The Temporary Gentleman

Quotes

“Fascinating and moving, The Temporary Gentleman shows Sebastian Barry to be one of our finest novelists—daring, accommodating, and humane.” John Banville, New York Times bestselling author

“Expanding on characters and events in his preceding novels, Barry tells the story of Jack McNulty, a ‘temporary gentleman’ because his commission in the British Army during World War II wasn’t made permanent…Like Barry’s other characters, Jack McNulty is both noble and terribly flawed. Fans of Roddy Doyle’s Last Roundup trilogy will appreciate this book’s bold lyricism, unforgettable characters, and epic historicism.” Library Journal (starred review)

“With this complex portrait of a man rooted in his hometown but drawn into a wider warring world, Barry again proves himself a prose artist and a skilled navigator of the rocky shoals of modern morality and Irish heritage.” Publishers Weekly

“Narrator Gerard Doyle’s sonorous voice provides the perfect complement to Sebastian Barry’s story…Doyle’s narration highlights both the peaks and valleys of McNulty’s tumultuous life, making this a powerful listening experience.” AudioFile

“Much of Jack McNulty’s life has been lost in the fog of alcoholism. What he does remember, though, he sets down in writing from his quarters in mid-1950s Ghana, reviewing with regret his path through a troubled marriage and a war…Although McNulty is not a man to be admired, the raw elegance of his storytelling has its own beauty. The Temporary Gentleman is an arresting account of self-deception and the power of will to pretend all is well, even as the bottom falls out.” Booklist

“Pensive, quietly lyrical novel by Irish writer Barry, the sixth in a series of books whose stories are separate yet connected…A beautifully written story of a love lost, and inevitably so.” Kirkus Reviews