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The Infinities
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The Infinities
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The Infinities
Audiobook9 hours

The Infinities

Written by John Banville

Narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

On a languid midsummer's day in the countryside, old Adam Godley, a renowned theoretical mathematician, is dying. His family gathers at his bedside: his son, young Adam, struggling to maintain his marriage to a radiantly beautiful actress; his nineteen-year-old daughter, Petra, filled with voices and visions as she waits for the inevitable; their mother, Ursula, whose relations with the Godley children are strained at best; and Petra's "young man"-very likely more interested in the father than the daughter-who has arrived for a superbly ill-timed visit.

But the Godley family is not alone in their vigil. Around them hovers a family of mischievous immortals-among them, Zeus, who has his eye on young Adam's wife; Pan, who has taken the doughy, perspiring form of an old unwelcome acquaintance; and Hermes, who is the genial and omniscient narrator: "We too are petty and vindictive," he tells us, "just like you, when we are put to it." As old Adam's days on earth run down, these unearthly beings start to stir up trouble, to sometimes wildly unintended effect. . . .

Blissfully inventive and playful, rich in psychological insight and sensual detail, The Infinities is at once a gloriously earthy romp and a wise look at the terrible, wonderful plight of being human-a dazzling novel from one of the most widely admired and acclaimed writers at work today.


From the Hardcover edition.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 23, 2010
ISBN9780307706669
Unavailable
The Infinities
Author

John Banville

JOHN BANVILLE was born in Wexford, Ireland, in 1945. He is the author of numerous novels, including The Sea, which won the 2005 Booker Prize, and the DI Quirke novels written under the pseudonym Benjamin Black. In 2011 he was awarded the Franz Kafka Prize, in 2013 he was awarded the Irish PEN Award for Outstanding Achievement in Irish Literature and in 2014 he won the Prince of Asturias Award, Spain’s most important literary prize. He lives in Dublin.

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Reviews for The Infinities

Rating: 3.524632512315271 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

203 ratings25 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another highly satisfying piece from the prolific Banville. Easier to read and more pleasurable than some, this one keeps the depth and sentence level beauty he is so good at. Worth it for the first line alone.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fantastic. The writing was superb, characters were well-drawn and cliches avoided. An added bonus - Julian Rhind-Tutt, the narrator, was sublime. I will definitely try to find more audiobooks read by him.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Superbly written but slight. Often felt as if I was not getting the joke. At places much too introspective and windy, like a short story that's been stretched too far.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I think I read this too fast, by which I mean, I am sad the reading of this book is finished. Banville is in a category and class all of his own.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As old Adam Godley lies in a coma in the top room of the house, presumed to be dying, his family gathers. His alcoholic wife, Ursula’ son Adam and daughter-in-law Helen; somewhat mad daughter Petra; erstwhile biographer Roddy; housekeeper (and former owner of the house, fallen on hard times) Ivy; and the cowman, Duffy, mingle in the house along with some Greek gods, both seen and unseen (and in one case, felt)- Zeus, temporarily in love/lust with Helen, Pan in his guise of a long time friend of old Adam, and Hermes, the main narrator. The gods toy with the humans, as they always do, playing with their relationships, messing about with time and deciding on future events. We slowly realize that the story takes place in an alternative universe, one where cars run on salt water, yet steam trains ride the rails. Old Adam is a mathematician who proved, years ago, that the theory of relativity was dead wrong and overturned everything that was known about physics. Taking place over the course of one day, there is not a plot so much as there is a group of people (including gods) reacting to events and thinking about and seeking love of different sorts. Banville’s prose is lovely; he plays with language and Classic allusions like they are pretty toys. The narrative voice is mostly Hermes, but sometimes old Adam takes up the reins and muses over his past and his regrets. While it might seem that this wouldn’t make much of a book, it’s oddly compelling- I couldn’t put it down- because, after all, what’s more important to humans than love and death?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A bit show-offy, and I'm not entirely sure I understood the point of the mythological conceit (the gods of Olympus lurking about & creating havoc amongst the members of an "ordinary" family gathered at the patriarch's deathbed), but Banville's intoxicating use of language is, for me, always a pleasure in itself. I think, however, his style is used to better advantage in his earlier novel, The Sea.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I wanted to like this book! The story is beautifully narrated by Hermes and revolves around the deathbed of the Godley family patriarch. While the family all waits together they are attended by the eternal family of the Greek gods. Zeus and Hermes are transfixed by the daily drama of these darling mortals they have come to know. I'll be honest, I drifted in and out with this book. The prose is lovely but dense. It felt like a story I was being read as I tried to sleep. I remember bits and pieces but large spots are blank so I know I must have nodded off for awhile.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book. The characters are amazing, and each one charming in his or her own way, and their interactions with one another, also a source of endless delight. To be introduced to such an interesting group of people at such a critical watershed event in their lives, is almost all one could possibly want. The story -- or I should say, interleaved and interpenetrating stories -- well, I found those compelling too, but once you care about the characters, perhaps that's not surprising. I entered this book with no expectations -- the way to read most books, I think -- and immediately saw it as a book to be savored. So leave your expectations at the door, prepare to savor the prose and the portraits of the people involved, and perhaps you'll get swept up into the maelstrom just as I did.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This novel unfolds in the form of a classical drama -- a single day spent by a family in the house of their dying father, a mathematician. And like a good classical drama, it also has some mischievous gods wandering around interfering in the lives of the mortals, including Zeus, Hermes and Pan. The story extremely loosely follows Amphitryon.

