Endless Days
by I
About This Novel
"The Long Day" is a novel by Irish writer Sebastian Barry. The work won the 2016 Costa Literary Award, the 2017 Scott History Prize, and was shortlisted for the 2017 Booker Prize. The novel "The End of the Day" fully demonstrates the ups and downs of the Irish refugees who fled to the United States due to the Great Famine in the early 20th century. They rushed to board the "coffin ship", endured hunger, plague and extremely harsh climate conditions, and finally arrived at the "promised land" in their dreams after months of wandering at sea. They were engaged in jobs at the bottom of the food chain, digging stone mines, building railways, and working as lumberjacks. Many of them were even drawn into the army to participate in wars for unknown reasons from beginning to end, and died in the wilderness of unknown places. The two male protagonists of the story, John and Thomas, are also survivors of the Irish Famine. They started wandering when they were teenagers. Forced to make a living, they worked as dancers (in disguise) in the declining Grand Rapids City. They joined the army for meager military pay and experienced extremely cruel battles. Blizzards, long periods of severe cold, floods and plagues, battles and killings with Indian tribes, behind every serious disaster are the scars of the times. After everything, John and Thomas have become each other's closest friends, accompanying each other and redeeming each other, while the exiled Indian girl Winona symbolizes immortal hope, like the glimmer of light after the snow, illuminating the endless years.
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