Mr. Eternity

By: Aaron Thier

Narrated by: Coleen Marlo, David Marantz

Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Key West, 2016. Sea levels are rising, coral reefs are dying. In short, everything is going to hell. It's here that two young filmmakers find something to believe in: an old sailor who calls himself Daniel Defoe and claims to be 560 years old. In fact, old Dan is in the prime of his life - an incredible, perhaps eternal American life.

The story unfolds over the course of a millennium, picking up in the 16th century in the Viceroyalty of New Granada and continuing into the 26th, where, in the future Democratic Federation of Mississippi States, Dan serves as an advisor to the King of St. Louis. Some things remain constant throughout the centuries, and being on the edge of ruin may be one.

In 1560, the Spaniards have destroyed the Aztec and Inca civilizations. In 2500, we've destroyed our own: the cities of the Atlantic coast are underwater, the union has fallen apart, and cars, plastics, and air conditioning are relegated to history. But there are other constants too: love, humor, and old Dan himself, always adapting and inspiring others with dreams of a better life.

An ingenious, hilarious, and captivating audiobook, Mr. Eternity is multiple stories in one. Together they form an uncommon work - about our changing planet and its remarkable continuities.

©2016 Aaron Thier (P)2016 Audible, Ltd

Absolutely Brilliant, Hilarious, and Profound.

Would you consider the audio edition of Mr. Eternity to be better than the print version?

This is one of the most delightful, moving, weird, funny novels I have read in a long time. It has five different narrators and it spans 1,000 year from 1500 to 2500. So many important themes come up--justice, slavery, addiction, climate, and love. Truly original and wonderfully bizarre. I laughed out loud and got teary multiple times. The insights are profound and it is hilarious. This audiobook version is especially good. The actors captures the strangeness and the beauty of it.

What about Coleen Marlo and David Marantz ’s performance did you like?

Expressive and hilarious.

Great narration and enjoyable, substantial story

Great narration. Story was funny and lighthearted at times and poingent and reflective at others

Pleasantly surprised

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I already have. It is cleverly written and a worthwhile commentary on our times.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the humor. Some of the Mariner's garbled memories were quite funny.

Which character – as performed by Coleen Marlo and David Marantz – was your favorite?

They were all well done.

Who was the most memorable character of Mr. Eternity and why?

The Mariner and his "helper," though the others were good as well.

Any additional comments?

I bought this book because I met the author at a party just around the time the book was coming out, and he told me about it. I said I would look into it. I had no idea as to what the quality might be, and my first impression after a couple of pages, was, "I've read books that are much worse than this. Movies have been made from books that are much worse than this." I continued through an adventure story, a love story, and a work of creative history that is told by interesting characters with humor and concern about the future. There were some sentences in it that were beautiful, touching, and funny. Mr. Thier has a gift for syntax and humor. I've never seen him since that party, but if I come across another book of his, I'll listen.

Not sure about this one..either way.

This was a difficult book to listen to ( for me at least ). Not the least because of the lack of linearity to the story, and the sometimes confusing profusion of characters. That said, it is a fascinating story, with a broad pastiche of interesting characters, plot lines, and interactions. Marlo and Marantz do an outstanding job bringing them to life and breathing energy into a sometimes messy story. Overall, I started out enjoying this highly original story, but it slowly faded into the background for me. I can recommend this, but with the caveats noted above. For some, this might be a remarkable book, due to its originality and performance. Just didn't do it for me. Enjoy!