    The writing is beautiful, it is filled with moments that are both poignant and funny, and the entire novel is disorienting -- it is largely realistic but in addition to the gods there are the occasional throwaway lines that make it clear the setting is somewhat different than we imagine -- e.g., Wallace's theory of evolution recently disproven, Einstein's theory of relativity recently disproven, and the modern train is a steam engine straight out of the mid-19th century. These odd throwaways are never explained.

    The 3-/12 stars, however, are because reading the book went from a delight to a slog. Although in theory it had a classical unity, it seemed somewhat random with one characters thoughts or perspectives following right after the other, with no clear forward momentum, greater depth of explanation, or resolution. Which was disappointing because the premise was so promising and appealing.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Quirky & fun, with beautiful language, but I got a bit confused in the storytelling about whose narrative voice was talking at any time... which I am sure was deliberate, but i didn't like being confused so much ;)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Well. Well. Here we have a family drama, whose members, all seemingly carrying emotional baggage, gather in a vigil for the father. The father, who has suffered stroke, is clearly a brilliant man and has (in the alternative history to which are thrust) empirically, somehow, disproved Einstein's theory of relativity, and cars now run on salt water. What further eccentrifies the story is that it is narrated, jauntily, by Hermes, and his "dad" Zeus, as well as the pandering Pan are key players in the day-long dynamic played out in the Godley family home. Enough said. Exceptional writing carries the load here. The weakness is in any ultimate payoff or moral. Strangely attractive on the whole.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    That was a very interesting reading. It's something like the old Greek mythology but put into nowadays. The patriarch had a stroke and is dying. He isn't able to speak anymore and he won't contact his family or his visitor with his eyes, but he thinks, or is he dreaming, that he can fully understand everybody and knows what is going on in his house. All family members and two strangers are returning home. Each of them has their own problems which are related to each other or which are in use from no person other than the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes. Hermes is the narrator of this story and takes only small influence in this plot whereas his father Zeus, like in the old Greek mythology, is begetting a child with one of the characters. During this story everybody is telling his view of the relationship to each other and that he is searching for sympathy from the others. Sometimes I've got the feeling that everybody is very self-seeking and that there isn't much empathy for others.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A bit show-offy, and I'm not entirely sure I understood the point of the mythological conceit (the gods of Olympus lurking about & creating havoc amongst the members of an "ordinary" family gathered at the patriarch's deathbed), but Banville's intoxicating use of language is, for me, always a pleasure in itself. I think, however, his style is used to better advantage in his earlier novel, The Sea.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Classic Banville, this time with Ancient Gods thrown in for good measure. The usual themes of love, death and tenuousness, but somewhat lighter than times past. Plot line as faint or fainter than ever.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As old Adam Godley lies in a coma in the top room of the house, presumed to be dying, his family gathers. His alcoholic wife, Ursula’ son Adam and daughter-in-law Helen; somewhat mad daughter Petra; erstwhile biographer Roddy; housekeeper (and former owner of the house, fallen on hard times) Ivy; and the cowman, Duffy, mingle in the house along with some Greek gods, both seen and unseen (and in one case, felt)- Zeus, temporarily in love/lust with Helen, Pan in his guise of a long time friend of old Adam, and Hermes, the main narrator. The gods toy with the humans, as they always do, playing with their relationships, messing about with time and deciding on future events. We slowly realize that the story takes place in an alternative universe, one where cars run on salt water, yet steam trains ride the rails. Old Adam is a mathematician who proved, years ago, that the theory of relativity was dead wrong and overturned everything that was known about physics. Taking place over the course of one day, there is not a plot so much as there is a group of people (including gods) reacting to events and thinking about and seeking love of different sorts. Banville’s prose is lovely; he plays with language and Classic allusions like they are pretty toys. The narrative voice is mostly Hermes, but sometimes old Adam takes up the reins and muses over his past and his regrets. While it might seem that this wouldn’t make much of a book, it’s oddly compelling- I couldn’t put it down- because, after all, what’s more important to humans than love and death?
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    The story sounded so interesting - a mortal family's trials and tribulations combined with adventures of the immortals as they pop in and out of the family's consciousness.
