Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • The End of the Day

  • By: Claire North
  • Narrated by: Peter Kenny
  • Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
  • 3.7 out of 5 stars (170 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The End of the Day cover art

The End of the Day

By: Claire North
Narrated by: Peter Kenny
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £13.00

Buy Now for £13.00

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Gameshouse cover art
The Very First Damned Thing cover art
Children of Time cover art
The Long List Anthology cover art
Protest cover art
Hyperion cover art
Brave New World cover art
Many Are the Dead cover art
The Murder Bag cover art
Scythe cover art
A Gift of Time cover art
Wilderness and Other Stories cover art
Wild Cards I cover art

Summary

Charlie meets everyone - but only once. You might meet him in a hospital, in a war zone, or at the scene of traffic accident. Then again, you might meet him at the North Pole - Charlie gets everywhere. Sometimes he is sent as a courtesy, sometimes as a warning. Either way, this is going to be the most important meeting of your life.

The End of the Day is the stunning new story from Richard and Judy Book Club author Claire North: the voice behind the word-of-mouth best-seller The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August.

©2017 Claire North (P)2017 Little Brown Book Group

What listeners say about The End of the Day

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    56
  • 4 Stars
    46
  • 3 Stars
    38
  • 2 Stars
    19
  • 1 Stars
    11
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    98
  • 4 Stars
    37
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    45
  • 4 Stars
    41
  • 3 Stars
    27
  • 2 Stars
    29
  • 1 Stars
    15

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Such a disappointment

It doesn't go anywhere! Zero narrative tension- so unlike all her other books. Beautifully written and excellent narration by Peter Kenny.
But the fundamental problem is that you give up caring about any of the characters. There are A whole series of vignettes one after the other which don't go anywhere. At all.
I tried and I tried but after 60 chapters I gave up.maybe I'm just someone who likes a story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Another excellent high-concept modern fantasy

I finished this one today, and while it would be more logical to wait until I've absorbed this book a bit over the next few days, I feel the need to get something down.

First of all - the familiar. This is another high-concept fantasy set squarely in the modern world. As usual, the globe is suitably trotted. Our hero visits (among other places) Greenland, Belarus, the USA, Nigeria and London. And he is a bit of a hero, as well. He's Charlie, the Harbinger of Death, originally from Birmingham and working for an office in Milton Keynes and.... he goes before. If that concept sounds a bit Terry Pratchett, it is, but that's pretty much where the comparison ends.

Some of the satirical elements evident particularly in the Sudden Appearance of Hope are here too - the book is very funny in places and horrifying in others. The main torture scene towards the end of the book is so sustained and well drawn that it's quite shocking. Elsewhere, however, the usual thriller elements are largely absent, replaced by an episodic but fascinatingly melancholic meditation on (it seems to me): Mortality, humanity, and the human spirit. It's also a book that could only have written during this turbulent last year. Brexit is mentioned and while Trump isn't, the system that elected him is. The death of reason is an important theme, particularly within the context of the irrational destruction of the earth in the name of big business.

Much is left unsaid and unexplained in the book, and I'm still dissecting what it all means, so for now I'm giving it a "cautious" four stars, since the ride is, as always, magnificent, even if the end result might not be quite as profound as Claire / Catherine wants it to be. But then again it might be. Five starts go to the great Peter Kenny, who delivers what must be the performance of his career. The man is a virtuoso, plain and simple.

Claire has yet to come up with another "concept" as clever and mind-bending as that in he First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, but this new book is definitely a more mature and confident piece of writing.

So, er, anyway, I liked it. I'm just not quite sure how much yet.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

A long story about nothing

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

I'm sure someone will like this book - maybe someone who likes long drawn out stories that do not have a conclusion.

What was most disappointing about Claire North’s story?

On the description this book looks like it would be perfect for me - sadly it wasn't. It was long and rambling and repetitive, I stuck with despite being bored and wondering what the point of this book was - I kept going because I thought there would be an ending that would put everything into perspective - or maybe some twist at the end - but there was nothing, it fizzled out to an anti-climax of the highest magnitude and I wished I had never started the book.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I have no criticism of the performance - the narrator did a good job with a dull book.

