Book Review: Old God’s Time

Old God’s Time
by Sebastian Barry
Review by Bel

This is a completely original, superbly literary take on the detective novel. Tom Kettle is a highly unreliable but utterly loveable narrator, who I desperately wish I could hug and keep safe. Barry’s observations of character are tender, subtle and incredibly affecting.

This book is about so much more than the difficult subject matter at its heart (Be warned, there are confronting but not gratuitous references to child sexual abuse.) It’s about the effect trauma can have on memory, but most of all it’s about love. Barry’s descriptions of love are profound and understated. He sure can craft an exquisite sentence, and this book is full of them. They held me captive to the end of this incredibly sad yet beautiful story. Harrowing at times but absolute magic. (And to cap it off, you can hear the Irish lilt as you read! Highly recommend.