The Immortals

First, I would like to point out that being immortal and not knowing who you truly are would really be a big pill for me to swallow. I felt that this story was so depressing. The story itself was a bit complcated as most of Martin Amiss' works are, gritty and witty. The character in this story was dealing with trying to achieve his ying and yang, his life and death. He wants to know what the meaning of true immortality is and how to achieve death. What I found most intresting was that he was waiting for his death as he saw those that he loved pass before him, over and over again, hundreds and hundreds of times. He didn't view being an immortal as a gift, but as a curse, that he describes, in a very sad way, as boring and perfunctory. Even though I liked the story title and it sparked an interest for me, the story was a bit too gritty and witty, as in the author's true sense of style. To me it clearly defined what depresson can feel like when you're not able to bond with someone who you care for. He was cynical as he was not able to fully express himself knowing how a relationship would end. It created an opporunity for him to easily 'go to the other side'' by being sad about the fact that he also faced the truth by noting that the inevitable would come. He states throughout that, "soon you will all be gone and I will be alone forever." It's a very scary thought for anyone to face. I guess we all think that it would be great to live forever. However, here is a man that clearly got a gift, one that everyone else seems to want. In reality, it is clearly a curse for him.