Forever: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: More episodic than epic.
Review: As many other reviewers have said, the idea is intriguing. Could have made for a great historical epic. I loved "Snow In August," a fantasy full of authenticity ... something about "Forever" didn't seem quite so authentic. I had doubts early on when Cormac's father suddenly told "Robert" that he was a Celt named Cormac O'Connor -- especially because what his father described sounded more like contemporary New Age 'Celtic paganism' (i.e. post-1950) than the multi-faceted warrior culture that Hamill seems to want it to be. A lot of things about the family seemed out-of-place in 18th Century Ireland. I also thought that it should have started with Cormac's desire for revenge, and that Hamill should have sent him to America right away.

"Snow In August" was a believable fantasy; this wasn't.

Rating:
Summary: A Wee Bit o 'NYC History
Review: I've always liked Pete Hamill, and find that most people either do or don't with not much room for in between. This book was some work to get into. I started and quit a few times. It is not a quick read on the beach. But the effort is well-rewarded. This is a fascinating glimpse into a couple of hundred years of the immigration to and history of New York. It is a thorougly implausible plot--a young man who lives forever so long as he never leaves the island of Manhattan-- but it is a riveting story of the many stages of the developpment of New York. I came away 1) not wanting the book to end, and 2) thirsting to read a few of the classic historical volumes recommended by PH.

Rating:
Summary: Great Beginning, poor middle - didn't finish it
Review: This was my first Peter Hamill book. I had heard much good stuff on reviews about this author. I choose the book at random, well mostly at random - i was interested in the NewYork theme. I was overjoyed when i read the first 39 chapters - don't get excited that was only 150 pages!. I was immersed in the story and I loved the North or Ireland story of growing up in south Belfast many years ago. A place I have spent many years in myself. When the story moves to NY the pace of the story changes and the quality of the plot changes with it. I got really bored with Cormac the reporter theme. Maybe it was my own fault for enjoying the Irish theme too much and not wanting it to change. Maybe I have no patience. Either way I didn't finish it and donated the book to my work book club. With so much choice of books today I moved on.

Rating:
Summary: Ok... but very uneven
Review: I must admit this is a hard book to rate. Parts I enjoyed as much as any book that I have ever read (The images of Ireland in the 1700s). Then there are other parts that left me disgusted ... such as the year that was spent at a brothel painting VERY initimate portraits of the "workers".

The story as a whole is a great one. One man living nearly 300 years who has the oppurtunity to see the city of New York grow. Some have called it an ambitious task- but I don't quite see it that way... in fact I wish that Hamill had spent more time on the "details" of the development of New York and less time on trying to paint the "good" side of Boss Tweed. Instead what we get is a bit of a rollercoaster ride of the good and the bad with very little connecting either. So in the end I give "Forever" an A+ for concept but only about a C or its execution.

Rating:
Summary: Time Travel with a Twist
Review: Instead of taking a modern character back in time or bringing an old character forward, Hamill proposes a character who doesn't age and passes the history before him...in this case, an ancient Irishman living the history of New York. As an ex-New Yorker with English and Irish roots, I found it fascinating. I couldn't put it down and there's not many books I'd say that about. I will agree that Hamill fast-forwarded through a lot of things and lingered a bit long on others, but it was a wonderful story that I was sorry to end.