All Men Are Mortal

Rating:
Summary: Being immortal is a curse
Review: For various reasons I'm no fan of Simone de Beauvoir, but her All Men are Mortal is one of the ten best novels I have ever read. The book is about a man, Fosca, telling the story of his life, which started 6 centuries ago. Fosca is immortal and has lived through many important historical episodes, such as revolutions and conflict, and he has also loved a number of women in his life. The first thought that comes to mind when thinking of an immortal person is "what a lucky guy". However, as this book clearly shows, without death, life has no meaning. For instance, Fosca goes into battle, but knows deep down he risks nothing and he is not the hero his fellow soldiers think he is. But the most memorable part of the book describes his relation to the woman he has loved most in his long life. Although Fosca tries to hide the fact he always remains as young while his wife ages, she eventually discovers the truth and rejects him because she says his devotion to her means nothing : she is devoting her life to him while he will have hundreds of other wives after her. Without sacrificing our life or part of it, we give nothing. At the end of the book Fosca wants nothing more than to be able to die like every other mortal human in order to give a meaning to his life. Too long as a book, but with profound implications. Unforgettable

Rating:
Summary: The Meaning of Immortality
Review: Have you ever thought what it would be like to become immortal? This book examines not just the riddle of the possibility of immortality but to a great extent also makes the reader look at life with a new perspective. For we all strive to achieve ever so much within the uncertain span of a lifetime yet death can so suddenly put an end to all our efforts. Worse than that we can achieve everything we set out to achieve and yet discover at the end that our entire life was but a mere intake of a breath in the endless course of the history of humanity. In this book the hero is given the chance to achieve anything a man could desire or hope for. It truly is a wonder though to see how his life develops as he continues to live without any fear of death until eventualy he begins to desire mortality as a basic necessity for human happiness.

Rating:
Summary: Another life lesson!
Review: I haven't read any of De Beauvoir's books before. I bought this book at the advice of Amazon.com while purchasing another. What an extraordinary piece of work!

This is a story for realists who will not be disappointed! There are pangs which are meant to dishearten times, but they are counterbalanced with revelations of faith and warmth --everything in small doses. You just may find out more about yourself as you turn the pages, as this book is highly analytical and presses for self-exploration.

If you are fascinated by history, you will be easily drawn into the pages of this book and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells which surround you.

I have truly enjoyed reading this and being spun into the fabrics of its philosophy. Thank you, Amazon!!

Rating:
Summary: Tremendous.
Review: I just finished reading All Men are Mortal. It was incredible. De Beauvoir explores the mystery of what it means to be human. She addresses the deepest of philosophical questions, then provides intriguing answers which will lead you to ponder, and discover, what life means to you. If you want an entertaining, thought provoking, and, perhaps, beliefs-altering book, read All Men are Mortal.

Rating:
Summary: An Existentially Beautiful Look at Humanity
Review: Simone de Beauvoir's incredible novel kicks off with Regina, an up-and-coming actress, who meets Raymond Fosca, a mysterious stranger. She brings Fosca to Paris with her, and he confides in her that he is immortal. Things change for Regina; her outlook takes on a different perspective. But this is only a small factor of the book--the majority (and the strongest part) is Fosca's retelling of his immortal life.

This book is amazing on so many levels. It gives a historical recounting, one which will interest anyone with a liking for history. It shows how history truly does repeat itself, and how some seemingly informed descisions can bring hundreds of people to their knees.

But more interesting is the philisophical aspect of the story. There are times when Fosca is down and disheartened, when he is disconnected from the world--a shadow. And then there are times when he is almost like ordinary people--capable of thought and feeling and hope. It is through this immortal life that de Beauvoir explores what it means to be human, what it means to exist, and if one can ever really, truly be immortal. It also asks that if human life is so short and fragile, is it really meaningfull?

The greatest thing about this book is that you will be thinking about it long after you put it down. And that though only adds to the sheer greatness of the book. All Men Are Mortal clings to your heart--your emotions rise and fall with Fosca's, proof that he is a great character. And it will seep into your brain, making you dig deeper into both the book and your own feelings.

All Men Are Mortal is amazing.

