Summary and Reviews of The History of Living Forever by Jake Wolff

Media Reviews

Cosmopolitan Most stories about searching for the elusive elixir of life star either villains or vampires (or both). But this tale focuses on a gay man, and he's not trying to keep his dashing good looks— he's trying to prevent more people he loves from dying.

New York Journal of Books One of those big, ambitious first novels...A celebration of the possibility of love, of the gift of loving...At times, the novel reminds one of the work of Thomas Pynchon in its paranoid sense of a dark, secret world underneath what we think of as normal reality, but Wolff has his own, unique vision and a gripping poetic style. His characterizations sometimes call to mind Michael Chabon’s best work...There’s a great deal of poetry in Wolff’s writing, and his style both carries the reader along and makes her stop and enjoy particularly lovely bits of verbal scenery.

Shelf Awareness With uncommon perceptiveness and a vivid imagination, Wolff has crafted a story that is both highly unusual and, in its way, universal. The History of Living Forever is not only another entry on the long list of stories about the quest for eternal life, but part of another grand storytelling tradition: the coming-of-age tale.

New York Times The novel’s superabundance finally works against it. A central issue is Wolff’s insistence on overburdening his characters with trauma...There is something inhuman about characters who always operate at the maximum pitch of experience. At the same time, the novel’s quieter, more nuanced elements, such as Conrad’s grief at Sammy’s passing, go largely unexplored. Yet while Wolff hasn’t struck quite the right balance in this first novel, it proves he’s already an author with a refreshing restlessness, who will try anything to entertain his readers.

Booklist (starred review) Wolff riffs on immortality in a fresh, engrossing tale with a zany cast of characters ... Wolff's wild, hilarious, and moving adventure is rooted in reason and the tough truths of life: how easy it is to hurt the ones we love; that forgetting is easier than forgiving; and that life (with an elixir or not) is never long enough.

Kirkus Reviews (starred review) This beautifully written, carefully plotted, intelligent debut is a melancholy pleasure.

Library Journal A noteworthy first novel.

Publishers Weekly (starred review) [An] intoxicating debut ... The epic sweep and sly humor in the midst of enormous anguish will remind readers of Michael Chabon's work as they relish this heady exploration of grief, alchemy, and love.

 Chloe Benjamin, author of The Immortalists Full of compassion and creativity, humor and suspense, The History of Living Forever follows a vivid cast of characters as they search for the elixir of life?and the secrets they've hidden from one another. Jake Wolff's voice rings with authenticity and wisdom as he reveals that the mystery of human being has as much to do with relationships as it does with mortality. As the novel careens across countries and through centuries, building toward a climax that Wolff pulls off with astonishing panache, The History of Living Forever asks how far we'll go for the ones we love.

 Hannah Tinti, author of The Good Thief and The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley The History of Living Forever is a mystery wrapped in a love story wrapped in a thrilling scientific adventure ... Jake Wolff is an extraordinary alchemist, and his story's formula will linger with readers long after they turn the final page.

 Jonathan Evison, author of West of Here and The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving Jake Wolff has gifted us a deep, daring, adventurous, and highly entertaining debut. At turns funny, painful, philosophical, and always surprising, The History of Living Forever manages to tackle some of the big questions about being human, and still somehow remains light on its feet?not an easy task, to be sure. This book is a delight.

 Judith Claire Mitchell, author of A Reunion of Ghosts The History of Living Forever, Jake Wolff's dazzling debut novel about a young man's quest to discover a life-extending elixir, is a coming-of-age story but also an edge-of-your-seat thriller; a tender love story but also a rollicking buddy adventure; a celebration of the intellect but also a tribute to the human heart.

 Mark Winegardner, author of Crooked River Burning and The Godfather Returns Whip-smart, heartbreaking, engrossing, often funny, and truly original, Jake Wolff's The History of Living Forever is one of the finest debut novels I've ever read.

Reader Reviews

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