A Children's Bible: A Novel
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3.9 • 351 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction
One of the New York Times' Ten Best Books of the Year
Named one of the best novels of the year by Time, Washington Post, NPR, Chicago Tribune, Esquire, BBC, and many others
National Bestseller
"A blistering little classic." —Ron Charles, Washington Post
A Children’s Bible follows a group of twelve eerily mature children on a forced vacation with their families at a sprawling lakeside mansion. Contemptuous of their parents, the children decide to run away when a destructive storm descends on the summer estate, embarking on a dangerous foray into the apocalyptic chaos outside. Lydia Millet’s prophetic and heartbreaking story of generational divide offers a haunting vision of what awaits us on the far side of Revelation.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Plenty of children daydream about running the world themselves, but there’s a big difference between fantasy and reality. When Evie and her little brother Jack join their parents and several other families at a seaside vacation house, all the parents get drunk or stoned, leaving 12 youngsters to entertain themselves. But when a powerful hurricane approaches, the kids’ mini-society takes on real-world consequences, with Evie assuming a staggering new level of responsibility for her young, curious sibling. Acclaimed novelist Lydia Millet steers this pointed tale from black humor to sheer terror, subtly shaping the children’s frightening journey into a witty allegory about climate change and societal unrest. Millet uses utterly believable teenspeak and the parables of Jack’s beloved children’s Bible to illuminate truths about the world today’s young people have inherited. Unfolding at a mesmerizing pace, this book is chilling, haunting, and beguiling.
Customer Reviews
A children’s bible
Intriguing speculations but a disorganized plot
A Children’s Bible
Bought the book but it won’t open. Can this be fixed?
Engaging Allegory
I picked up this book because 1) it is a finalist for the National Book Award 2) it is short and 3) it sounds bonkers.
A group of college friends rent out a mansion near the ocean with their children for the summer. The novel is narrated by Eve one of the older girls who takes care of her brother Jack. The children play games while their parents drink and relax in the giant house. The kids row down the river to the ocean where they meet people from a yacht. When a huge storm arrives and floods the residence, the children leave to find safety while the parents take ecstasy.
This novel is a fable, a parable, a warning. In some ways it’s a scathing indictment of parents who are addicted to technology, drugs, comfort, leaving the children to deal with their problems. I thought this book might go into “Lord of the Flies” territory, but it never did. The children had a fun and funny rapport and they generally cared for and protected each other. Though way more precocious than most teens, you can see these teen reflecting young activists like Malala, Greta, and the kids from Parkland. In many ways, this extended allegory is very heavy handed. It reminded me of the film “Mother” which beats you over the head with its message. But for the most part the novel works. The writing is at once serious and irreverent, capturing the view of tragedy through the eyes of the children.
I couldn’t stop reading the book, though I wish it was a little less “The Walking Dead” and a little more subdued in some ways. I liked the ending a lot. If you are not a fan of high concept books, or you don’t like any ambiguity in your stories, this is not for you. But if you’re looking for a fast, engaging, quirky read, I highly recommend this novel. ★★★★★ • Hardcover • Fiction - Literary • Published by W.W. Norton & co. on May 12, 2020. ◾︎