Immortal

Great story that will make you think about life!

Where does Immortal rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I typically listen to sci-fi and this was a deviation for me. This is one of my favorite non sci-fi listens ever.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Immortal?

Not one moment, but throughout the book the comparing and contrasting past to present in ways that made me think. This book made me ponder the idea of being immortal, seeing civilization come to be, witnessing everyone you've ever know die, and seeing history repeat itself over and over.

Have you listened to any of Steve Carlson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not. I found him easy to listen to though at times I would have inferred different inflection and tone from the text.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not extreme but I did laugh out loud a couple of times. Mostly this book made me think. The story is good and held my interest but what I remember most is thinking about life and how short and fragile it is.

Any additional comments?

If you're into sci-fi and would like to venture out, this book may do the trick. I've tried other fantasy and mystery novels with little success, I found this book suited my tastes perfectly.

16 of 17 people found this review helpful

Loved it!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If I had not already purchased the second and third books of this series, I would be doing that now. The first installment was so enjoyable I nearly cried when it ended, not because it had a sad ending but because I was sad that the story was over!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Adam is a hero. He denies it, but he is. He is an immortal who has seen all the good and bad that life can offer and still hasn't lost his humanity. And he has a sense of humor about it all that is rather uplifting for the reader.

Which character – as performed by Steve Carlson – was your favorite?

Steve Carlson was the perfect voice for this book. His performance of all the assorted characters was as perfect as I could wish for.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Oh, I could have listened to all of it in one sitting, but I spread it out over two days. A book this good doesn't come along every day and I wanted to savor it as long as possible.

9 of 10 people found this review helpful

Good performance of a dull story

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

The author plays with the aspect of a thousands years old immortal, and starts fine. But after about 2/3 of the book, it begins to wear thin. You'll get 2 paragraphs of the in media res story line, then he will flash back to the 'normal' time line for 10 pages, only to do a throwaway, unrelated, side story for 20 pages, back to the current for 10 pages, repeat.

It's interesting at first, but the gimmick wears thin when the character starts to know every single historical famous person to have ever existed, and had brunch (or sex) with them. It's also frustrating because the story goes nowhere, and it does so at an infuriatingly slow pace.

There is a good amount of very interesting world building going on in the novel, but it's hampered by the authors incessant need for navel gazing. It's like having your dotage age grandparents explain the great depression; the core story is compelling but they won't stop spitting out meaningless asides and side stories long enough to tell it.

Would you ever listen to anything by Gene Doucette again?

Possibly; the writing style is good and technically competent, if a bit dull.

Have you listened to any of Steve Carlson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've never listened to his performances before, but he was quite good.

Could you see Immortal being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

This is the single most idiotic question I've ever been asked.

9 of 11 people found this review helpful

aggressively mediocre

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

better story and different narrator - note...not a BETTER narrator per se...as Steve's voice is nice and clear. More on that below

What was most disappointing about Gene Doucette’s story?

Needed more depth to the main character and the stories he tells. Its all rather shallow... like a high school student was asked to speculate on various famous historical events and what it felt like to like through them. It lacked teeth.

What about Steve Carlson’s performance did you like?

I quite liked Steve Carlson's voice and cadence in general (which is why i am giving him 4 stars)... and would probably really enjoy listening to him read something else... but... his voice was wrong for this first person story. The story centers on an immortal who looks 30 something and never ages in any way.... and so a narrator who is 30 something would sound the part better. BUT... Steve Carlson is obviously an older man... and its obvious from his voice and breathing patterns...and i found it distracting me from the story. He sounds kinda like Bob Newhart (not a bad thing). (note: i can also understand the logic behind having an old man read the inner voice of someone who is supposed to be 60,000 years old...but... it just didn't work for me)

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Immortal?

hmmm... its not so much that any specific story needed to be cut.... I just wish the author had done a few things differently:1. not "name dropped" famous historical names and/or events so much. It was kinda lame. Would have been better to do it fewer times but with more authenticity to the stories. Better research of what it REALLY would have felt like to live through those various times (warts and all....)

Any additional comments?

didn't hate it...but rolled my eyes quite a bit

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

I thank I found a good one.

I really enjoy a good science fiction one that has a lot of space ships something really futuristic but I couldn't find anything. So I finally chose spaceship next door. It didn't look like my kind of book, that I tried it anyway out of desperation. It turned out to be one of the best books I ever read or listen to either one. The narrator was great I guess the writer was okay too I really like them. Sadly I came to the end of that book and when searching for another thinking there would be sequel found out I was wrong. I decided to give the author another chance at The Immortal Series just listen to The First One and I loved it. I just bought the second let's see how it goes.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

An old theme with a disappointing story

From the earliest story of Gligamesh to the legend of the wandering Jew to the legend of the sorcerer's stone, the theme of immortality has been discussed with many a twist. The Immortal takes this well treated theme and adds...wait for it...corrupt businessmen and overly focused scientists. This plot could have been generated by computer. The interstices are no better filled. Our hero observes that beer is good, women are unique and life is sometimes harsh. Throw in some vampires, pixies and demons with a liberal atheistic message and voila, something for everyone. Except me. Seen it done better...often.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Less serious than I had hoped

I was hoping for something a little closer to Anderson's Boat of a Million Years. This is a bit more comic book-like. It's not bad - it's just not great.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Not bad

Love the premise. The story was researched and the characters were interesting with spotty humor. My only complaint would have to be the narrators voice. Although he did a fine job overall with the narration, his voice sounded to elderly for a main character who was only supposed to be around 33 years old. Even with that I will buy book two.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Quite Good

I enjoyed this book very much. The humor is on point and the history references are very imaginative. The author manages to make a impossible scenario seem not only just feasible but so believable you become lost in the story. The adult scenes are not graphic, even if the references to sex are plentiful. I have only one warning, the main character is an atheist and disrespectful about faith. That can feel very offensive to believers.

5 of 7 people found this review helpful

Predictable and boring

I couldn’t wait for this book to be over. There were a couple of times I almost gave up on it. It’s just another “Oh, you think you know what happened in history? You’re wrong. I did that.” book. The immortal is a drunk who hangs out with naked female pixies and a naked ifrit that apparently has a constant erection. It was chapter 16 before I even became mildly interested in the book. I was still able to predict everything that happened from chapter 16 to the end.

Another thing that irked me was the narrator’s voice. The main character is supposed to be 32. While the narrator did a fabulous job, he sounds like he’s closer to 65 than 32. I couldn’t reconcile that voice with what the character was supposed to be so I never got that sense of immersion that I enjoy.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful