A Long Long Way

A Long Long Way

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Editorial Reviews

With acclaimed works like The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty, Irish author Sebastian Barry has earned a reputation as a "master storyteller" (The Wall Street Journal). In A Long Long Way he has created an unforgettable portrait of the horrors of war through the story of Willie Dunne, a young man who leaves his native Dublin in 1914 to join the Allies on the Western Front. Caught between the catastrophic violence he encounters there and the growing political tension at home over Irish independence, Willie finds himself confronting unbearable choices regarding family, patriotism, and the devotion he feels toward his regiment. A deeply affecting portrayal of personal struggle and the consequences of war, this is one of Barry’s most powerful accomplishments.

Customer Reviews

Lyrical but grueling

Reviewed by Rebecca, 2010-03-06

There is no doubt that many parts of this novel are beautifully written; I will be reading parts to my AP English students.

But it is not a book for the squeamish or for those who don't want to confront the reality of war. As I was reading it, I kept thinking of the "Johnny, We Hardly Knew 'ye" ballad, which, as I tell my Irish friends, has to be the most gruesome and depressing song ever composed.

This is a thoughtful novel meant for serious reflection.

Simply gorgeous writing

Reviewed by J. Fuchs, 2009-09-08

Every once in a great while I read a novel that contains such beautiful language that the subject matter is irrelevant. This is one of those. The book is about the experiences of one young, Irish man, Willie Dunne, who leaves his home and family in Dublin to go fight in World War I. It's a novel set in Flanders during World War I, but it could be just about any front in any war. There's no big overview here, no great history to be learned. It's the point of view of one teenager and his experiences. He barely understands what's happening to him but the quiet heroism of his putting one foot in front of the other and doing his duty is incredibly moving.

But more importantly, the writing is just magnificent. Most of the novel is written in the third person and the language is exquisite. And yet the dialogue and Willie's letters home are just the way people speak. The characters feel absolutely, heart achingly real. Every note is near perfect, from the opening paragraph to the ending.

You could think of this as a war novel, but I prefer to think of it as simply the best writing I've read in a very long time.

A long long way

Reviewed by Steve T. Cooksey, 2009-08-07

This is a very good novel about ww1. Really holds your intrest and gives you a feeling of how it must have been to be a soldier in the dreaded trenches.

Well (Even, Beautifully) Written, but . . .

Reviewed by Marianne, 2009-05-29

This is what I wrote a few days ago:

I thought I'd be into this war story more than I am . . .

It's puzzling, I generally do love war stories. And when I was in grad school I took a course on "Literature of World War I" taught by one of Stanford's great professors, Albert Guerard. But am not into this one as much as I thought I'd be. Perhaps it's the point of view.

One particularly well-wrought scene, however, comes relatively early on: the description of the mustard gas attack, and its aftermath . . .

And this is how I feel today, after having reached p. 236:

WORLD WAR I HAS FOUND ITS MUSE.

Don't let the first 50 pages stop you. Keep going all the way to the end. Read this book when it is quiet, very quiet. The book is shattering.

Unforgettable characters: a priest who prays over the bodies of the dead soldiers, even while under attack. The Dubliners (all of them). The lieutenants (three or four) who urge the soldiers up and over the wall, and who then lead the charge into No Man's Land.

"The men who had just crossed that mile of destruction were screamed at by the remaining officers to go on up, and up they did." (p. 236)

(Tried to change my ranking to five stars, but couldn't. So I'll just say it here: This book deserves five stars.)

Language as food

Reviewed by D. Houghton, 2009-05-01

This books tells a great story, but the lyrical quality of the writing is enough that I would read Mr. Barry's accounting of actuarial tables. These words will feed your soul.