Endless Days

Name: Endless Days
Author: [Ireland] Written by Sebastian Barry, Translated by Yang Lingfeng

长日无尽

by [Ireland] Written by Sebastian Barry, Translated by Yang Lingfeng (［爱尔兰］塞巴斯蒂安·巴里著，杨凌峰译)

Status: Completed
Source: Fanqie

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Stats

9.1Score

26Chapters

Synopsis

"Days Without End" 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 drifting 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 wind and snow, illuminating the endless years.

Reader comments

The friendship between Thomas and John is very innocent. From performing in the theater troupe to joining the army and being discharged from the army, they trust and support each other. Both of them also raised Winona as their daughter and regarded her as a gleam of light in the ordinary and boring military life. Even if they were separated, they never thought of leaving each other behind, which moved me. The description of the environment in the article is truly outstanding, with associations, metaphors, and synaesthesia at your fingertips, and the psychological portrayal is also very realistic. "Life is there, just participate" touched me very much.
16 likes2y ago
When I looked at the cover of "The Endless Day", I thought it was a very heartwarming story (I looked at the cover and kept it on my bookshelf), but when I read it, I discovered that it was set during the Great Famine in Ireland and the American Indian Wars. I originally didn't want to read any more. But slowly it was discovered that the two male protagonists, John and Thomas, helped each other and cared for each other. They began wandering when they were teenagers. They adopted an Indian girl, Winona, and they both hoped for peace. It is not only a work about war and love, which I said gave me the biggest feeling that there is love even in cruelty, but also a literary work that profoundly reflects human nature, friendship and hope. Reading the experiences of these characters this time, I felt the cruelty of war, but it made me cherish peace and the love around me even more.
14 likes1y ago
This book depicts the fate of small people in the context of a big era with delicate brushstrokes. The two protagonists have gone through countless hardships, but have always supported each other. Their friendship is touching. There is a wonderful sentence in the book: "They searched for the meaning of life together in the endless days." This allowed me to see the brilliance and hope of human nature in the difficult years.
11 likes2y ago
The literary talent is really good, and the translation is also very good.
3 likes2y ago