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Mortality
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
33 posts | 53 read | 23 to read
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.
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keithmalek
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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keithmalek
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Suet624 Hitchens. I used to love reading his diatribes in Vanity Fair. 2y
keithmalek @Suet624 Yes. I read this book when it came out, but I'm currently re-reading it. 2y
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keithmalek
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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keithmalek
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Kshakal
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Eggs I'm not afraid of death; I just don't want to be there when it happens. -Woody Allen 4y
Kshakal @Eggs 💖 4y
36 likes2 comments
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EadieB
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Day 19 - #Mortality #SeptemberSenses
#Mortality #ChristopherHitchens

Christopher Hitchens was a brave man who looked at death straight in the eye.

Eggs 👏🏻📚👏🏻 4y
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JanuarieTimewalker13
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Never read anything by Christopher Hitchens before. Saw a number of interviews and thought he was so intelligent and clearly out of my intellectual realm. Esophageal cancer took his life at 62. This is his journey through cancer. What I found most interesting was his thinking that maybe if he were of a weaker constitution, he would have been kinder to his body and lived longer. I definitely want to read Hitch-22.

llcoolnate Hitch 22 was really interesting. God is Not Great was excellent. Haven't read Mortality but I've heard him talk of it before. "Burning the candle at both ends makes a lovely light" or something similar. Man was eloquent on another level in his debates and essays as well. Not 100% on board with everything he says. But I can appreciate a thinker! 4y
JanuarieTimewalker13 @llcoolnate I agree, he was intellectually, on another level, which is why I‘m SO mad at him for smoking and drinking. I don‘t even know him personally, but a great mind was robbed for bad habits. And I kept thinking whilst reading the book, why? Why were you so brilliant yet so insensitive to your body? I find that arrogant. To take a healthy body and trash it infuriates me. I have no middle ground there. Lol 4y
llcoolnate Maybe so. Maybe it was an escape. Sad, but brilliant minds seem to eventually come to the realization that the world is a super dark place outside of the US and richer European countries. Even in those countries it's terrible (US among the leading countries for child sex trafficking for example). I think the more you read, the more you learn, the harder it can be to cope. 4y
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llcoolnate Not to ruin it, but Hitch 22 will show you portions of his life that would possibly drive me to darker places than drinking and smoking. 4y
llcoolnate If you look to people like Jordan Peterson (again not endorsing 100%), you'll see a similar pattern of hardship in life (wife with cancer, most major organizations hating him, etc) and realizing the prevalence of darkness in the world become a bit too much to handle at times. 4y
JanuarieTimewalker13 Hmmmm, I‘ve had hardship in life too. I never succumbed to any detrimental habits to destroy a good body. I must say they were hardships from genetic illnesses and death of parents, so maybe that‘s the difference. Childhood was excellent, besides facing mortality at a young age. Yes, there‘s a lot of sick stuff in this world and extreme misfortune, but logic dictates that destroying your own @llcoolnate (edited) 4y
JanuarieTimewalker13 ...body is not going to help someone else. I don‘t know, It‘s just sad, all around. (edited) 4y
JanuarieTimewalker13 I don‘t know Jordan Peterson, I will look him up 4y
JanuarieTimewalker13 Sorry, for some reason, I couldn‘t add your name at beginning of that paragraph. 4y
JanuarieTimewalker13 I think crying helps more than anything...getting the emotion out. So beneficial. Covering up stuff with bad habits never achieves anything. 4y
34 likes10 comments
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bourne.shell
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Mehso-so

It's not that it's a bad book. It's just not a feel good kind of thing. A very candid look of a staunch atheist dying of cancer. His observations of how we treat those with cancer and his coming to grips with his own mortality can be direct and cold, but it will make you think.

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BestDogDad
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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The last chapter is full of quips and unfinished thoughts. The final jottings of a great man. How sad. 😥

Crazeedi He was a unique person 5y
Crazeedi I hope he found grace and mercy in the end 5y
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BestDogDad
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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I so miss Hitch and his way with words. Sharp even in his final days. 😔

Suet624 💕💕💕 5y
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BestDogDad
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Hitchens‘ take on his “fighting” cancer. 😢

Suet624 This hurts to read. 5y
BestDogDad @Suet624 I know. He is missed. 5y
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Vanillafire
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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A final bit of wonderful from Hitchens.

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jsnip
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens

“for what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his own soul”

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Faibka
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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“Always prided myself on my reasoning faculty and my stoic materialism. I don‘t have a body, I am a body. Yet consciously and regularly acted as if this was not true or as if an exception would be made in my case.”

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Faibka
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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“To the dumb question ‘Why me?‘ the cosmos barely bothers to return the reply: Why not?”

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SirenOfTheRocks
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Pickpick

Just as I expected: witty, honest, and wonderfully written. The unfinished jottings at the end were interesting and somewhat difficult for me to read, as well as Carol Blue‘s afterword; which was beautifully written and left me rather emotional. I would urge everyone, whether or not a fan of Hitchens, to read this book.

