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The Immortalists

By: Chloe Benjamin
Narrated by: Maggie Hoffman
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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.

©2017 Chloe Benjamin (P)2017 Penguin Audio
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Critic reviews

“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 only real magic here is Benjamin’s storytelling....Poignant...A testimony of love.” (Washington Post)

Number one Indie Next Pick; Number one Library Reads Pick; One of...Newsweek's "50 Coolest Books to Read This Summer; Good Morning America's "Best Books to Bring to the Beach This Summer"; Elle’s “19 of the Best Books to Read This Winter”; Harper's Bazaar’s “10 New Books to Add to Your Reading List in 2018”; Southern Living's “Books Coming Out This Winter That We Can’t Wait to Read”; Martha Stewart Living, “On Our Bookshelf”; InStyle's “10 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2018”; The Huffington Post's “60 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2018”; W Magazine's "10 Unconventional New Books About Love For Valentine's Day"; Popsugar’s “25 Must-Read Books for Fall”; Bustle's “35 Most-Anticipated Fiction Books of 2018”; Nylon's “50 Books We Can’t Wait To Read In 2018”; Goop's “12 Books for Winter Break"; BookPage's “Most Anticipated Fiction of 2018”; Book Riot's “101 Books Coming Out in 2018 That You Should Mark Down Now”; HelloGiggles' “Most Anticipated Books of 2018”; PureWow's “20 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2018”; Goodreads' “Most Anticipated Books of 2018”; Book Riot's “Most Anticipated Books of January 2018”; Time Out's “Eleven New Books to Read This Month”

What listeners say about The Immortalists

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great story, a little slow in the beginning

Overall the story & narrator are great. This was a little slow in the beginning and I had to restart it twice but once you stick with it, it picks up speed. I’d definitely recommend to a friend and it was a great listen while at work!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Decent Story

The narrator was great. The story faded in and out for me but I love the novel's themes.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good but depressing

The writing is beautiful, beware that this book is incredibly sad. The last 8 minutes try and make up for the sad tone of the entire book before it, but it doesn't really work. It is very, very depressing. Almost nothing good happens to any of the kids. I would not recommend it because of this.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting story

This was a book group pick and created interesting conversation about fate or does knowing your future change the course of your life?

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Definitely worth the read

This novel is well written and keeps one reading well into the night. Great detail of the times .

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Unique and intriguing

I absolutely loved the Immortalists! Excellent story, interesting characters and a unique, exciting story. I simply couldn’t put it down. Also really enjoyed Maggie Hoffman’s narration. I would definitely recommend this book :)

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Cool premise

I liked the premise of this book and the beginning hooked me. The characters were interesting and I love the setting and era. Great writing. BUT... you know there'd be a 'but' huh? The book doesn't have as much of a supernatural aspect as you're led to believe in the description. I would have liked more of a fantasy/horror angle, but overall it's a good, solid family saga.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Compelling story

Excellent narration. Compelling story. Makes me glad I have always declined any sort of fortune telling!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very grating reading

I actually don't know if I'm going to be able to make it through the book— the voice actor has a very nice reading voice during narration, but she gives characters the most irritating voices and accents I've ever heard in an audiobook.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Audiobook.

If you like stories that cover multiple points of view, this is it. It's a great listen.

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