The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin was a Christmas present from my sister. As with most of the books she buys me, I let them sit on the shelf and percolate for a while.
My sister is probably the only person who surprises me with books. I usually direct my mum with titles I’ve had my eye on, and my sister will usually throw something interesting into the mix. Because I don’t know what she will get me, it’s often something I wouldn’t have picked out for myself. Hence, I let them wait for a bit while my brain acknowledges the surprise and prepares for the right reading mood. This is exactly what happened with Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. It also happens to be another Christmas present of years gone by, and a brilliant read!
It was almost a year before I picked up The Immortalists. I would eye it often and it’s always been in my periphery reading vision. December rolled around and suddenly it was time!
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
Set initially in New York, 1969, but spreading across America and the next five decades, The Immortalists follows four young siblings who visit a psychic known for predicting the exact date of your death. As the years ensue, we see the impact of this knowledge on each of them and how their lives unfold.
The novel is split into four sections, one for each sibling: Simon, Klara, Daniel and Varya. Their predicted dates are not revealed all at once, and not all to each other. Some are exact in their revelations and some are broad and vague: ‘young’. Regardless of what we do or don’t know, the novel becomes a ticking clock.
Splitting the novel into sections, and the impending will it/won’t it be true, makes it both practical and incredibly readable. I was always motivated to keep on reading to complete a section. The end of each section would also be climactic for the characters, (I am trying so hard not to give anything away!) and therefore riveting and emotional for me as a reader.
Other enjoyments of the novel were the family being Jewish, and what I learned about Judaism as a result. Faith, as a theme, is prevalent throughout, given the life, death and mortality elements of the book.
I also enjoyed moving through the decades and the shifting cultural and historical backdrops that feature. It is written with a light enough touch to still provide vital context and not get bogged down. This included the AIDS crisis, Iraq and Afghan wars and primate lab research, (which incidentally made me think of Colin McAdam’s astonishing A Beautiful Truth.) This tied in nicely with the unusual jobs and career pathways the siblings take including a ballet dancer and magician.
Ultimately, what I really liked was the ambiguity surrounding death and its cause. You’re left wondering whether it really is the psychic’s gift or the characters choreographing their own mortality. Sometimes it swings one way, then another. I’m glad it was balanced this way and not pegged solely as mysticism and magic as a convenient way to round things off. Not enough of the books I read leave matters open-ended, so I like the different feelings I have as a reader when I do encounter one.
I would definitely recommend The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin, and thanks to my sister for choosing it for me!
