Rating: 
Summary: Promising, but does not age well.
Review: I lived in NYC in 1998-99, and September 11 hit me pretty hard. Pete Hamill lived through it just days after he'd "finished" Forever, and he re-wrote much of it to capture the tragedy in literature. Cormac, his hero, embodies the mythic hero completely. Hamill loves the City and it shows in every word. I wanted more in between the American Revolution and the fall of the Towers, but its quite a read as is. I loved it completely when I first read it, but a little distance makes me think just one more re-write would have really tightened up the changed ending. Enjoy this historic trip through this most wonderful city.
Rating: 
Summary: Readable, but that's about it.
Review: Suspension of disbelief is impossible with this novel. Our hero very conveniently knows everyone who's anyone, and gets to participate in all the major events in NYC history, Zelig style. Cormac is raised with 21st century values by his 18th century Jewish/Irish parents, which is convenient for the reader -- no messy racist attitudes for our Cormac (and I have to quibble with Hamill's explanation that Noah's daughters were the Jewish ancestors of Cormac's mother -- Noah wasn't Jewish, the beginnings of Judaism date from the covenant with Abraham, many generations later).Hamill keeps things moving, though, and if you have a day or so with nothing to do, the mise-en-scene descriptions of old New York are certainly worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: So promising
Review: I really *loved* the first half of this book. Cormac's history is drawn out so vividly, and the early characters (in Ireland and the first few years of New York). The story seems to unravel slightly from the midpoint on. The continuity is choppy and the end is dissapointing to say the least. To invest yourself in characters only to have the final page of the book fall flat is a huge letdown.
Rating:
Summary: A frustrating, uneven read
Review: Here's a textbook case of a wonderful idea executed poorly. Credit Mr. Hamill for what must have been years upon years of tireless research into the history of America's most fascinating city, but too often the author loses focus, thrusting bland, shabbily drawn characters into historical settings that are best served with a straightforward narrative. There are several missteps here: The story's protagonist, Cormac O'Connor, grows less likable as the years wear on; Hamill's unabashed and baffeling adoration for William "Boss" Tweed; and the ridculously unsatisfying conclusion. Most grating is Mr. Hamill's tendency to paint his human characters with a broad brush. For instance, according to Hamill, all wealthy people are conniving, lecherous swine who have no use for charity. Meanwhile, all of the poverty-stricken immigrants are God-fearing, altruistic souls who sing and dance despite their financial despair. Hogwash! It's easy to reinforce stereotypes, challenging to create characters of depth with conflicted emotions. Finally, Cormac's greatest and final love, Delfina, is an annoyingly conceived character who is much to blame for the book's uninspired final act. Her "street" lingo feels rehearsed and lacks passion. She's not particularly bright, nor is she strong or remarkably memorable. In a book populated by marginally interesting people, she's the least likable of all. Truly a disappointing read.
Rating: 
Summary: bland writing
Review: I bought this book because the story line sounded interesting, but I couldn't get past the poor writing. The sentences are completely devoid of any lyrical qualities. The bumpy cadence was so distracting that I abandoned the book.
Rating:
Summary: My reaction? Meh.
Review: The premise of this book was the reason I bought it. Given immortality, a man experiences pretty much the entirety of the history of NYC. I must have missed the part where he witnessed history. New York played a big part in this country's past, but it has been reduced to a couple of the sentences in the lengthy and tedious love life of a man who barely rates as a character in the book. The character is told that in order to be immortal, he has to actually LIVE. He didn't do that, in my estimation. Other than an association with Boss Tweed and an eyewitness account of 9/11, he seems to have missed every single historical event that took place in New York. Immortality was definitely wasted on this guy.
Rating:
Summary: Celtic Kitsch
Review: A gay Jewish Brooklynite dressing up a Mrs. Santa for the Macy's Christmas parade is very New York, bawdy and irreverent, ironic and original. Mr. Hamill's ham-fisted approach to blending adventures and New York City history is like the green-dye milkshakes sold by McDonald's on St. Patrick's Day, simply kitsch. The plot for this book must have sounded very funny when discussed over the penultimate pint with some very drunken friends:
"OK, so get this, how about a story about a New York Post reporter who knows the entire history of New York city because he has actually lived through it all, he's immortal"
"You mean like the guy in Highlander?"
"Yeah, he starts out as a Rob-Roy/Braveheart sword-wielding Celt out to avenge the death of his parents moves to New York before the revolution"
"Yeah, but his mother is like a secret Jew"
"Hahaha, and his girlfriend is an African princess"
"Hey! Wadda bout de Italians?"
"no problema, Guiliani will be in the novel as well"
"Don't forget the Dominicans..." Sure...very funny. Throw in a splash of "Gangs of New York" and a couple of well worn anecdotes about Manhattan neighbourhoods, put it in the mixer and you get: sludge. Maybe there is a secret joke that I just don't get. It cannot be about the city because I grew up in the Lower East Side and I know those streets and these stories. It would have been nice to have Hamill weave the anecdotes together into a memorable novel. But every chapter is marred by schmaltzy scenes lifted from recent pop histories or movies.
Rating:
Summary: Could have been so much more.
Review: The book's premise had such great possibilities. Being a huge NYC fan I read it hoping to learn more of the city's history in an enjoyable novel instead of a dry history book. Instead the author spends a large portion of the novel in Ireland, and then skips over most of the city's history (except for too much time on Boss Tweed) until the climax on 9/11. Where was his editor? Too much "PC" and large chunks of boring writing. Don't waste your time on this book.
Rating:
Summary: Aptly titled
Review: Pete Hamill named his book correctly in that it does, indeed, take forever to trudge through. He spends too much time setting up the story and then seems to run out of steam, skipping over entire sections of the city's history. Additionally, the ending was weak and unfinished. It is apparent that the events of 9/11 were retrofitted into the narrative after the author had completed his work.
Rating: 
Summary: An Absorbing Story
Review: The idea of Cormac, the main character, living forever never hampered my enjoyment of the book. The other characters and the times in which they lived made for a story which was hard to put down. I found the history interesting and would like to further my knowledge of this great city. I haven't read Mr. Hamill's other books but, will definitely try to do so now.
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