraordinary ability to capture the unique spirit of Ireland – the light, the landscape (even this relatively urban one) and a particular perspective on the human condition. This novel is set mostly in the present day in Dalkey, a small coastal town not far from Dublin. Tom Kettle is our main protagonist, an ageing retired detective, living alone in an apartment in a converted mansion, who is contacted by his former boss for assistance in the unsolved suspicious death of a priest. Another priest has made some allegations about the incident, which occurred many years earlier, that the force now needs to follow up. Tom was involved with the earlier investigation when he was still working.
Tom is treated respectfully by the two young officers who come to interview him and by the former boss himself when Tom is invited to the station to provide a DNA sample, just to ensure they are following all the correct procedures. The contact throws up a lot of painful history for Tom. We learn that he adored his late wife June, herself a deeply troubled woman, and that they had two children Winnie and Joseph, also troubled, but for different reasons. Tom reflects on how June came into his life, the things they had in common and the experiences she had as a child in the care of the Catholic church that he would never be able to relate to. Suffice it to say that the church does not come out well in this novel.
As Tom’s introspection goes to deeper and ever darker places, elements of the family life he shared with June and the children are gradually revealed, both the good and the bad. He reflects candidly on his police career and concludes that perhaps it took him away from his family in ways that caused later troubles. But he was simply a man trying to do his best.
This is in many ways a simple book, lacking the complex timelines and plotting of some of his other works. But in other ways it is a very profound novel about an ordinary man looking back on the events of his life, the joys and the heartbreak, as the past comes crashing in on him with a dramatic denouement.
This book was longlisted for this year’s Booker Prize, but, sadly, did not make it to the shortlist. It is, however, a ‘Highly recommended’ from me. If you are familiar with Barry’s work, you might find this one surprising.
Julia's books 
I’ve only read Days Without End, from when it was on the Booker list, and sounds like it was a bit atypical for him, being historical and set in the states? I did love it though.
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Days Without End was my entry to Barry’s work. I think it’s his finest achievement, but all his other books have something special and unique to offer. Days Without End is one of the McNulty family books. A Thousand Moons, of course, is connected to Days Without End as its written from the perspective of Winona, the Lakota orphan who Thomas and John adopt.
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Wow, I had no idea there was a sequel! I see that it came out in March 2020, guess I had other things on my mind 🙂 That’s going high on the list though.
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For me, it wasn’t as good as DWE, but that was such a high bar. It’s a must-read if you love DWE though. IMHO! 🙂
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The description of the Dublin bombings has stayed with me… Such a fabulous writer.
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Yes, thank you for mentioning that – it’s vey powerful,
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I look forward to reading this – currently I am number 13 on the library wait list and it doesn’t seem to be moving. Thanks for the review!
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Oh that’s frustrating. It will be worth the wait!
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This is my first read by Sebastian Barry and so I’m pleased to read how much you enjoy his work and all the reasons:
“his trademark command of prose, his profound empathy, particularly for those in their dying years, and his extraordinary ability to capture the unique spirit of Ireland – the light, the landscape (even this relatively urban one) and a particular perspective on the human condition.”
I thought it was an extraordinary and insightful read and very much evoked the landscape even though I hardly even touched on this in my review. I’m looking forward to reading more by him.
Do you have a favourite of his books?
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‘Days Without End’ for sure! But ‘The Secret Scripture’ is also incredible – an elderly woman looking back on her life, though for very different reasons to Tom Kettle. And it interconnects with ‘The Temporary Gentleman’ and ‘The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty’. Just brilliant!
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it was interesting to see other people comments. I was determined to finish the book not following the story at all. Having now read the summary I have some idea, but certainly not ‘a good’ read for me.
peter
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Hi Peter, yes it’s not one of his best, I think, but I enjoyed it all the same. Have you read any of his other books?
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Dreary, meandering mess of a novel. Stuffed with irritating stage-Irishisms, awkward and unnatural dialogue, and a ham-fisted treatment of clerical abuse.
Barry can write decent books – but this isn’t one of them.
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