The Temporary Gentleman
5 journalers for this copy...
This book starts its BookCrossing life from Delphi, Greece .
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" Jack McNulty is a 'temporary gentleman', an Irishman whose commission in the British army in the Second World War was never permanent. In 1957, sitting in his lodgings in Accra, he urgently sets out to write his story. He feels he cannot take one step further, or even hardly a breath, without looking back at all that has befallen him.
He is an ordinary man, both petty and heroic, but he has seen extraordinary things. He has worked
and wandered around the world - as a soldier, an engineer, a UN observer - trying to follow his childhood ambition to better himself. And he has had a strange and tumultuous marriage. Mai Kirwan was a great beauty of Sligo in the 1920s, a vivid mind, but an elusive and mysterious figure too. Jack married her, and shared his life with her, but in time she slipped from his grasp.
A heart-breaking portrait of one man's life - of his demons and his lost love - The Temporary Gentleman is, ultimately, a novel about Jack's last bid for freedom, from the savage realities of the past and from himself. "
~~~~~~To the person who found this book:~~~~~~
Welcome to BookCrossing.com, where we are trying to make the whole world a library!
If you have not already done so, please make a journal entry so we know this book has found a new home. Drop a few lines on where and how you found this book and what you thought of it. You don't need to join BookCrossing and you can remain completely anonymous. However, I encourage you to join so that you can follow this book's future travels. It's fun and free, and your personal information will never be shared or sold.
This book is now yours, and you can keep it if you choose, although I would love you to read and then share it. You can pass it on someone you know or release it once again in the wild, leaving it on a park bench, a phone booth, a hostel lobby...wherever you think it's suitable for the book to continue it's journey. If you pass it along, please make a release note to let others know where you left it.
I hope you enjoy the book!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Jack McNulty is a 'temporary gentleman', an Irishman whose commission in the British army in the Second World War was never permanent. In 1957, sitting in his lodgings in Accra, he urgently sets out to write his story. He feels he cannot take one step further, or even hardly a breath, without looking back at all that has befallen him.
He is an ordinary man, both petty and heroic, but he has seen extraordinary things. He has worked
and wandered around the world - as a soldier, an engineer, a UN observer - trying to follow his childhood ambition to better himself. And he has had a strange and tumultuous marriage. Mai Kirwan was a great beauty of Sligo in the 1920s, a vivid mind, but an elusive and mysterious figure too. Jack married her, and shared his life with her, but in time she slipped from his grasp.
A heart-breaking portrait of one man's life - of his demons and his lost love - The Temporary Gentleman is, ultimately, a novel about Jack's last bid for freedom, from the savage realities of the past and from himself. "
~~~~~~To the person who found this book:~~~~~~
Welcome to BookCrossing.com, where we are trying to make the whole world a library!
If you have not already done so, please make a journal entry so we know this book has found a new home. Drop a few lines on where and how you found this book and what you thought of it. You don't need to join BookCrossing and you can remain completely anonymous. However, I encourage you to join so that you can follow this book's future travels. It's fun and free, and your personal information will never be shared or sold.
This book is now yours, and you can keep it if you choose, although I would love you to read and then share it. You can pass it on someone you know or release it once again in the wild, leaving it on a park bench, a phone booth, a hostel lobby...wherever you think it's suitable for the book to continue it's journey. If you pass it along, please make a release note to let others know where you left it.
I hope you enjoy the book!
Sebastian Barry is certainly a unique author. He has a very special way of describing scenes, emotions and events, writing on a poetic, beautiful language. His novels aren’t light reads, one needs to allow time and effort to really appreciate them, treating them as small works of art.
The Temporary Gentleman is a fine stand-alone book, linked though with at least two others of the author. It’s a first person narration of the adventurous and mostly sad life of Jack McNulty and of his huge and weird love for his wife, Mai. Two sensitive, talented, charismatic people who are self-destroyable and frivolous too.
This novel is many more things too, as the story touches on many diverse themes. As it happens with all Barry’s novels, the main plot is very “personal” and “specific”, watching the heroes’ choices and conditions, but in the meantime, while the author doesn’t quite focus there, the reader can see how History may influence and often destroy families, personalities, lives, humans…
A very moving story, although it gets a bit exaggerated at times and somehow predictable, especially towards the very end. Even though the protagonists are not always likeable, they are deeply human and the book will leave you full of emotion and with lots of things to contemplate.
It’s wiser to pick this up when in a relaxed mood, although it’s not a relaxed read at all. Be prepared for a demanding, beautiful, bittersweet book that will evoke lots of feeling and lots of thinking…
The Temporary Gentleman is a fine stand-alone book, linked though with at least two others of the author. It’s a first person narration of the adventurous and mostly sad life of Jack McNulty and of his huge and weird love for his wife, Mai. Two sensitive, talented, charismatic people who are self-destroyable and frivolous too.
This novel is many more things too, as the story touches on many diverse themes. As it happens with all Barry’s novels, the main plot is very “personal” and “specific”, watching the heroes’ choices and conditions, but in the meantime, while the author doesn’t quite focus there, the reader can see how History may influence and often destroy families, personalities, lives, humans…
A very moving story, although it gets a bit exaggerated at times and somehow predictable, especially towards the very end. Even though the protagonists are not always likeable, they are deeply human and the book will leave you full of emotion and with lots of things to contemplate.
It’s wiser to pick this up when in a relaxed mood, although it’s not a relaxed read at all. Be prepared for a demanding, beautiful, bittersweet book that will evoke lots of feeling and lots of thinking…
Journal Entry 3 by Delphi_Reader at Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada on Friday, July 13, 2018
Yay. The book has safely arrived. Thank you for sharing this as a bookray. I will start reading soon and keep the ray going.
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Updated Sept 28, 2018
I do not have much to add as I agree with everything Delphi_Reader said. This is a heartbreaking tale that is beautifully written. It is very sad and very moving. I do not want to give any spoilers. This is definitely a book to read when you can spare the time and energy. A very worthwhile read. Thanks for offering this as a bookray.
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Updated Sept 28, 2018
I do not have much to add as I agree with everything Delphi_Reader said. This is a heartbreaking tale that is beautifully written. It is very sad and very moving. I do not want to give any spoilers. This is definitely a book to read when you can spare the time and energy. A very worthwhile read. Thanks for offering this as a bookray.
Released 5 yrs ago (10/5/2018 UTC) at Next Reader, Bookray -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
The book is traveling to its next reader. Happy reading!
Received today. I do have a few before this one. Please let me know if I'm taking too long.
I, also, don't have very much to add to the other readers' comments. This is my second book by Sebastian Barry, and I must say I am captivated by his writing. Pure poetry! Although the story is very dark in nature, I was fascinated by all the details he includes. You do feel as if you are there...either in Ireland or Africa.
It's off to the next reader. Enjoy!
Melancholic. A long love letter, I would say. Yet, not my favourite book by Sebastian Barry.
It will be sent to grovalskii as soon as I have her address.
Thank you so much for sharing
It will be sent to grovalskii as soon as I have her address.
Thank you so much for sharing
Sent to grovalskii today.
Enjoy! :-)
Enjoy! :-)
Book received today. Thanks Avores! Looking forward to reading this.
I have a love/hate relationship with this book. On the one hand, it was a very depressing story. On the other hand, I like the maybe old-fashioned language and particularities of Irish writing. Maybe this won't be my last book by this author.
Thanks again for sharing, Arvores! I'll be looking for a new reader soon.
Thanks again for sharing, Arvores! I'll be looking for a new reader soon.