    It sounded great, but it was kind of just OK...
    Banville's story-telling is great, and though I didn't necessarily like the characters, they were well-formed and kept me interested.
    The Infinities was not what I was expecting, so maybe that's why I found it somewhat disappointing, but it was a good read and I would still recommend it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    How did I love listening to The Infinities? Let me list the ways:1. has Hermes as a narrator. I love Greek divinities.2. Zeus and Pan show up. Zeus is kind of a jerk, as we all thought. Pan saves the day3. the language flows like rivers, like endless green river banks, like chocolate fountains4. has a very sly sense of humor5. has a really great dogOnly problems: the women are all lame and there are no goddesses. Well, most of the men are pretty lame too.I wouldn't recommend reading it, but the Book on CD narrator is outstanding.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Feel I have to give 3 stars to well-written books, but I didn't particularly like this. It reminded me of last year's beach read, which was silly (Gods Behaving Badly). The ending was especially annoying (Zeus impregnating infertile couple)."The eye, he tells himself, the eye makes the horizon.""All these ties and traits that the genes pass on - why do they bother?"Author also recommended by David Vann, and I may still attempt The Sea in hopes of a better read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    O those wacky Greek Gods! John Banville tells the tale of an Irish man who lays dying. His family gathers from near and afar. Wait a minute! The narrator is Hermes, messenger of the gods, son of Zeus, who narrates the tale. Good grief.....the gods or "infinities" are meddling! They meddle sexually and in other ways. Along the way the reader is witness to the final musings of the dying man as well. This is a unique novel. Banville manages also to address the differences between the infinities and humans in his usual eloquent manner. He is a lovely writer!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    John Banville is one of the great stylists of contemporary English-language fiction, and his abundant talents are on exuberant, rollicking display in The Infinities. The action of the novel takes place over a single day, as Adam Godley, the famous theoretical mathematician, lies dying in a top floor room of his huge country home (called Arden House). Surrounding him are his much younger wife Ursula (a closet alcoholic), his neurotic and profoundly insecure daughter Petra, his ungainly and impressionable son Adam, and young Adam's beautiful wife Helen. These and others drift through the day and the grounds that surround the house, waiting for old Adam to breathe his last, haunted by buried desires and secret torments. Present as well are a clutch of pagan deities: randy and conniving Zeus, and the voluble Hermes, who provides ironic commentary in the genial voice of a host showing off his most prized possessions. The novel has the dewy, sun-dappled radiance of a Merchant Ivory film. Nothing escapes the author's keen eye, including the dust motes slowly settling in the angled sunlight. No one can surpass Banville when it comes to creating full-blooded characters and exposing their true motives. But in this novel, there is a chance that he allows playfulness and ironic distance too much dominion. While certainly enjoyable and filled with examples of the author's astonishing verbal fluency, the novel comes across as lightweight, insubstantial, a bit of fluff. The Infinities will please Banville's admirers, but it is probably not the book to start with if you are approaching this author for the first time.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This novel unfolds in the form of a classical drama -- a single day spent by a family in the house of their dying father, a mathematician. And like a good classical drama, it also has some mischievous gods wandering around interfering in the lives of the mortals, including Zeus, Hermes and Pan. The story extremely loosely follows Amphitryon.The writing is beautiful, it is filled with moments that are both poignant and funny, and the entire novel is disorienting -- it is largely realistic but in addition to the gods there are the occasional throwaway lines that make it clear the setting is somewhat different than we imagine -- e.g., Wallace's theory of evolution recently disproven, Einstein's theory of relativity recently disproven, and the modern train is a steam engine straight out of the mid-19th century. These odd throwaways are never explained. The 3-/12 stars, however, are because reading the book went from a delight to a slog. Although in theory it had a classical unity, it seemed somewhat random with one characters thoughts or perspectives following right after the other, with no clear forward momentum, greater depth of explanation, or resolution. Which was disappointing because the premise was so promising and appealing.