Forever: a novel

By Pete Hamill

Forever begins in the green fields of Ireland in the early 1700's. We are introduced to a young boy by the name of Roger Carson and his family, and we get to know this boy, Roger Carson. We smile with him, we laugh with him, we grieve with him. And in the year 1746, Roger is now known as Cormac O'Connor. He sets foot in the very new city of New York. Through acquaintances and friends that Cormac makes, Cormac becomes the beneficiary of a rare gift- the gift of immortality. But Cormac's immortality has a price. He is never to leave the island of Manhattan, and he is never to try to kill himself, as that will surely doom him to the depths of hell like he could only imagine. He is told that in order to continue living forever, he must truly enjoy life. And then we are taken on a whirlwind journey through time from 1746 thru to the horrific events of September 11, 2001.

I learned a lot with this book. Pete Hamill did an incredible job weaving a tale of fiction into the actual factual events of history surrounding the growth of New York City. I found myself rooting for Cormac every step of the way as he learned to enjoy life through learning itself. Whether that be learning a language, learning to play piano, or learning a trade like bricklaying, he did it with fervor and mastered the task at hand. This book almost read like two. There was the tale of Cormac before he left Ireland to seek vengeance for the death of his parents, and there is the Cormac after he receives his gift. They were two very different men, yet similar in small ways. I confess that when I first picked up this book, I suspected that Cormac's immortality would be granted by a vampire. I found the concept of an African witch doctor, or babalawo, much more interesting than a vampire's kiss would have been.

This book was a selection for the online discussion group that I am part of. This is a book that I am glad to have read. It was very entertaining, and I just couldn't put it down. There were parts of the prose that I just wanted the author to get on with it. And then, towards the end, I knew that the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 were a part of the story, and once we got to the modern part of the story, I kept waiting for that with every turn of the page. Would I read it again? That I don't know. As with many, many books, I didn't care much for the conclusion. After such a long drawn out story, it wrapped up very quickly, and the resulting decision from Cormac didn't seem quite right in my opinion. But overall it was good- and definitely worth my time to read.

Next I'll be reviewing Moby Dick... but you will have to be patient with me on that one. It's going to take a while to digest.