I read this book all within one 24 hour period. The writing is accessible and flows so well it makes the book very hard to put down. The Immortalists is the story of four siblings who paid a visit to a gypsy fortune teller and learned the dates they would die. I was sucked in immediately by Simon and Klara's story, and then we move on to Daniel, who I didn't feel I ever really knew, and finally Varya, who as best as I can tell, was the "leader" of these siblings.
The premise is this: if you knew the date of your death, how would you choose to live the rest of your life? If you knew you would die old, would you play it safe? If you knew you would die young, do you live wild and free?
The Immortalists would make a great discussion or book club book because the more I think about it the more questions there are to be asked. Would the outcome of these character's lives have changed if they had not known? Would Simon have played it safe rather than running off to San Francisco? Would he have stayed home? Would he have outlived his prophecy? What good is a long life if you aren't actually living? How do you balance pleasure and happiness? Is fate made or given?
All the siblings, take steps and make decisions based on their own dates that lead them directly to their dates. Simon and Varya's story intrigued me the most. Mostly because Simon was grateful to know his date. Simon was grateful to have had a chance to live and experience life on his own. While Varya, in stark contrast, thinks she could have saved her siblings if only they'd never gone to see that gypsy fortune teller. She does everything she can to stave off her own death. She lives in fear. She conducts "longevity" research about the effects of caloric intake reduction and follows a strict diet herself. Simon who lived fast and loose, died young and happy. Varya lives long and neurotic.
Klara and Daniel's parts had the least to offer I think (even though Klara's section was my favorite). Both of them make conscious choices to fulfill their given destinies (as opposed to Varya and Simon who make subconscious choices to lead them to their fate). In their cases, it seems to me that they chose to go along with the fortune teller's reading. Klara because she was choosing to make "magic real," but Daniel's motives are less clear (and perhaps it could be argued that he had no idea what the outcome would be).
Overall, I really enjoyed it. The author shows the settings very well: from the bright lights of Vegas, to the gay scene in 80s San Francisco, to the cold sterility of Varya's lab. Though generally I expected this to be depressing, I somehow found that knowing what would happen made it easier to read. You're cheering the characters on, you want to see them succeed. And of course, Benjamin gives us a lot to think about, which is something I always enjoy.
This is a literary fiction (though it makes mention of magic and fortune tellers) so please do not be fooled by the blurb! Thank you to Bookish First and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
The premise is this: if you knew the date of your death, how would you choose to live the rest of your life? If you knew you would die old, would you play it safe? If you knew you would die young, do you live wild and free?
The Immortalists would make a great discussion or book club book because the more I think about it the more questions there are to be asked. Would the outcome of these character's lives have changed if they had not known? Would Simon have played it safe rather than running off to San Francisco? Would he have stayed home? Would he have outlived his prophecy? What good is a long life if you aren't actually living? How do you balance pleasure and happiness? Is fate made or given?
All the siblings, take steps and make decisions based on their own dates that lead them directly to their dates. Simon and Varya's story intrigued me the most. Mostly because Simon was grateful to know his date. Simon was grateful to have had a chance to live and experience life on his own. While Varya, in stark contrast, thinks she could have saved her siblings if only they'd never gone to see that gypsy fortune teller. She does everything she can to stave off her own death. She lives in fear. She conducts "longevity" research about the effects of caloric intake reduction and follows a strict diet herself. Simon who lived fast and loose, died young and happy. Varya lives long and neurotic.
Klara and Daniel's parts had the least to offer I think (even though Klara's section was my favorite). Both of them make conscious choices to fulfill their given destinies (as opposed to Varya and Simon who make subconscious choices to lead them to their fate). In their cases, it seems to me that they chose to go along with the fortune teller's reading. Klara because she was choosing to make "magic real," but Daniel's motives are less clear (and perhaps it could be argued that he had no idea what the outcome would be).
Overall, I really enjoyed it. The author shows the settings very well: from the bright lights of Vegas, to the gay scene in 80s San Francisco, to the cold sterility of Varya's lab. Though generally I expected this to be depressing, I somehow found that knowing what would happen made it easier to read. You're cheering the characters on, you want to see them succeed. And of course, Benjamin gives us a lot to think about, which is something I always enjoy.
This is a literary fiction (though it makes mention of magic and fortune tellers) so please do not be fooled by the blurb! Thank you to Bookish First and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.