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    Mortality
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    Mortality
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    Mortality
    Audiobook2 hours

    Mortality

    Written by Christopher Hitchens

    Narrated by Simon Prebble

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    On June 8, 2010, while on a book tour for his bestselling memoir, Hitch-22, Christopher Hitchens was stricken in his New York hotel room with excruciating pain in his chest and thorax. As he would later write in the first of a series of award-winning columns for Vanity Fair, he suddenly found himself being deported "from the country of the well across the stark frontier that marks off the land of malady." Over the next eighteen months, until his death in Houston on December 15, 2011, he wrote constantly and brilliantly on politics and culture, astonishing readers with his capacity for superior work even in extremis.
    Throughout the course of his ordeal battling esophageal cancer, Hitchens adamantly and bravely refused the solace of religion, preferring to confront death with both eyes open. In this riveting account of his affliction, Hitchens poignantly describes the torments of illness, discusses its taboos, and explores how disease transforms experience and changes our relationship to the world around us. By turns personal and philosophical, Hitchens embraces the full panoply of human emotions as cancer invades his body and compels him to grapple with the enigma of death.
    MORTALITY is the exemplary story of one man's refusal to cower in the face of the unknown, as well as a searching look at the human predicament. Crisp and vivid, veined throughout with penetrating intelligence, Hitchens's testament is a courageous and lucid work of literature, an affirmation of the dignity and worth of man.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateSep 4, 2012
    ISBN9781619691896
    Unavailable
    Mortality
    Author

    Christopher Hitchens

    Christopher Hitchens was born April 13, 1949, in England and graduated from Balliol College at Oxford University. The father of three children, he was the author of more than twenty books and pamphlets, including collections of essays, criticism, and reportage. His book God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything was a finalist for the 2007 National Book Award and an international bestseller. His bestselling memoir, Hitch-22, was a finalist for the 2010 National Book Critics Circle Award for autobiography. The New York Times named his bestselling omnibus Arguably one of the ten best books of the year. A visiting professor of liberal studies at the New School in New York City, he was also the I.F. Stone professor at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley. He was a columnist, literary critic, and contributing editor at Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, Slate, The Times Literary Supplement, The Nation, New Statesman, World Affairs, and Free Inquiry, among other publications. Following his death, Yoko Ono awarded him the Lennon-Ono Grant for Peace.