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Old Adam Godley, a theoretical mathematician whose theories about the infinite universes that surround and intersect our own have revolutionized the way physicists and mathematicians conceive of the world, lies dying. Paralyzed and comatose, he lies in state in the upper room of his English country manor while around him, his disfunctional family goes about the business of living in the presence of death. Godley’s son, also named Adam, is a giant in stature but has always been overshadowed by his famous father’s metaphorical height. Adam’s supermodel-lovely wife, Helen, is an actress by profession and walking the stage in her daily life as well. Shrill daughter Petra is damaged inside and out by a turbulent, morbid, and obsessive mind; and wife Ursula is fragile and secretly (or not so secretly) alchoholic. But the family is not alone on this momentous day, when old Adam may or may not die. Flitting amongst them are the inhabitants of one of old Adam’s “infinities,” known to us as the gods of the Greek pantheon. The narrator is Hermes (unless perhaps he is old Adam himself), and he is joined in his observation of the Godley family by his lascivious father Zeus (who’s only there because of the gorgeous Helen) and the mischievous Pan in the guise of Benny Grace, an old business associate of Adam’s. Bewitching and, at times, bewildering, “The Infinities” is a luminous meditation on desire, fragility, and identity. Light on plot and heavy on a sort of wry philosophy, the book is worth the ride for the sheer beauty of the language itself.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Not a very pleasurable experience. Attempts at humour rarely succeeded with me. Some lovely writing in parts but I just wanted to get to the end. mercifully it is not a lengthy book...
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ostensibly, this is book about a dying man, whose family assembles around him and waits for him to draw his final breath - a conventional enough device, second only to the old standbys of a family assembling for the holidays, a marriage or a funeral. Ostensibly. In actuality, that's just a jump-off point for what I can only describe as a romp through nearly every theme touched on by classic literature, from existential ruminations on the meaning of life to the bawdy realities of what that life actually involves for the people that live it.On the surface, it's the story of the dying Adam Godley (take heed of the name...), his wife, Ursula, son Adam and daughter Petra (think of the meaning of her name - stone); and Adam junior's wife, Helen (whose name also will prove meaningful.) But it's also narrated by the gods of Olympus, who, as is their wont, have decided to alleviate their boredom or pursue their lusts by descending to involve themselves in the concerns of the Godley family. The narrator is Hermes - or is it? As his voice seems to blur and meld with that of the dying Adam in the final pages. Zeus covets Helen and commands Hermes to hold back the dawn so that he can have his way with her. And then Pan, in the form of Benny Grace, shows up on the doorstep...There's no way to summarize what happens in this novel, and indeed what happens, event-wise, seems less important for Banville than finding a way to make us think about the world we inhabit. It's a world where the immortals are as present as the `infinities' of the title, which the dying Adam, a mathematician, discovered. Why would the gods come back? Well, Hermes points out in a matter-of-fact manner, they never left. "We merely made it seem that we had withdrawn, for a decent interval, as if to say we know when we are not wanted," he explains. "At the same time, we cannot resist revealing ourselves to you once in a while, out of our incurable boredom, our love of mischief, or that lingering nostalgia we harbour for this rough world of our making."Adam and the family dog appear to be the only members of the household to suspect the presence of the immortals amongst them. Adam recognizes it intellectually - after all, if there are infinities, shouldn't there be immortal beings that inhabit them? - while the dog recognizes it on a more visceral level, along with the innate human fear of death. Meanwhile, the others will have their lives reshaped by the gods in ways they may not understand, or attribute to chance.This is a fascinating book, but one that - despite the constant references to every possible bodily function and fluid imaginable - is all about ideas, likely to appeal to those who can pick up on all of Banville's allusions to classic drama or alternative history. as I was reading, there were often moments where I felt he was present at my shoulder, whispering "get it?" and giving me a sly wink or a nudge in the manner of the Olympians in his novel. I don't usually have a taste for surreal elements creeping into a book, or self-conscious wit, but ultimately Banville won me over with his combination of luscious writing and comic insights into human frailty.Highly recommended to anyone with a taste for literary fiction, but not for anyone who finds themselves disliking novels that are more about people thinking than doing stuff. (If you haven't enjoyed anything else by Banville, the odds are high that you won't like this one.) I've rated it 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this book but it is hard to describe. Mathematician, Adam Godley, is on his death bed and his family comes back to the house to farewell him. The gods are watching on and are unable to resist intervening in the lives of the mortals. I loved the writing style and learned some new words in the process. I also loved the concept of the gods being mischievious spirits that spy, tease and seduce their playthings. Some laugh out loud bits.