Days Without EndDays Without End
Score Modern
What it's about
Thomas McNulty, barely seventeen, flees the Irish famine to America in the 1850s, where he meets John Cole, a boy his own age, and they become partners for life. They dance dressed as women in a frontier saloon, join the U.S. Army, fight in the Indian Wars and the Civil War, and take in a young Sioux girl. Thomas tells it all in his own unforgettable voice.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Costa Book of the Year and was longlisted for the Booker, and the Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It's brutal, lyrical and a great love story.
You'll love it if you liked
Lonesome Dove
Cold Mountain
Blood MeridianGood to know
There's graphic war violence, including massacres. Thomas's narration is in a distinctive Irish-American voice.
By the numbers
- Readers34 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics58 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller11 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz5 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #912 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1691 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
More by Sebastian Barry
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Quick answers
Is Days Without End worth reading?
Yes. It won the Costa Book of the Year and was longlisted for the Booker, and the Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #1,691 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 66.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Days Without End about?
Thomas McNulty, barely seventeen, flees the Irish famine to America in the 1850s, where he meets John Cole, a boy his own age, and they become partners for life. They dance dressed as women in a frontier saloon, join the U.S. Army, fight in the Indian Wars and the Civil War, and take in a young Sioux girl. Thomas tells it all in his own unforgettable voice.
How long does it take to read Days Without End?
About 7 hours (274 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Days Without End?
If you liked it, try Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier or Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.