The End of the Day

January 15, 2017
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.

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Starred review from March 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

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