Book Review: The Immortalists

Knowledge of future or even the desire of it can be dangerous. It can alter our decisions and lives in ways that may ultimately lead to the fate we want to escape. The four siblings in ‘The Immortalists’ know the date of their deaths and this information plays a great role in deciding the course of their lives, sometimes unknowingly. The book traces their lives as each day takes them closer to the destiny they’ll either meet or not and makes us believe that “Thoughts have Wings”

Not a Fantasy:

I found the premise very intriguing. The concept is very different and thought-provoking. It forces the reader to contemplate about life, death, and the time in between. It shows us the difference between living and being alive. I was expecting a little fantasy to be honest, given the blurb on Goodreads but it is as steeped in reality as fiction can be. The idea of magic and life after death is there, but it is not concrete and is mostly apportioned to science and the state of mind respectively.

Shifting Sands of Time:

Chloe Benjamin has created a continuous thread that takes us from one life to another, each so different, so unique, that the thread seems to change shades but never breaks. It flows seamlessly from Simon to Klara, from Daniel to Varya, as they struggle with love, loss, and life. I liked this continuation, this timeline pattern, like blocks connecting to complete a jigsaw puzzle. The world inhabited by the Golds shifts accordingly with landlines giving way to flip phones to cutting-edge science. The only constant in their life is Gertie, their mother, who stays strong, even after the hardships life offers her.

“Klara won’t be a woman who is sawed in half or tied in chains – nor will she be rescued or liberated. She’ll save herself. She’ll be the saw.”

Diverse Characters:

The book gives us a chance to see multiple facets of life in a single read. Simon is gay, Klara is a female magician, and Varya is a single & successful scientist. Except for Daniel, all siblings do what would be considered astounding in the latter half of the 20th century. Coming from a traditional Jewish family, these choices were against the expectations set for them by the society and thus left them spurned. Their struggle and sacrifices, regrets and losses are perfectly captured by Chloe in her writing which is full of beautiful metaphors and evokes powerful emotions.

“There now exists a pane of glass between him and his former home, a pane he can see through but not cross”

Dreadful Sense of Loss:

The one thing that did not work for me is that the book made me extremely sad. There is a constant feeling of loss and anticipation of death. At times, I felt despair wrap me like a blanket, and it became difficult to read. This put me in a two-week long reading slump.
Other than that, it is a beautiful and complex book, offering deep insights into the relationships shared by a family.

Recommendations:

In the end, it is all about time and how and with whom we decide to spend it. ‘The Immortalists’ is not just about the Golds. It is about all of us and the regrets we take to our graves. It is a profound read, one you cannot miss but take it slow, one bite at a time.

“The Power of words. They weaseled under door cracks and through keyholes. They hooked into individuals and wormed through generations.”

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a review copy. All the views are my own.

Book: The Immortalists
Author: Chloe Benjamin
Publisher: Tinder Press
Publication: January 2018
No. of pages: 352
My rating: 3.5/5