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    Reviews for Mortality

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    • 4/5
      If you're already a fan of Hitchens, this is a must-read. If you're not, then it probably won't mean much to you - perhaps you'd be better off starting elsewhere. Hitchens applies his trademark wit and eloquence to the subject of his cancer diagnosis and near-certain death sentence, which he approaches with all the pragmatism and lack of self-pity that you would expect.A short one - it won't ask more than a couple of hours of your time, at most.The epilogue by his wife Carol is particularly poignant.
    • 4/5
      A short collection of essays by Christopher Hitchens about living with the cancer that would eventually kill him.I confess, I don't have a deep familiarity with Hitchens or his work, and I have slightly mixed feelings about what I had seen from him before reading this. But I did very much appreciate the thoughtful, candid, unsentimental way he writes about what he calls his deportation to the land of the unwell, and about the various physical, social, psychological, and philosophical aspects of that journey.
    • 4/5
      This is the first thing I've read from Mr. Hitchens and I'm sure there's some kind of irony attached to the face that I'm reading his last work first. Maybe it means I have to wait to read his first book until I'm done with everything else he's written? I would hate for it to mean I'm done reading Hitchen's because I already know the ending, because I really did enjoy the book. You could say I have a connection to this book because my mother is a breast cancer survivor, but that kind of association would put me in contact with millions it seems. But what if I told you I had a very close friend, who was also brilliant, and also a writer, and also an atheist, and also died from esophageal cancer? Her name was Tanya and it happened only 2 years ago. When she found out, I was told, in person, and I saw her two or three times after that, but the cancer struck quickly and she soon retreated into the privacy of her family. I didn't see her suffering and for that I'm both thankful and regretful. Reading about Hitchen's journey through "living dyingly" was almost like a second chance, a view into what it must have been like for her. It gave me a better idea of maybe why she didn't want people around to "cheer her up". Made me feel less like I wasn't that important to her.So I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has any brilliant, writer, atheist friends with esophageal cancer. Or maybe just anyone who's trying to "support" friends or family who happen to be fighting cancer in any form.
    • 3/5
      The author details his dying experience. This is not up to the standard of his usual prose, but it is difficult to write about dying, I imagine. Much of this was bits that were compiled after his death, and the introduction is a moving tribute to a man who both inspired and infuriated millions (often at the same time). His political commentary is limited here, but he does include a chapter on those who pray for him, and wish his conversion. A fighter to the end, he gives some interesting insight into the decision to poison your body for the possibility of a few more months, and whether it is worth it. It is always difficult watching someone die, even if you're only doing it in words.
    • 4/5
      I've never read anything by Christopher Hitchens until I picked up "Mortality." From the very first powerful passages, the author's genius with words is evident. The book was short and understandably fragmented (the last section is a compilation of notes and insights penned by the author). My sense is that I would have appreciated this candid chronicle of a man facing death even more if I had been familiar with some of Hitchens' works. "Mortality" will inspire me to delve into some of his earlier books.
    • 4/5
      Oddly enough, the discussion of the indignities of dying was really funny. The portion devoted to debunking Christians' beliefs was a bit overbearing. Ultimately, this was - literally - an unfinished book that would have been much improved had the author been able to finish it.
    • 5/5
      The final masterpiece by the master. How fitting that the book that took his breath away took my breath away as well - with different results for us, of course. (Poignant for me was that my grandfather, for whom I am named, chronicled his own demise from cancer as well.) Aside from the usual awe of his inimitable wordsmithery, he shines in that he never gets maudlin. Specifically, he never gets into oh-woe-is-me reflections and concerns over whether or not each work and word would be his last. No, he scribbled notes and was churning his turbine mind constantly to the end. How sad that there will be a day when I will have read all his work, and there will be no more. Today is not that day, however.
