The Methuselah Enzyme

by Fred Mustard Stewart

Death, according to Dr Herbert Mentius, proprietor of a medical research institute "is not natural at all. It's really an avoidable mistake." Mentius is a character in The Methuselah Enzyme (1970), one of a score of novels by Fred Mustard Stewart (9/17/32-2/7/07) who, dead at 75, did not avail himself of the DNA modifications plausibly set out in that brisk shocker.

Genres: Science Fiction, Horror, Medical, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Suspense

248 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1970

About the author

American popular novelist, several of whose books were filmed.

Stewart came to be best known for his intercontinental sagas. Year in, year out, the 600-page mark didn't daunt him, a far cry as this was from early hopes as life as a concert pianist, something which had inspired his 1st novel The Mephisto Waltz (1968) which also began his lucrative connection with the film industry. Born in Anderson, IN, he was the son of a banker &, after the Lawrenceville school, near Princeton, NJ, he studied history at Princeton University & later piano at the Juilliard School in Manhattan. By the 1960s, he realised he wasn't going to succeed as a pianist & with marriage to a literary agent, Joan Richardson, in 1967, he began to write, & found immediate success with The Mephisto Waltz.

With The Methuselah Enzyme, Stewart showed wit, but it was clear that it wasn't Henry James. There was, however, a certain charm to Six Weeks (1976), told by a married aspirant for a Democratic senatorial nomination who becomes infatuated with a cold-cream heiress, largely at the behest of her 11-year-old, would-be nymphet daughter who, beset by cancer, has less than two months to live. Nabokov it isn't, but certainly better than the 1982 film with Dudley Moore & Mary Tyler Moore.

Reviews

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is #10 in a series published by Bruna, in the Netherlands, between 1971 and 1976. There are 29 books in this series and I own all of them. I used to go shopping for food every Thursday, and on the way back home I stopped at the bookstore to buy myself a book. Those were the days...

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic medical thriller! As a retired medical professional I found this book fascinating and I could not put it down. The writing - especially the dialogue - was brilliant. What vividly colorful and well developed characters! Very high suspense and intrigue value. It almost reads like a horror novel, but without the gore and violence.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, where to start. Here you have dated, sexist and absolutely ridiculous cheesy fun, and more bad science than Jurassic Park, too. No spoilers here but the final scene is freaking priceless. Don't know if they ever made a movie out of this, but if they did I hope it's just as stupidly fun.

[Victoria Zieger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was a very interesting idea of science being able to reverse age and what people would do to obtain this. It had ethical dilemmas and twists throughout the whole book. I especially enjoyed the ending which I definitely didn't expect. I usually don't like science fiction, but this one was very good!

[Michael Tenerowicz · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the 70's. Very 70ish. Not a whole lot on the action front and the characters were doing things that reminded me of late night spoof movies, like that commercial " Let's hide behind the chainsaws."
But the writing was solid otherwise. This could have been used as a TWILIGHT ZONE back in the day.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to have to read this one again, but I remember the plot being very original and well thought-out. I also remember being hooked from page 1 and not being able to put the thing down...

[Bob Box · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read in 1974. Mystery of some sort.

[James Garman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science, especially medical science can often be fraught with ethical quaymires. Certainly this novel is a prime display of just that. Ann married her father's former associate. Her father had been a doctor who took care of the man she ended up marrying. He is about 35 or more years older than she. Less that a year into their marrage, he wants them to go to a spa in northern Europe.

Once they get there, there are two other couples. In each case there is a young person and an older partner. In one case is Ann and her husband, a married couple with plenty of years between them, then there is a father and a son, and finally an old drunk ex-star and her latest gigelo. It turns out that Dr Herbert Mentius, the head of the spa believes that death is actually a disease and with the right treatment can be slowed down, stopped or even reversed. But where do they find the cure? Well, there is the rub. The theory is that some element in the human body keeps aging away for a certain number of years. However at about 25, that effect goes away and after that the element disappears gradually out of the body.

It is not a huge jump to think that maybe harvesting that element from young people who still have the full force of that substance could yield supplies to help the seniors. What would possibly happen when a doctor with an obsession to find a solution to his pet health issue and subjects with arrogance and greed enough to do anything at all to live longer mich end being willing to consider.

