Review of The Diary Of An Immortal (1945-1959)

[Nichol Lee Jackson]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Diary Of An Immortal (1945-1959)" by David J Castello.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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The Diary of an Immortal (1945-1959) by David J. Castello is a sharp, fictional, humourous, confusing story about an army medic who discovers "immortality pills" at the end of World War Two. It is written for a mature audience. It contains sexual content, graphic violence, racist slurs, and some profanity. There are a few minor typos.

It is speculated that Hitler and his psychic community had tried to revive a dead Aryan race in the Far East. The protagonist is a somewhat oily veteran who falls in love with every pretty girl. He rationalizes that since he has suffered constant death, he should take the immortality pills, promising to put them to good use. He moves to New York City and becomes a saxophone player. The antagonist is an immortal monk descendant of an ancient Aryan race. The plot thickens and the characters are very innocently pulled along a mysterious thread into Chinese politics and philosophy. Their Westernized way of judging the world is unable to understand the Buddhist principles of non-violence. It is enjoyable to warm up to the human error while they encounter the unknown. Resuming their daily lives, while juggling an ongoing battle with the supernatural, climaxes into a very sensational journey around Tibet.

This is a very good story that could be adapted to the stage or movie screen. I gave it four out of five stars. The main character gets a little tiresome with his short outbursts, but there were sections of the dialogue that were complicated and thought provoking. The bickering monks gave this book a strong insight into the unexpected reflexes of teachers and students.

The author does a nice job conveying the distinctive differences in culture, politics and religion between the East and West. You do have to take some of their actions with a grain of salt. It is popular in Kung Fu movies to be immortal and fly in the sky.

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The Diary Of An Immortal (1945-1959)
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