RaimeyGallant Nice review. :) And welcome to Litsy! #LitsyWelcomeWagon Some of us put together Litsy tips to help new Littens navigate the site. It's the link in my bio on my page in case you need it. Or if you prefer how-to videos, @chelleo put some together at the link in her bio. @LitsyWelcomeWagon
5y
Chelleo Welcome 🤗 5y
Eggs Welcome to Litsy 📚😊 5y
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CoffeeNBooks Welcome to Litsy! 📚 5y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Welcome to Litsy 📖💙 5y
Crazeedi Welcome to litsy! I've hear much about Hitchens(and his brother) never read 5y
Leftcoastzen Welcome to Litsy!🤓Love Hitchens! 5y
Bookladylinda Welcome to Litsy!!!! 5y
BridgetteM Welcome to Litsy! 5y
gradcat I, too, loved Christopher Hütchens, and really felt the loss of a brilliant mind when he died. Oops! Also, welcome to Litsy!! ? (edited) 5y
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CorLostForWords
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Reading this while Rory is sleeping. Christopher Hitchens is one of my fiancé‘s favourite people. Sad that he is now gone.

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Mindyrecycles
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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#labordayreads I also have The Blue Lagoon on the go (Serial Reader) as well as Jubilee (Audible). Managed to dip into all three today. #readingresolutions @Jess7

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BacklistB__ch
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Pickpick

Beautiful

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Krisjericho
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Pickpick

Hitchens could be an arrogant, condescending jackass of a man. He could also be poignant and profound and poetic. Mortality is a difficult, beautiful read.

It is so difficult to see the people we admire ailing. I am glad that Hitchens wrote through it all. His voice adds to the conversation, even after death, and what better afterlife is there than that? Continued in the comments.

Krisjericho
My dad is the same age that Hitchens was when he died. He is also fighting cancer and has been for more than two years. I had to take a break about 2/3rds of the way through this book because it was just far too real and relatable. But I came back, and I finished it, and I‘m glad I did.
6y
readordierachel Great review. Thanks for sharing. 6y
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qitten
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Pickpick

Hitchens writes about dying like he wrote about everything else -- full of snark, wit, and unabashed honesty, and unfinished because death caught up to him. His wife's afterword is particularly harrowing to read.

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goodbyefrancie
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Road trip and audio. I love a good solo drive.

Jinjer My parents tried audio books many years ago when they were still RVing but Dad soon discovered he got way too involved in the book and nearly drove the RV off the road so that was the end of that! 😳😂 7y
goodbyefrancie @Jinjer Probably a good idea! 7y
tpixie Have a blast! Safe travels! 🚗 7y
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tpixie @Jinjer yikes!! I tried to convince my husband to listen to audiobooks and he fell asleep almost at the wheel!! Listening to audiobooks keeps me more awake and alert! 7y
goodbyefrancie @tpixie I think it helps me, too. I am always listening to a book in the car, even if it's a quick trip to the store. 7y
tpixie @goodbyefrancie me too!! 👏🏻💕👏🏻 7y
damyantig I listen to books in cars, but I don't drive. Thanks for bringing this book to my attention. 7y
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goodbyefrancie
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Quick trip to the thrift store resulted in a few new-to-me books and audio. #bookhaul

LibrarianJen I love Suite Francaise! 7y
goodbyefrancie @LibrarianJen @Lcsmcat I have had the book on my TBR mountain for a long time, but I thought I might get to the audio more quickly. It looks good! 7y
72 likes3 comments
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Kathrin
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Pickpick

An amazing collection of essays about living in "Tumorville". The author described his illness and treatment in such an unsentimental way, it's incredible. Also, Hitchens was a great writer. I guess it's all that I hoped for when I read "When breath becomes Air".

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Kathrin
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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I just finished "Rabbit Redux" today and now it's referenced in the next book.

ValerieAndBooks What are the odds!! 😲 7y
15 likes1 comment
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erzascarletbookgasm
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Mehso-so

In this sharp memoir, Hitchens tells of his diagnosis of esophageal cancer that took his life & his coming of terms with death. I do not know of his celebrity persona before this, so I learnt in this book that he was an opinionated man & his writings often provoked disagreements with some people. I'll say read this with an open mind, after all,we must all deal with death. The last chapter consists of his unfinished notes which is rather poignant.

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keithmalek
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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MattSessions
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens

"If I convert it's because it's better that a believer dies than that an atheist does."

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kgriffith
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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I don't read much non-fiction, and I've never been much for memoirs. The hospital I worked for a few years ago had a Literature & Medicine book club, and this was on the list the year I was chosen to participate. It has really stayed with me. I had no idea who he was before I bought the book, and I had great respect for him as I read even though our lives probably never intersected in any way. #funfridayphoto

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MadCatRamble
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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I can't objectively review Mortality. I've been a fan of Hitchens's for a long time, so reading his final essay was very bittersweet. All I can say is that he was brilliant, thoughtful and considered to the end.

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Gleefulreader
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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A few of my TBR books with (nearly) text only covers for Day 3 of the #booktober #bookphotochallenge.

Bibliogeekery I ❤️ the girl who was Saturday night! 7y
RealLifeReading Good picks! 7y
CherylDeFranceschi Mortality=😭😭😭so amazing and honest and heartbreaking 7y
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TeacherMan
Mortality | Christopher Hitchens
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Pickpick

Lyrical and affecting.