Endless Days

"...The book is impressive in every respect—for its style, its subject matter, and its psychological portrayal of the characters. The author himself says that his central character is dedicated to his young son, who is gay. But it is the mark of great writers that they can transform personal experience into literature. This novel is a true masterpiece that creates a sense of reading euphoria; and yet another brick in the great McNulty saga."

"...It is impressive that within a medium-length novel, Barry has managed to present us with an entire era. He does so with excellence and a poeticism that never strays from the realistic nature of the narrative. His many readers in our country will be captivated by this book too, in Maria Angelidou’s meticulous translation."

"...Can a historical novel be so steeped in contemporary concerns without at the same time preaching? If the author is Sebastian Barry, then of course it is possible. Using the historical backdrop of mid-19th-century America—an America tested by successive wars, which obliterates anything standing in the way of the ruling class—he highlights the anxiety surrounding violence against the Other, the immigrant, the outsider in the dominant mindset, its concern over the exploitation of the weak, but also the hope that, through individual efforts to satisfy inner needs, some will manage to survive the levelling efforts of a society that elevates the average and marginalises anyone who deviates from it."

"...If literature humanises every barbaric emotion, the proof is surely this book, one of the most tender, beautiful and, in their harshness, optimistic novels of recent years."

"...Pages of appalling violence but also of unparalleled lyricism in the pages of the multi-award-winning Irish author Sebastian Barry’s *Days Without End*, published by Ikaros in an excellent translation by Maria Angelidou. This is the story of two boys who, trying to survive in 19th-century America, find themselves in a saloon where they dance dressed as women in front of miners, enlist in the army and experience all the brutality of the Civil War and the extermination of the Native Americans. Amidst endless horror, a peculiar family is formed, as love manages to survive. A heart-rending ode to otherness."

"...the literary result is impressive both on the surface and beneath it: the novel encompasses emotion and cruelty, kindness and fear, and of course the oldest of needs, love, in its simplest and yet most profound forms."

"...The Irishman’s book is shocking. Quite simply and categorically. He writes of war, which hangs over our heads like an invisible axe; he writes of the irresponsible and inhumane people who wield it, who value nothing but land, territory, money and power, and care nothing for lives or feelings."

"...Sebastian Barry’s book, a raw and magnificent novel, forces America to look back once more at its own past and at the Great War. [...] In its pages, the author captures the inner world of his three protagonists in miniature, yet at the same time depicts a world of places and frontiers so remote that it is hard to imagine today."

"...Barry’s wonderful narrative style is the star of this amazing novel, which has everything a reader could ask for! A brilliant pace, character development (one might even call it a ‘coming-of-age novel’), lively dialogue, three-dimensional characters, and humour even in the most dramatic scenes. The author’s unique writing talent captivates even the most detached reader, as he allows his gaze to wander from pages of unbridled violence and bloodshed to the meadows and landscapes of a country both beautiful and ugly, vast and endless, offering unique shifts in imagery and emotion."

"...Barry brings to the fore the people who found themselves on the ‘wrong side of society’ and acknowledges the role they played in shaping modern American history. The otherness of Irish immigrants, like that of Native Americans, African Americans, non-conformist women or gay people, becomes the prism of a literary metaphor through which to comment on the open wounds of our time. And so the intensity of his novel soars."

"...Barry makes his harrowing novel particularly compelling with his vivid, striking descriptions, such as the wild buffalo hunt at the beginning, the terrible flood that sweeps away the makeshift military fort, the bloody battle scenes in the Civil War, the unprovoked attack on the Sioux village, and the Indian chief’s proud entrance into the American camp. His narrative flows smoothly, the atmosphere is convincing, his writing is skilful, and the frequent interruption of his careful prose by touches of humour lightens the grim atmosphere of mutual destruction."

"...In this landscape, where brutality is brewing, no one has reason to hope: and yet, it is precisely under these circumstances that the genetically optimistic Irish narrator of the book, who experiences days without end –hence the title of Sebastian Barry’s eponymous book, translated by Maria Angelidou–, has one fundamental reason to dream, and that is none other than love."

"...This book is a superb example of perfect balance and astonishing mastery. On the one hand, there are descriptions for the strong of heart, and on the other, images of incredible beauty. Throughout the book, I kept wondering how this exceptional author manages to do this. How is it possible that, whilst describing battle scenes with shocking brutality, he can write a couple of sentences about nature or a man – an enemy in battle – that more than make up for the savagery and ugliness? Sebastian Barry shows us once again what a great writer he is."