The Mortal Immortal

By: Mary Shelley

Narrated by: B.J. Harrison

An ancient alchemist drags out his weary life in search of the elixir of immortality. But, when his vengeful assistant quaffs the mixture, he discovers that the effects of the draft of immortality may never wear off. Mary Shelley explores the concept of immortality, following a character that never ages through a ponderous and thought provoking life.

Public Domain (P)2008 B.J. Harrison

Excellent!

I love the classics, and The Mortal Immortal was no disappointment! I will come back to listen over and over! EXCELLENT!!

Be entertained by a Master Writer

B.J.'s performance is compelling and holds you in the grip of a story so devilish between two lovers you will not soon forget, not for immortality, but for thirty-nine minutes

I loved it.

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

The story was wonderful and moving. B.J. Harrison's narration was top notch as always.

What does B.J. Harrison bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His many great voices and accents really make make the story come alive.

Definitely worth a listen

This was an interesting story and delivered well.

I would have enjoyed it more if editing caught and removed the duplicated lines.

Eternity can be a curse

Unlike Frankenstein, which is obviously a cautionary tale, this feels much less like one, although it evidently is. Authors like Mary Shelley, who's wrote spectacular tales about talented men or women with extraordinary abilities, intelligence and meticulous nature (which in some cases comes more as a curse than a gift), have become defined by these characters. But, I have found that their writing talent shined through in short stories like these that have more gravitas and suspense, that make them an enjoyable binge.

The Mortal Immortal is a mysterious and tragic tale about a man who drinks a potion thinking that it will cute his heartache but instead, he finds it has made him immortal. It's a cautionary tale where the protagonist learns of the great price that comes with living forever. Yet, unlike guilt-ridden Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist is much more reluctant to come to terms with taking ownership of what he's done. Although, he recognizes the anguish of his beloved Beatrice of getting older while he continues the same and much later, seeing the world change and he remains frozen in time, there's not much empathy left in him. There is frustration and anger, but not much else. The tragedy that Mary Shelley paints here is that in living forever, he starts to disassociate from his human peers. What's the use in getting attached if you're going to lose everyone you love, and along the way, also alienate your loved ones when they find out your true nature?
Overall, it is a great story. My only nitpick comes with the audio narration. The narrator excelled in some parts but in others he was to robotic.