The End of the Day

by Claire North Narrated by Peter Kenny

Overview

A novel about life and death and a quest for moral purpose, by the acclaimed author of word-of-mouth bestseller The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August.

"Wholly original and hauntingly beautiful." -- Kirkus

"Funny, ambitious, immensely humane and full of philosophical panache." -- Sunday Times

Sooner or later, Death visits everyone. Before that, they meet Charlie: the Harbinger.

Sometimes he comes as a courtesy, sometimes as a warning. Either way, this will be the most important meeting of your life.

But who will come for Charlie?

"A fascinating exploration of what makes us human -- and a riveting journey through life, and death." -- The Bookbag

"Reaffirms the passion and ambition that have made North such a consistently intriguing writer." -- Locus

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"A beautiful, if occasionally uncomfortable, read that resists being labeled with any particular genre."—Library Journal (starred review)

"Wholly original and hauntingly beautiful. North is a writer to watch."—Kirkus

"Thrilling and moving, The End of the Day is a fascinating exploration of what makes us human — and a riveting journey through life, and death."— The Bookbag

"[Claire's] writing is poetic and accessible, imaginative and jam-packed full of knowledge . . . making The End of the Day a thoroughly engaging and astute read from start to finish"—SciFiNow

"North is [a] consistently intriguing writer."—Locus

"North is an exciting voice in contemporary fantasy, and The End of the Day should be a welcome calling card from her to many new readers."—San Francisco Chronicle

"Just like Death itself, the story is unpredictable . . . But it's moving, a novel you'll sob to while reading."—SFX

"Surreal, whimsical...shaped with philosophical panache."—Guardian

"[T]his is an inquiry into modern human existence. Philosophical questions are threaded through the electrifying plot. Even the protagonist's darkness alias is "why." Reminiscent of William Gibson's best work, North leads us into a brilliant world of elite but mindless humans, and shines a sharp light on what a rare gift it is to be able to think for oneself and what the consequences of it are."—RT Book Reviews on The Sudden Appearance of Hope

"Beautifully written, with a protagonist who is both tragic and heroic, the novel is remarkably powerful and deeply memorable, the latest in a string of terrific books from this newly emerged star in the genre-blending universe."
—Booklist (Starred Review) on The Sudden Appearance of Hope

"North has established a reputation for tense, dense, science fiction/fantasy-inflected thrillers that defy facile explanations... Simultaneously a tense conspiracy caper, a haunting meditation on loneliness and a brutally cynical examination of modern media... Well-paced, brilliant and balanced."—New York Times on The Sudden Appearance of Hope

"Touch is a story within a story within a story and it's one of the cleverest, most compelling books I've read in a long time. The intoxicating voice, ingenious premise and intricate plot will have readers clamoring for a copy. Touch has bestseller written all over it and Claire North is one hell of a writer."—C. L. Taylor, author of The Accident on Touch

"I don't say this lightly but The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is one of the top ten books I've ever read."—James Dashner, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Maze Runner on The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

"An astonishing re-invention of the time travel narrative. Bold, magical and masterful."—M. R. Carey, author of The Girl with all the Gifts on The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

"Wonderful novel...held together by a compelling mystery involving nothing less than the end of the world itself. Beautifully written and structured...a remarkable book."—Booklist (Starred Review) on The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

"A masterful literary thriller."—io9 on The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

Library Journal

★ 03/15/2017
We meet Charlie as he takes on a new job as a Harbinger of Death, which—he is quick to remind the people he visits—just means that he is the one who comes before the end. Sometimes he is sent as a courtesy, sometimes as a warning. He likes the job, but he journeys to some dangerous places, and his targets are not always happy to see him. Around the narrative of Charlie and his attempts to perform his duty, North (The Sudden Appearance of Hope) inserts random snatches of conversation and emotion that are sometimes disturbing, brutally mundane, and detail the activities of the Harbingers of War, Pestilence, and Famine. At first, it's not easy to see the purpose of these snippets, but the thread that pulls readers through is Charlie, who is remarkably willing to go with the flow. He visits brutal despots and blameless children, and tries to be what they need, whether it be confessor or witness. VERDICT This is a beautiful, if occasionally uncomfortable, read that resists being labeled with any particular genre. [See Prepub Alert, 10/31/16.]—MM

MAY 2017 - AudioFile

This unconventional audiobook, with its enticing premise, is challenging to listeners and to narrator Peter Kenny—but Kenny comes through. After the main character, Charlie, becomes a Harbinger of Death, he gives each individual he encounters a memento that reflects something important in that person’s life. Kenny's narration is not overly dramatic; his characterizations involve subtle changes in pacing and tone. He uses slight accents at times to differentiate characters and uses volume to build the tension in the various situations the Harbinger finds himself in. The plot is thin to nonexistent, but through Charlie’s visits, North illuminates love and loss, hope and regret, life and death. This bittersweet story will intrigue listeners as they’re swept into Charlie's world. S.C.A. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2016-12-27
An absorbing story about the end of the world—or the ends of many worlds.Charlie is the Harbinger of Death. Death used to use eagles for the job but says "one must move with the times" and has been using humans for a few thousand years. Charlie doesn't actually see anyone die; he goes to them beforehand—his appearance is sometimes a mark of respect, sometimes a warning. Sometimes he visits an individual, sometimes he goes to see the end of a way of life, like the last person who speaks a language. Charlie's story unfolds in a series of impressions. He travels, he drops into vivid, fascinating, emotionally compelling lives, and then he moves on. People react strongly to his appearance—some are angry, some attempt to negotiate, some simply accept. Meanwhile, his employer, Death, the other three Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and their Harbingers travel the world as well, observing the way it's changing. And every now and then, a sort of Greek chorus of voices chimes in, expressing the noisy still-aliveness of this changing world. There's an apocalypse here, but it's a messy one, happening in fits and starts, everywhere all at once. The book suffers from the lack of a conventional plot—it's episodic and impressionistic, never straightforward—but it gradually works its magic on the reader. North (Touch, 2015, etc.) is a strong writer, and Charlie's journey has real emotional power. Readers who can handle the unconventional structure will find this book wholly original and hauntingly beautiful. North is a writer to watch.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169974140
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	04/04/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	993,929

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