Facebook Twitter Pinterest linkedin Telegram
Dublin Literary Award Dublin Literary Award
  • ABOUT
  • Books
  • Judges
  • Libraries
  • News
  • Archive
           
Menu
Dublin Literary Award
Sold out
HomeBooks20162016 Shortlist The End of Days
Previous product
The Avenue of the Giants
Back to products
Next product
I Called Him Necktie

The End of Days

Author: Jenny Erpenbeck

Translated from the German by Susan Bernofsky

2016 Shortlist

Judges’ comments

Jenny Erpenbeck’s The End of Days is a beautiful meditation on the different possible lives of one woman, born a Jewish child in the Hapsburg Empire. Each section or ‘book’ details the path her life could have taken, had history and fate not intervened. The prose is spare and moving; the structure fascinating – all echoes and repeated motifs down the troubled twentieth century. Erpenbeck deftly weaves an understanding of how power and politics play out in an individual life as the story moves to Vienna, to Stalinist Moscow and finally East Germany both pre-and post Wall. It is an intense study of guilt, grief, love and destiny both collective and personal. By the end of this concise novel we have lived through several lives – all distinctive yet interconnected. We have experienced something profound and important. Susan Bernofsky’s translation skilfully conveys Erpenbeck’s vision: to take us into the dark places and shed light there in unexpected ways.

About the Book

‘We are born and we die – but many things could happen in between. Which life do we end up living?’

From one of the most daring voices in European fiction, this is a story of the twentieth century traced through the various possible lives of one woman. She is a baby who suffocates in the cradle. Or she lives to become an adult and dies beloved. Or she dies betrayed. Or her memory is honoured. Or she is forgotten by everyone. Moving from a small Galician town at the turn of the century, through pre-war Vienna and Stalin’s Moscow to present-day Berlin, Jenny Erpenbeck hones in on the moments when life follows a particular branch and ‘fate’ suddenly emerges from the sly interplay between history, character and pure chance.

Fully alive with ambition and ideas, The End of Days is a novel that pulls apart the threads of destiny and allows us to see the present and the past anew.

(from publisher)

About the Author

Jenny Erpenbeck was born in East Berlin in 1967. She has worked on opera and musical productions and her fiction has been translated worldwide. She is the author of The Old Child & The Book of Words, and Visitation.

Librarians’ Comments

“What if…” – this is the central question in Jenny Erpenbeck’s new novel The End of Days. The female protagonist lives and dies five times and on the basis of these five alternative life courses the reader is taken along on a journey through nearly 100 years of German history. A cleverly constructed plot and a stylistic masterpiece!

How long will the new born child’s life be? Who are we, in the moment of truth? Who will mourn for us? Jenny Erpenbeck takes us on her journey through the many lives that can be contained in one single life. An intoxicating story of the twentieth century told through the different lives of one woman. The book was translated to perfection by Susan Bernofsky.

This musical novel is a novel about time, destiny and possibilities – alternatives to the inevitable. It outlines different versions of a woman’s life and dying. By doing so, it traces a small Galician town throughout the 20th century, starting at the turn of the century and following the town through pre-war Vienna, Stalin’s Moscow to present-day East Berlin.

Erpenbeck builds her novel around the fundamental question: What if..? and tells a story of the twienth century traced through the various possible lives of one woman. Forcefully written, a novel like a musical arrangement.

  • Additional information
  • Libraries Ireland - Find This Book
Additional information
Author

Jenny Erpenbeck

Country

DE

Nominating Library

Germany, Zentral- u. Landesbibliothek Berlin

Publisher

Granta Books, UK

Translation

Translated from the German by Susan Bernofsky

Libraries Ireland - Find This Book

Libraries Ireland Search System

Search for this book in the Dublin City online system and reserve for collection at the Irish library of your choice.

Search CATALOGUE Ireland for The End of Days

This search result is offered as a helping hand to find books in the Libraries Ireland Online Catalogue. Some results may not be accurate where book titles have common words with similar titles.

Categories: 2016, 2016 Shortlist, 2016 Translated
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest linkedin Telegram
BROUGHT TO YOU BY

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL

WITH KIND SUPPORT

CONTACT

DUBLIN Literary Award
Dublin City Library & Archive
138 – 144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Ireland
literaryaward@dublincity.ie
Tel +353 1 222 4802

  • ABOUT
  • Books
  • Judges
  • Libraries
  • News
  • Archive
Copyright © 2022 Dublin City Council
Website by JET Design
close
Start typing to see books you are looking for.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
  • Books
  • Judges
  • Libraries
  • ABOUT
  • Archive
  • News
Scroll To Top