Rating:
Summary: A philosphically pleasing book
Review: The other reviews of this book seem to me very informative and sensitive. I can try to add that it is successfully strange. Many writers have written strange books, only some of which come out good. But the existentialist theme, despite its sometimes irritating repetition, always seems to maintain its consistency. Additionally, there are strange juxtapositions, where one character will smile, "showing her big, white teeth," and then another will smile (perhaps 200 or so years later,being the king of some Italian province, "showing his big, white teeth." So Beauvoir seems to have had the desire to let abstraction reign with quite a heavy hand. In the end, what I found most interesting, - although in itself depressing, - is that the immortal only really seemed to find himself approximating true love, and then failing, AFTER the death of his first wife and son.
The very bizarre trip and friend Fosca made in America was interesting, and "realistically," I guess, supported the idea of someone with a lot of time on his hands.
I have a weakness for reading one author and then comparing him to others. I would, in this random subjectivity, compare the primary THOUGHTS/IDEAS in this book (and this is of course nothing if not a book of ideas) to those of Borges and Dostoevsky - a rather weird combination.

Rating:
Summary: A philosphically pleasing book
Review: The other reviews of this book seem to me very informative and sensitive. I can try to add that it is successfully strange. Many writers have written strange books, only some of which come out good. But the existentialist theme, despite its sometimes irritating repetition, always seems to maintain its consistency. Additionally, there are strange juxtapositions, where one character will smile, "showing her big, white teeth," and then another will smile (perhaps 200 or so years later,being the king of some Italian province, "showing his big, white teeth." So Beauvoir seems to have had the desire to let abstraction reign with quite a heavy hand. In the end, what I found most interesting, - although in itself depressing, - is that the immortal only really seemed to find himself approximating true love, and then failing, AFTER the death of his first wife and son.
The very bizarre trip and friend Fosca made in America was interesting, and "realistically," I guess, supported the idea of someone with a lot of time on his hands.
I have a weakness for reading one author and then comparing him to others. I would, in this random subjectivity, compare the primary THOUGHTS/IDEAS in this book (and this is of course nothing if not a book of ideas) to those of Borges and Dostoevsky - a rather weird combination.

Rating:
Summary: An amazing mix of history and philosophy
Review: This book has tremendous breadth. It begins focussing at first on the petty and the small mindedness of an actress... it then expands into a very detailed and inspired history through Italy and then Europe. I don't know how historically accurate the Europe is portrayed, but I found it to be far more than enthralling than any history book.

Can you imagine what it is like trying to unify a Europe and then to see it shattered apart by Luther? Can you imagine the frustrations of endless battles and economic changes... And yet, it makes you wonder how the great changes in history did come about... as the book says, perhaps because they were ready for defeat, they believed they could conquer.

Finally the book is an excellent and compelling treatise on existentialism: the idea that man is unique and alone in an indifferent universe, where action and total involvement are truly what matters. Again this book is more entertaining than most books steadily directed towards teaching philosophy.

Rating:
Summary: An Existentially Beautiful Look at Humanity
Review: This haunting book is about a ruler of an Italian city-state who believes that he can make his fiefdom a prosperous and contented utopia if only he is given enough time to do so. He eventually attains the gift of immortality, but soon realizes that people cannot or will not change; rather they make the same mistakes over and over again. Giving up his ideals about making the perfect society, he wanders throughout time in a daze, which is broken only at rare points when someone renews his hope for humanity's potential. However, he watches the failure of humankind again and again, and thus his immortality becomes burdensome to the point of not being able to enjoy even the simplest of life's pleasures. What is the point of falling in love or making a friendship, only to watch people you care about grow old and die? What is the point in trying to change things when their essence remains the same throughout time? Du Beauvior dedicated this philosophical book to Jean-Paul Sartre, and it is a thoughtful, chilling look at humankind and our desire for perfection.

Rating:
Summary: The price of immortality
Review: This haunting book is about a ruler of an Italian city-state who believes that he can make his fiefdom a prosperous and contented utopia if only he is given enough time to do so. He eventually attains the gift of immortality, but soon realizes that people cannot or will not change; rather they make the same mistakes over and over again. Giving up his ideals about making the perfect society, he wanders throughout time in a daze, which is broken only at rare points when someone renews his hope for humanity's potential. However, he watches the failure of humankind again and again, and thus his immortality becomes burdensome to the point of not being able to enjoy even the simplest of life's pleasures. What is the point of falling in love or making a friendship, only to watch people you care about grow old and die? What is the point in trying to change things when their essence remains the same throughout time? Du Beauvior dedicated this philosophical book to Jean-Paul Sartre, and it is a thoughtful, chilling look at humankind and our desire for perfection.