How much of a lifetime can a single journey hold?

In The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years, Chingiz Aitmatov takes readers on a profound journey alongside Yedigei, who carries the body of a friend whose past cannot be replaced. What begins as a simple funeral procession becomes an exploration of life itself, weaving together distant memories, folklore, joy and grief, material hardship, and spiritual richness.

Aitmatov’s masterful storytelling reveals humanity in all its contrasts—our greatest strength and deepest vulnerability, our capacity for love and our tendency to abandon, our freedom and our dependence. With the precision of a craftsman and the insight of a philosopher, he examines the hidden “other” within each of us, turning every page as if revealing the opposite side of a coin.

Rich, moving, and deeply human, this novel is both a meditation on memory, culture, and mortality, and a timeless reflection on what it means to live fully, love deeply, and face the inevitable passage of time.

Publishing Date: 1980
ISBN: 9786257303866
Original Language: Russian
Pages: 444
Dimentions: 12 x 19.5 cm