This is an interesting novel and take on the Unabomber story. Pollack tells the story of a woman in midlife suffering from grief, but also tells the story of her suspicions that her former student may be a terrorist. Interesting plot twists.

Great book! I was hooked from the start, thank you so much for providing me a copy of this book to read. This is something I would love to purchase.

This was a huge nostalgia trip for me. Pollack's description of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan is a fine-detail portrait of how they were 20 years ago. The economically diverse student body hailing from all over Michigan is a thing of the past, replaced by wealthy out-of-state and international students. Burns Park is now one of the priciest neighborhoods in town, in no way "middle-class."

Anyway, this was an interesting psychological journey--what would you do if you began to suspect someone you knew of terrible crimes?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

Since her husband Sam has died, Ann Arbor professor Maxine Sayers feels lonely. She fully dedicates her life to her Institute of Future Studies where she researches the effects of technology on the people knowing that, eventually, her small world might be closed down as they do not produce anything commercially useful. When her son Zach quits his Silicon Valley job without a warning and vanishes without any further notice and her mother’s health deteriorates, she feels quite depressed. But things become even worse when a series of bomb attacks by the so-called “Technobomber” remind her of incidents of the past: might her son be involved in these terrorist doings? When his former MIT professor is seriously hurt, she knows that she has to find him and she has the bad feeling that she knows who is behind it all.

When reading Eileen Pollack’s novel, I was immediately reminded of the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski who bears a lot of resemblance to one of the main characters in the novel. The author might be inspired by these events, yet, they are not the main and only focus in the book. Pollack writes about family bonds, about the loss of a beloved person, technology, feminism and chauvinism in the academic world, and, first and foremost, about the question of how we want to live and what is important for us. Once I started, I was totally immersed and read the book in just one sitting which is also due to the fact that towards the end, it becomes a suspenseful crime novel.

Even though most of the issues addressed in the novel are interesting and provide some food for thought, Maxine’s teaching was the one that stimulated my pondering most. Especially the scenes of her classroom where she discusses the impact of technology and questions about how far we are willing to following technological advances are superb. Unfortunately, this topic is a bit abandoned for the Technobomber plot line which also has some fascinating psychological aspects to offer but was a bit weaker in my opinion.

A rather unusual combination of campus and crime novel that provides not only much to think about but also a lot of suspense.

The Professor of Immortality, by Eileen Pollack, is very much a mixed bag. The protagonist is a professor, consumed with grief and regret in her personal life. Her professional life is equally troubled as she contends with an administration that is wavering in support of her projects, students who are sometimes dismissive and contemptuous, and her own self-doubt about her competence and her choices. Although every teacher I know has shared some of those feelings on occasion, the deep dive into the Pollack’s professor’s angst consumes a good portion of the novel’s first half, with little plot development. To say it is a slow read is an understatement.

And, then something changes. The plot careens forward. We see the Professor in the context of her relationships with her son, her mom and her friends, and what emerges is a portrait of a woman committed to those people, and the values of love and loyalty. Despite her grief and doubts about her past, and her desire to see into the future, the book closes with her recognition of the abiding importance of the present. For that reason alone, I think this novel is worth reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Delphinium Publishing for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read with interetesting characters and lots of plot twists. I was very happy with the authors writing style and ability to create a vivid world.

The Professor of Immortality is unique book with some great twists. There are some characters and it is a unique storyline.

A great read, definitely. vivid descriptions, well paced dialogues. The plot is rather unusual with lots of twists. It is a real pleasure to read Eileen Pollack, cleverness is everywhere but also humanity.
The concept of the novel is great. It mixes fiction with physics and action with the importance of love.
I enjoyed a contemporary, weel told story. I would recommend this book.