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The Immortalists
- Narrated by: Maggie Hoffman
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
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The Immortalists
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Publisher's Summary
A Best Book of the Year: Washington Post, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, Real Simple, Marie Claire, New York Public Library, LibraryReads, The Skimm, LitHub, Lit Reactor
Instant New York Times best seller
“A captivating family saga.” (The New York Times Book Review)
“This literary family saga is perfect for fans of Celeste Ng and Donna Tartt.” (People Magazine, Book of the Week)
If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life?
It's 1969 in New York City's Lower East Side, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die. The Gold children - four adolescents on the cusp of self-awareness - sneak out to hear their fortunes.
The prophecies inform their next five decades. Golden-boy Simon escapes to the West Coast, searching for love in '80s San Francisco; dreamy Klara becomes a Las Vegas magician, obsessed with blurring reality and fantasy; eldest son Daniel seeks security as an army doctor post-9/11; and bookish Varya throws herself into longevity research, where she tests the boundary between science and immortality.
A sweeping novel of remarkable ambition and depth, The Immortalists probes the line between destiny and choice, reality and illusion, this world and the next. It is a deeply moving testament to the power of story, the nature of belief, and the unrelenting pull of familial bonds.
What the critics say
“A literary page-turner.... A really compelling plotline.” (Wall Street Journal)
“[An] amazing work of fiction.... A dense, yet beautifully spun and satisfying tale that spans 50 years.... Spare, yet gorgeously robust prose...and every page is imbued with [Benjamin’s] obvious storytelling skill.... The Immortalists is a can’t-put-down, makes-you-think tale of a not-so-average American family.” (Associated Press)
“The book spans decades, touching on the AIDS crisis, 9/11, race, and marriage. But, at its core, it’s an examination of free will and fate.” (The New Yorker)
What listeners say about The Immortalists
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Elissa
- 2019-01-18
mediocre story, wonderful performance
slow moving, towards the end, the last hour and a half, I kept thinking good lord just get on with it.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jansait
- 2023-12-26
Brilliant narration
The story had great potential. I really wanted it to be better. I think there is a specific style that needed to be altered but instead it was repeated.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Yaya
- 2019-06-14
Great narration
I really enjoyed the narration, the voices for certain characters made the story come alive. The plot itself was intriguing, but fell a bit flat as the story progressed. Nonetheless, an enjoyable book— one worth listening to.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Marissa K.
- 2018-09-18
Interesting Story Line!
Interesting story line! I really enjoyed how this book was written and how each sibling had their own section of the book. #Audible1
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Courteous Reader
- 2018-09-20
Existential Drama
Four siblings, aged 13 and under, seek a gypsy who allegedly has the ability to tell a person the date of his/her death. After finding the gypsy’s apartment, each child is privately invited into her home and told a date of death. How this information impacts each sibling leads to divergent life choices and existential subtext about the purpose of life.
The first half of the book was a solid “four star” book, but the second half felt like a deflated balloon where I got the shtick and just wanted the author to get to her point.
It is (hopefully not) a spoiler to reveal that at least one of the siblings dies. Full disclosure: As someone who has lost a sibling, this made for a sometimes emotionally-challenging experience.
I read this book for a book club, and what a perfect book club selection it is! I anticipate that the discussion will be very interesting, as we will undoubtedly debate the characters’ choices, but also our own personal philosophies about life. #Audible1
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dionne
- 2018-11-21
Loved it
Excellent story and telling (perfect narrator for the story's voice). Original and well written, going through each character's lives and insights.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paula Dvernichuk
- 2018-11-15
What a fantastic book
Couldn’t stop listening.
Great narration. The story stirred something in me and I didn’t want it to end.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Silau
- 2023-03-02
The Inmortalists
Love the acting, interesting story and a life lesson. “Live and let live”. When you allow your family become a burden and when you become your own burden using your family as an excuse.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer
- 2020-01-02
it was good
i liked that it had seperate stories for each family member. the title was misleading. it was about family members who were told the day they would day and their lives stemming from that reveil.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Janet Hughes
- 2019-05-06
Meh
Moved at a slow pace and the plot didn't get anywhere exciting. It was hard to finish it till the end.
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