Summary reviewed by:
Terrence Timmons
Terrence Timmons
Analyst
Bachelor of Arts (BA), University Of California, Santa Barbara 2019
With over 4 years of experience as an analyst. Terrence Timmons is committed to analyzing summaries without compromising on quality.
Dive into an apocalypse in its childhood, etched against the picturesque backdrop of a summer beach house - this is "A Children's Bible" by Lydia Millet. In the midst of climate catastrophe, Millet weaves a riveting tale that calls upon our collective conscience. A group of insouciant adults on vacation relinquish responsibility, leaving their bewildered offspring to navigate the disarray. Children, scornful of their parents' oblivious hedonism, take refuge in an enigmatic children's bible. This artifact of comfort soon morphs into a cipher, correlating their own chaotic experience with biblical narratives. As the storm of ecological disaster intensifies, their reality unravels - innocent camaraderie fissures under the weight of survival, and the world they've inherited, fragmented and decaying, demands of them an arduous journey into adulthood.
Date Published: May 12, 2020
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Fiction
Literary Fiction
Climate Fiction
Dystopian Fiction
Coming-of-Age
Allegorical Fiction
Eve: the story’s narrator, a teenage girl endowed with pragmatic skepticism, fosters a relentless protection for her brother Jack, evident in her decisive action amidst the cataclysm.
Jack: Eve’s younger brother, exudes innocence and curiosity, serving as a poignant contrast to the chaos around them, proven when he cherishes the children’s bible, seeking meaning amidst the disarray.
Jenny: their mother, embodying the ignorance and self-absorption of the adult generation, disregards her responsibility as a parent, evidenced by her hedonistic indulgence in the face of a crumbling world.
Climate Change and Human Responsibility: The looming ecological disaster and adults’ nonchalance underline humanity’s failure to protect its home, like when the parents dismiss the storm as a temporary inconvenience, not an ominous sign of climate change.
Coming-of-Age in Crisis: Children transitioning into adulthood under catastrophic circumstances, showcased by Eve’s forced maturity as she navigates survival.
Parent-Child Dynamics: The dysfunctional relationship between adults and their progeny illuminates societal gaps in responsibility and understanding, as seen in the children’s scorn towards their parents’ obliviousness.
Biblical Parallels: Biblical stories juxtaposed against the novel’s events reflect the cyclical nature of human folly and redemption, such as the flood’s allegorical parallel with Noah’s ark.
Transhumanism: The introduction of transhumanists symbolizes a desperate attempt to salvage human-induced damage, seen when they offer Eve a chance to save her brother by blurring the line between human and machine.
