The Mortal Immortal

De: Mary Shelley

Narrado por: B.J. Harrison

An ancient alchemist drags out his weary life in search of the elixir of immortality. But, when his vengeful assistant quaffs the mixture, he discovers that the effects of the draft of immortality may never wear off. Mary Shelley explores the concept of immortality, following a character that never ages through a ponderous and thought provoking life.

Public Domain (P)2008 B.J. Harrison

Excellent!

I love the classics, and The Mortal Immortal was no disappointment! I will come back to listen over and over! EXCELLENT!!

Be entertained by a Master Writer

B.J.'s performance is compelling and holds you in the grip of a story so devilish between two lovers you will not soon forget, not for immortality, but for thirty-nine minutes

I loved it.

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

The story was wonderful and moving. B.J. Harrison's narration was top notch as always.

What does B.J. Harrison bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His many great voices and accents really make make the story come alive.

Definitely worth a listen

This was an interesting story and delivered well.

I would have enjoyed it more if editing caught and removed the duplicated lines.

Eternity can be a curse

Unlike Frankenstein, which is obviously a cautionary tale, this feels much less like one, although it evidently is. Authors like Mary Shelley, who's wrote spectacular tales about talented men or women with extraordinary abilities, intelligence and meticulous nature (which in some cases comes more as a curse than a gift), have become defined by these characters. But, I have found that their writing talent shined through in short stories like these that have more gravitas and suspense, that make them an enjoyable binge.

The Mortal Immortal is a mysterious and tragic tale about a man who drinks a potion thinking that it will cute his heartache but instead, he finds it has made him immortal. It's a cautionary tale where the protagonist learns of the great price that comes with living forever. Yet, unlike guilt-ridden Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist is much more reluctant to come to terms with taking ownership of what he's done. Although, he recognizes the anguish of his beloved Beatrice of getting older while he continues the same and much later, seeing the world change and he remains frozen in time, there's not much empathy left in him. There is frustration and anger, but not much else. The tragedy that Mary Shelley paints here is that in living forever, he starts to disassociate from his human peers. What's the use in getting attached if you're going to lose everyone you love, and along the way, also alienate your loved ones when they find out your true nature?
Overall, it is a great story. My only nitpick comes with the audio narration. The narrator excelled in some parts but in others he was to robotic.

A CURE FOR LOVE

Being immortal is not all it is cracked up to be. This is an entertaining story of how an apprentice became immortal. It is also the story of this life. I liked it from beginning to end.


As far as narrators, you can't lose with Harrison

Fascinating little story

Gorgeously written short story. Simple plot, no real twists or surprises in the story itself mostly due to the fact that this take on immortality has been done to death since the repopularization of vampires, but when read through the lens of the past, an immortal wishing for death wasn't such a tired, commonplace idea then. It would have been fairly fresh. I enjoyed the main character and his perspective on Bertha from start to finish. My favorite aspect was the end--the not knowing exactly what happened to him. It wasn't a cliffhanger, but it was a tantalizing way to leave the protagonist. I like thinking about what might have happened to him, and if he's still wandering around even now.... Well narrated and beautifully written.

No Frankenstein, but..

Certainly not as stirring a work as Frankenstein, but still quite good and interesting in its philosophy and prose.

Immortality has its down side.

Wonderful narration of an intersting story about the problems of immortality. Mary Shelley seems to be fascinated whith the creation of life and the immortality of man. Frankenstein is another wonderful book that should be read in high school. I loved this author and her works.

How long is 1/2 of eternity??!

This short audiobook was great! It's a different take on the same themes involved in Frankenstein. In this book the immortal is not created on purpose but on "accident".
This book creates a lot of things for you to ponder. Though the audio is only 39 minutes, you'll be thinking about this book fo hours.
If you enjoy gothic tales, immortals, Mary Shelley, or just a thought provoking read-definitely check this one out.