Mortality (book)
| Company type | Posthumous book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Christopher Hitchens |
| Products | Essay collection |
Mortality is a posthumous collection released in 2012 by the Anglo-American author Christopher Hitchens. This volume features seven essays that were first published in Vanity Fair, chronicling his confrontation with esophageal cancer, which was diagnosed during his 2010 book tour and ultimately caused his death in December 2011. The book also contains an unfinished eighth chapter of notes, a foreword written by Graydon Carter, Hitchens' editor at Vanity Fair, and an afterword by his widow, Carol Blue.
Description
From November 1992 until his passing, Hitchens contributed as an editor at Vanity Fair, producing approximately ten essays each year on subjects ranging from politics to personal development. Upon being invited to write about his illness, he composed seven pieces under the series title "Tumourville" before dying at age 62. These writings delve into his apprehension about losing his ability to write, the hardships faced during chemotherapy, reflections on Nietzsche’s maxim that "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," the pleasure found in dialogue, and contemplations on life's significance.
Critical reception
Mortality received predominantly favorable reviews, with friends and admirers commending Hitchens’ bravery in facing death and his articulate expression of that experience. In a highly positive critique for The New York Times, Christopher Buckley lauded the seven essays as "diamond-hard and brilliant" and praised their impeccable prose. He described the work as "sobering and grief-inducing," emphasizing Hitchens’ courageous narration of his final year. Buckley was known to be a close companion of Hitchens.
Writing for The Guardian, Colm Tóibín remarked that Hitchens was "the best company in the world" and applauded Mortality for preserving Hitchens’ voice as "civilised, searching," and defiantly resisting death’s silence. Similarly, Alexander Linklater of The Observer echoed this view, citing John Gray’s commendation of Hitchens as "one of the greatest living writers of English prose." Linklater pointed out that the core conflict in the book is less about death itself and more about Hitchens’ determination to maintain his identity in the face of illness without succumbing to weakness or religious solace.
The publication also received positive feedback from The New Statesman, where Hitchens began his professional journey. George Eaton characterized the work as possessing "a timeless, aphoristic quality," highlighting its lasting literary and intellectual significance.