A review by mr_rogers_el_camino
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry

challenging dark informative medium-paced

3.0

This book was....honestly I don't know, weird maybe, disturbing definitely. I'll try and explain it and let you get an idea of what I'm talking about. It follows two Irish immigrants who take jobs in a calvary/militia killing Indians up and down the plains. Men, women, children all are slaughtered in bloody frenzy and methodical planning. The two main characters often feel bad for the evil they commit, but because it is state sanctioned they are able to excuse it. Eventually they have had enough of the killing and start a drag show in a local saloon. The miners of the town love it and they become local celebrities. But their stint with fame is short lived due to unforeseeable circumstances, namely the Civil War. Dragged into events much bigger than themselves they attempt to stay alive by any means necessary. Evocative of Cormac McCarthys Blood Meridian due to the bleak stylish prose combined with unrelenting savage violence it is definitely an acquired taste.