    • 4/5
      Terribly sad, honest and powerful.
    • 5/5
      A beautifully written set of essays by one of the world's best. It was interesting to see how his illness, while weakening him physically, never weakened his spirit and hard held beliefs. As someone that has never had someone terminally ill in my family, it also gave me some important insights in the the psyche of the ill and what not to do, no matter how encouraging it may seem.
    • 3/5
      This is a triumphant little collection of writings that Christopher Hitchens wrote after he learned of his fatal cancer diagnosis. As an atheist and an accomplished writer, Hitchens' offers a unique view on impending death quite in his signature biting sarcasm and wit. The essays are good, but if you are familiar with his other writings, many of the points he makes in these pages may seem familiar to you. Still, if anything, this short book illustrates Hitchens' resoluteness and steadfastness when it came to what he believed to be the truth. When facing certain death in the face, Hitchens stuck to reason and logic as he pondered the end game. That's hard to do and I appreciate that he shared this one last experience with us.
    • 3/5
      Obviously smart, understandingly scattered as these are the last pieces culled together into one volume as Hitchens slowly succumbed to cancer in 2011. Smart, sobering, compact.
    • 5/5
      Choppy (for obvious reasons), too short, (for obvious reasons), brilliant.
    • 5/5
      Wow.. That's all I can say, other than a true intellectual is gone.
    • 4/5
      For those who may be put off by the more abrasive soundbytes of Hitchens' passionate atheism, I would suggest reading this thoughtful reflection on the experience of dying from (and living with) cancer. It heightens our awareness of "the things people say" around the dying, and questions some of those well-worn phrases about "battling cancer," "that which doesn't kill us makes us stronger," etc. We'll miss you, Chris.
    • 4/5
      Mortality by Christopher Hitchens is a wonderful contemporary memento mori. While many of Hitchens's books are polemic, Mortality breathes the spirit of humanism, as it forms a quiet reflection on the authors' last months of life, in which contemplation of religion finds its place alongside literature.The final chapters of unedited notes,give an insight in the process of writing, as they sharply contrast with the eloquence of the composition of the previous chapters.Mortality is a dignified coda to a life of writing.
    • 5/5
      Brilliant, but best appreciated by someone who's been treated for cancer
    • 4/5
      Wonderful last set of writings, unfinished at the end, of his process on viewing cancer, his life in context, his relationship to life as an atheist, all while he was being slowly killed both by the cancer in his throat and the side effects of the treatment. Very thought provoking and insightful.
    • 4/5
      Not sad, not profound, but brave. Hitchens takes on his cancer and his dying in an admirably (and somehow impossibly) stoic yet gentle way. More than the other two books I've read by Hitchens this one is propelling me towards his other works, especially Hitch-22 which I have been sitting on for sometime now.
    • 4/5
      Staring death straight in the face with eloquence and raw, unflinching honesty.
    • 5/5
      In a short couple of weeks it will be one year ago that Christopher Hitchens finally died from the devastating effects of esophageal lung cancer. December 15, 2011 is a very sad day for me at least. There is nothing worth saying, especially in my case, of his "passing" or his journey to "a better place". Mortality, the book, is a brilliant and important work left to us from Hitchens, and for those of us presently dying a bit more each day, a death guide we might follow comfortably. There is no admittance by Hitchens in the book of his death being "God's will" but instead an argument, among others, over how it is not and never could be. I was completely surprised with this book and how much I liked it given the darker premise of the cancerous battle made first on the throat of Christopher Hitchens followed by the rest of his weakened body until his pen would abruptly fall silent. He wrote much and spoke even more. He never quit living robustly as long as he was alive. He will always be remembered by the devoted mass who read and will eventually read his books. And that is better than the final results measured among the lives of most of us.
    • 4/5
      This is proving very hard to write about.

