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The Temporary Gentleman

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The Temporary Gentleman

By: Sebastian Barry
Narrated by: Frank Grimes
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£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

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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 made permanent. In 1957, in his lodgings in Accra, he sets out to write his story. He is an ordinary man, both petty and heroic, but he has seen extraordinary things. He has wandered the world - as a soldier, an engineer, a UN observer - following his childhood ambition to better himself.
The Temporary Gentleman is a heart-breaking portrait of one man's life – and his last bid for freedom, from the savage realities of the past and from himself.©2014 Sebastian Barry (P)2014 W.F.Howes Ltd Fiction Historical Fiction United Kingdom Africa
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A heartrending tale of a relationship marred by alcohol and distance. Well told but an arduous listen

Enduring love

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Would you consider the audio edition of The Temporary Gentleman to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version but audio is so good I would heartily recommend

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Temporary Gentleman?

When he meets May first.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

When he meets May's family

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No

Beautiful prose wonderfully narrated

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I have heard that this author is known for his dense literary style of writing and this is certainly a true example. I get the sense that every sentence has been worked on over and over again until it is honed to perfection. By and large this works as a masterwork but I did think the result was a little too self conscious to draw me into the story. This is probably fortunate as this is a grim tale of lives destroyed by alcoholism and gambling and a woman's descent into misery and self destruction.

I have heard Sebastian Barry's books are very good so I am a little sorry I started with this one. Overall this was not for me but I can understand why he is so widely admired.

Poetic and melancholy

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This is a work of pure genius. Sebastian Barry is a wonderful poetic novelist. Sometimes the beauty. Of a phrase or sentence takes my breath away. The story plumbs the depth of tragedy. I identified deeply with Jack and Mae . I think this is the best of all of his novels as it does not have the dreadful violence that his war books have. I'm Squeamish . Beautifully and perfectly narrated. If only I could find more books of this calibre I would be so happy

Utterly brilliant

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He can write the football results and make them dramatic and interesting in my opinion

Sebastian Barry’s command of language is as ever, at the highest level

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