Cover Image: Days Without End

Days Without End

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Member Reviews

Wow. What a powerful book. It's so easy to forget that this is amongst the most violent and brutal of books I have ever read, the beauty and compassion come through so strong. The prisoner of was camp is harrowing and will stay with me forever, but so will the image of the two lovers holding hands with their daughter at the foot of the bed. The book reads like a eulogy to John Cole, there's no dissection of their relationship and the awful things that happen to them are never shameful. Barry has said he is envisioning a utopia where sexuality is not noticed, but it clearly is in the novel's world, hence my views of it as a flattering tribute where horribleness is ommitted by design.

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It’s the first half of the 19th century. Thomas McNulty, fleeing the famine in Ireland, finds himself just as down and out and homeless in America. He enlists in the army, which welcomes all comers, along with his new friend John Cole and is put to fight, first against the native Americans and then in the Civil War. Hard as this life is, it is no worse than the privations he has already suffered in his existence thus far.
Thomas McNulty narrates in unusual, sweeping and lyrical language. The novel should be read slowly, as every single word is important. The plight of the Indians and the Rebels would, as they say, tear the heart from you. So what was missing for me?
Thomas’ reporting of the action is stunning, but he tells of his relationship with John, and Winona, the niece of the Sioux chief less convincingly, perhaps too remotely to feel part of. Thomas’ bravery, sense of justice and unwavering love for John are slightly overshadowed in this dark and emotional work.

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I didn't know what to expect from this book, and what I got was something very unique. Thanks to the publishers for the opportunity.

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Last month, Days without End by Sebastian Barry won the 2016 Costa Novel Award.

It’s the story of two young men — Thomas McNulty and John Cole — who join the US army in the 1850s. They become cavalry men and fight in the Indian and American civil wars.

Their experiences are harsh, sometimes brutal, ut the relationship that McNulty and Cole build sustains them through these hardships.

One particularly shocking scene describes the sacking of an Indian encampment.

Reading Days without End reminded me of the black & white westerns we watched on TV as children. They were stories about war, bravery, courage and betrayal. Tribal and human differences, conflict and peacemaking — sometimes savage, sometimes scary, sometimes sentimental often showing both the worst and the best of men.

Barry previously won the Costa Book of the Year award in 2008 with The Secret Scripture, the story of elderly woman facing an uncertain future when the mental institution where she spent most of her life is threatened with closure.

A miracle of a book

The Costa Book Award judges describe Days without End as “A miracle of a book – both epic and intimate – that manages to create spaces for love and safety in the noise and chaos of history.”

Barry’s writing is mesmerising — rich, resonant, poignant and thought-provoking. While the action takes place in the 1850s, his themes have contemporary echoes.

McNulty’s crossing to America, for example — a consequence of the 1840s Irish Famine — calls to mind more recent refugee crises.

These contemporary parallels help to make Days without End a much more accessible read than, for example, Joseph O’Connor’s American civil war novel, Redemption Falls. That said, I found Barry’s latest work a slower read than some of his earlier novels, but a satisfying one.

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WOW, This is a compelling read - mixing the widescreen story of the USA from civil war, gold rush and beyond, with the personal stories of the protagonists.

The skill of the writer to bring you into their world, with vivid descriptions and majors pieces.

Highly recommended.

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Beautifully poetic, almost hymn-like story of young Thomas McNulty's adventures in the Wild West, after fleeing Ireland during the famine. Brutal and bloodsoaked and yet full of tender, intimate poesy, it might be Barry's best novel yet.. Very different in language and tone from Joseph O'Connor's "Redemption Falls", but just as exquisite.

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