      Hitch was a writer, to his core. I know this just through the sense of his writings - that's how I met so many other interesting people. It was something which defined him.

      To this extent, it's not too surprising that new books come out after he has passed. This little collection of essays are meditative, a little self-pitying, but mostly as dignified as cancer would let him be. Fierce and stoic, almost up to the very end.

      He was funny, provocative, and challenging. I recall even some Christians who were truly saddened to hear of his passing. Of course there was no hope for a deathbed conversion for him. He'd spit in God's eye and raise a toast in hell.

      Enough of my rambling. He'd not want it. Read the thing. Even if you agree with him. Especially if you disagree with him. He is proud in the face of death and what peaceful nothing comes after. This is how a true non-believer dies.
    • 4/5
      It's both very depressing and inspiring. You really should have read other Hitchens books to really appreciate those essays he wrote while dying of cancer - gathered in this postmortem edition. Remarkable. What does it take to be so intellectually honest to the very end.
    • 4/5
      hat can I say about a well written book about the author's own death. Poignant, humorous in parts, intelligent, and all the other adjectives one uses when a book has imprinted a lasting impression.
    • 4/5
      Hitchens is always a pleasure. Death is hard to stare down (I imagine) yet he did it. The hole he left behind for his family and friends must be immense.
    • 5/5
      Christopher Hitchens was diagnosed with Stage 4 esophageal cancer in June, 2010 six month after my husband was diagnosed with Stage 4 gastric cancer and I read the first few essays contained in this book in Vanity Fair while I was accompanying him to his chemotherapy treatments. I remember being struck at the time with how clear-eyed he was about his illness and how he remained staunchly atheist in his outlook towards life despite what seemed to be his own impending death.Re-reading these essays, now in book form, I am once again in awe of his powerful intellect, his writing skills, and his mordant sense of humor at an extremely difficult time. For years, whenever the new issue of Vanity Fair arrived in my mailbox, I would turn to read either his latest article.. I can't do that anymore, but this book is a powerful reminder of what ther world of letters has lost.
    • 4/5
      Christopher Hitchens writes in a short book his life ending battle with cancer. Of course it's sad you know that before you start but Hitchens pulls no punches. How can you say a book about dying is good but his writing is brave and shows his courage in what is ultimately a losing battle. I guess I didn't think how the book would end but there is a great afterward by Hitchen's wife. He writes without self pity and with incredible wit. He even criticizes the late Randy Pausch who wrote "The Last Lecture.' It's obvious he had a great impact on many people and was well liked and loved and will be greatly missed.
    • 3/5
      I am a fan of the late Mr. Hitchens so my bias would show through in probably anything I would write on him. This final book of his was his farewell to us in relationship to his live being slowly brought to and end by the illness that takes so many.In his usual style his commentary on all sorts of subplots from medical treatment to told you so condemnations by the zealots and mere zealot believers is there for our perusal.It is sad to see such a gifted communicator take his leave from us. But for the many thought provoking ideas and discussions he has left us, he lives on.Christopher Hitchens has moved on to the great unknown, and whatever it might or might not be I am sure he is busily recording his thoughts on the matter.
    • 5/5
      I first discovered Christopher Hitchens' writing when I was a fledgling little atheist living in a very rural, very conservative, very religious part of America. Even though I had some issues with the first book I read (God is Not Great) and the man himself (his support for the Iraq war), he still helped me immensely with his work. When I discovered that he had cancer and it was likely terminal, I was saddened in a way that would mostly be reserved for close friends.Hitchens takes the reader along in his journey of dying. From relating how he first learned of the cancer that would ultimately kill him to the indignities of treatment, he is honest and even a little humorous. The book is brilliant, heartbreaking, and beautiful. How does an atheist die? You'll see it here: sticking with the principles that governed his life. It's a shame that the world was robbed of his voice so soon.
    • 4/5
      And now, a return to a question I've addressed before: do you give a book more credit for the circumstances in which it was written? Because here again, we have a book written by a well-known and respected author, Hitchens, as he was dying, in this case of esophageal cancer. This is a book that's in part about the processing of dying, and in part about the thoughts that come to one along the road to their final resting place. There are essays on losing one's voice, on how what doesn't kill you certainly doesn't make you stronger in many cases, on the topic of religion and how the whole cancer deal hasn't changed Hitchens's views on the absence of a god, among a few others.All of the essays are well-written, and a small fragmentary section at the end collects Hitchens's last jottings from the end of his life before he'd been able to turn them into a full piece. Even if Hitchens had lost his physical voice, his writing voice remained intact to the end, it seems. There's a real and honest undertaking of describing what it's like to be dying, and what one might think of. So as a small valedictory piece, this isn't a bad little book to try. Emphasis on little, though. The book is quite short - slightly over a hundred pages with foreword and afterword, and in quite large type to boot. You can knock the thing off in a couple of hours tops; I'm really glad I got it out of the library.On the whole, if you want to hear the last words of a distinctive writer, and what he wanted us to last take from him on the way out, this is an interesting read, and thought-provoking, but I daresay it's not really worth the hardcover price. If this had been someone besides Hitchens, I very much doubt this would be a book. Now that it's there, though, it's worth the quick read. This time, I think I do give the credit to the book: it's inspiring, knowing how the book was written, and seeing the final output. Not enjoyable, no, but inspiring. And I like that.
    • 5/5
      Having just finished this short book, I am experiencing the most acute bout of melancholia. Hitch's final writings carried not an air of resignation or fatalism, but of acceptance. Nor was there an instance of pessimism. As such it was not his writings, but his wife's that generated this feeling of heavy-heartedness. A page dedicated to Hitch's devotion to his friends. A passage detailing the power of his voice. Affecting, moving, emotive.Hitch, the public intellectual, the orator, the author, the journalist, the mind, the persona.Hitch, my greatest influence.