I recommend this book for those that like to see human beings at their worst and their best. What would "you" do to stay alive?

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in the 70s

[John Kermen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read a premise.

[Daniel Haug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read on immortality.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

An absolute trip. The author seems to have a sex addiction since he can't help but mention it in some way every 10 pages. Definitely worth it.

[Jo O'Donnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, cheesy fun

[Bethany Scanlon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda weird. A lot more fantasy than actually scientific. The ending was fun though.

[Agbolu Confidence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it while I was in high school more than twice
I don't joke with this book.. lost my copy 😔

[Catsalive · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/4...

cover:
A powerful fictional blend of terror and truth ... about the startling new science of rejuvenation. Its bold promise - the isolation of a "Methuselah" enzyme that will extend life thirty years, or maybe forever - is the actual basis of advanced experiments in arresting the aging process.
----------------------------------

An enzyme has be located in the human pineal gland that can reverse the effects of aging. "Mentase" is taken from live, younger people without their consent, to be used on the aging, wealthy clients at the Swiss Societe Gerontologique. It has astonishing effects on the elderly guinea pigs, but the side effects on old and young alike are yet to be determined.

An interesting read. The actions of obsessed scientists and wealthy megalomaniacs is entirely believable.

[K.P. Gillespie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 stars. A young wife and her older, unfaithful husband; a sex-starved actress and her handsome young secretary; a Wall Street millionaire and his teenage son. Six guests. Six victims. A devastating journey into darkness. At his famous, elegant Swiss chateau-clinic, Dr. Herbert Mentius discovers an incredible enzyme that reverses the process of aging. But on the shores of Lake Lucerne, a secret plot is underway. Six guests are caught in a spiraling vortex of evil, lust and terror - as the promise of immortality becomes a frightening conspiracy of death!

Read this book in college, loved the concept, twisty and fun to read. Underrated, forgotten Fred Mustard Stewart novel.

[Rana · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved it , it's a great story worth reading from the 1970 , about 2 old rich men and a woman who convince their young wife and son and assitant to go with them to a clinc in switzerland to get a treatment for aging .........and what they young people don't know is that there is an enzyme that made their bigger companions younger or.... immortal
and alot of things and actions occur in Switzerland
the moment i started reading i couldn't leave that thing form my hand :D

[Rochelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

SOOOOOO dated. Fun to read because of its datedness. If you like to put yourself in the mindset of the 1970 this book is for you. Out of print so good luck finding it. Another recommendation by Mohamed Ali.

[Joanne Moyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is an oldie I've had forever and decided to read again to see if it's as good as I thought it was. It's a bit dated ( I have a hard time realizing that the 70's is 40 years ago ) but it's still a good story and I did enjoy it.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. I could easily see it as the movie of the week. It is an easy read. I could put it down and pick it up a few days later without any trouble getting back into the groove of the story.

[Audrey Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I read it years ago, twice. Scientists today are playing with the jellyfish so where this is science fiction, it could come true in the future, kinda like AI was only sci fi at one point in time.

Cue the X-files them.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A science fiction thriller by a writer primarily known for mainstream novels and movie adaptations. Strangely, this one hasn't been adapted...yet.

[Lizzy DeMarco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creepy concept...but a good quick read.

[Dara Paprock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book at 13. It was compelling and riviting. Insite into the physical and desperate ailments of Humans and all living things.

[Melanie Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book I read it back in 1996 and remembered it so I recently purchased on Amazon and reread it and it was just as good as the first time. makes you not want to put it down.

[Debbie Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the storyline had promise, I found the characters unsympathetic and their behavior unrealistic. Much of the plot was predictable and far-fetched. Sorry, this novel was not for me.

[Abby Goldsmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot of bland dialogue in this. A lot of talking, and a lot of dinner parties. But a really interesting premise.

[Douglas Castagna]

Great sci fi/Medical genre book that seems to have been forgotten. Who does not want to live forever young in good health? The fountain of youth has always been an elusive ideal forever sought after and this book brings a medical slant on the idea. Very well done and still a very contemporary ideal.