The Immortalists is a literary fiction family drama that balances the premise of living by fate or free will. Do we live our lives by circumstance or intention? After four children visit a nomadic gypsy to find out the date of their deaths, this knowing forever torments their lives, a whisper in the recesses of their minds of how much time they have left. Whether it’s true or not, they can’t know, but they wonder if their lives will become self fulfilling prophecies or led by chance alone.
Broken into four distinct parts for each of the four kids, we learn how their lives play out. Some parts were very predictable while others were more surprising. Each character went in vastly different directions both figuratively and literally. I enjoyed Simon’s character even though it was the most predictable. I’ve never read a book that offered such a focused glimpse into the gay scene of the 1960s. Watching him come alive, out of his long hidden sexuality, was well done. Each of the parts were impeccably researched. It must have been quite taxing on the author.
The writing in this book switched from literary, to poetic, to simple, which worked for me. However one thing that turned me off was the random sexual reference that was completely unnecessary. For example: describing Varya by having a “patch of fur” between her legs seemed gratuitous in my opinion. How does that help me know the character? Again, I was slightly jarred during the pointless imagery of penises when Simon was in San Francisco. I’m no prude; these just felt out of place with the tone of the book.
The final part to the book and also the one in which much of the story converges belongs to Varya. Her path and ultimate outcome came with a few twists and a great understanding of why she chose her profession. Most readers will like this part the best I believe.
The book promises an underlying of magical realism and mystical moments, which I didn’t get much of. It by no means hindered my reading experience, it just didn’t fit the PR the novel has been getting. Magic practiced as an art form is present and important, but not as an otherworldly force that I thought would be present.
Kudos to Chloe Benjamin for creating a thought provoking book that will leave book clubs divided as they battle the question of how live is lived…free will or fate?
Broken into four distinct parts for each of the four kids, we learn how their lives play out. Some parts were very predictable while others were more surprising. Each character went in vastly different directions both figuratively and literally. I enjoyed Simon’s character even though it was the most predictable. I’ve never read a book that offered such a focused glimpse into the gay scene of the 1960s. Watching him come alive, out of his long hidden sexuality, was well done. Each of the parts were impeccably researched. It must have been quite taxing on the author.
The writing in this book switched from literary, to poetic, to simple, which worked for me. However one thing that turned me off was the random sexual reference that was completely unnecessary. For example: describing Varya by having a “patch of fur” between her legs seemed gratuitous in my opinion. How does that help me know the character? Again, I was slightly jarred during the pointless imagery of penises when Simon was in San Francisco. I’m no prude; these just felt out of place with the tone of the book.
The final part to the book and also the one in which much of the story converges belongs to Varya. Her path and ultimate outcome came with a few twists and a great understanding of why she chose her profession. Most readers will like this part the best I believe.
The book promises an underlying of magical realism and mystical moments, which I didn’t get much of. It by no means hindered my reading experience, it just didn’t fit the PR the novel has been getting. Magic practiced as an art form is present and important, but not as an otherworldly force that I thought would be present.
Kudos to Chloe Benjamin for creating a thought provoking book that will leave book clubs divided as they battle the question of how live is lived…free will or fate?