What character would you cut from The End of the Day?

I wouldn't cut any character from the book - I'd just like these characters with a strong story line and a real purpose.

Any additional comments?

This book would have been great if it was a short story - but as a long non eventful book it is dull and pointless sadly.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
  • M
  • 05-05-17

Dull!

I have read all of Claire Norths books and would thoroughly recommend them, particularly the first fifteen lives of Harry August. However, this book is terrible. The idea is good, a character being the harbinger of death and other characters playing horsemen of the apocalypse in a tongue in cheek way. I think the idea is similar to some if Terry Pratchets work but nothing like as good. I persisted for three to four hours but gave up in the end. I rarely return books but I will be returning this one.

Peter Kenny does his best and again, I would thoroughly recommend his work. The book just doesn't seem to have any spark. Shame. I will await Clare Norths next book and hope it's back to her normal standard.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Needed more work to perfection

If I would to make an assessment of this book separately from the other work by Claire North I would say it's an average one
But having read and fell in love with the First Fifteen Lives Of Harry August and Touch I'm struggling to give this one more than 2 stars
I couldn't stop thinking it just came too early and more time needed for the work to be executed perfectly
Unfortunately all the luxury ingredients of great ideas and the effort of decoration with a unique style couldn't overcome the raw test of the end result

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The "A" team together again.

Would you listen to The End of the Day again? Why?

Yes, I would and will listen again, why? because there is always more to extract from the writing. The author and the narrator together consistently bring out more than the individual parts they play.

What did you like best about this story?

Listening to the feelings so vividly expressed by a man who knows what he is doing.

What about Peter Kenny’s performance did you like?

I have listened to all this authors works and feel they are enhanced by Peter Kenny.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

When Charlie was being tortured it took me back to a similar situation in, The first fifteen lives of Harry August, and felt the powerlessness.

Any additional comments?

Read Claire North, and listen to Peter Kenny, even if it's a shopping list.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointed

Would you try another book written by Claire North or narrated by Peter Kenny?

Yes

Would you ever listen to anything by Claire North again?

Yes

What about Peter Kenny’s performance did you like?

Great as always

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The End of the Day?

Does not need cuts, just a more coherent story line.

Any additional comments?

I have enjoyed all this authors previous books, this one has all the good elements the others had (Cleaver and original ideas) but lacks a strong narrative to link the episodic storylines together. A real shame, needed a better editor.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

absolute rubbish

What would have made The End of the Day better?

a different author & story. a load of whimsical twaddle a three year old could have done better with. can't believe it's got more than 1 star from anyone!

What could Claire North have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

not bothered

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Peter Kenny?

anyone

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

nope

Any additional comments?

see above

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not for me

I have read all of Claire North's novels. Harry August remains my favourite and it's really on the back of that book that I read all the others. Touch was not as good, but definitely readable. I struggled with The Sudden Appearance of Hope, I couldn't 'go with it' - the idea felt too over-worked, too contrived.

And now, The End of the Day. Well, I gave up after half way. There's no tension, nothing to propel me forwards. So far it's just a description of the life of the harbinger of death, an ordinary guy called Charlie. It should be good, especially given that Claire North is so talented, but this isn't. There isn't much of a plot but a lot of observation on the frustrations at current world politics and policies.

I realise the world is in a precarious state at the moment and that we, as a people, are less humane than we should be, but I felt really lectured. I just wanted to escape into a story with Claire's trademark twist on reality.

I'm sorry, she is a terrific writer, and I will read her next book, but this one just didn't work for me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Ms
  • 13-04-17

A ramble with the harbinger.

What did you like most about The End of the Day?

Claire Norths normal off the wall rambling. If you love her you will like this too... If you don't you won't! This one is really off the wall but I still love her style and outlook on life. She sees a world through different eyes and makes you see that too, if only for a while.

Would you be willing to try another book from Claire North? Why or why not?

Always

What about Peter Kenny’s performance did you like?

Lovely discriptive tones and lilts

Any additional comments?

Just makes you think a little........

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful