{"product_id":"atavists-stories-lydia-millet-paperback","title":"Atavists: Stories -- Lydia Millet, Paperback","description":"\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe word \u003cem\u003eatavism\u003c\/em\u003e, coined by a botanist and popularized by a criminologist, refers to the resurfacing of a primitive evolutionary trait or urge in a modern being. This inventive collection from Lydia Millet offers overlapping tales of urges ranging from rage to jealousy to yearning--a fluent triumph of storytelling, rich in ideas and emotions both petty and grand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe titular atavists include an underachieving, bewildered young bartender; a middle-aged mother convinced her gentle son-in-law is fixated on geriatric porn; a bodybuilder with an incel's fantasy life; an arrogant academic accused of plagiarism; and an empty-nester dad determined to host refugees in a tiny house in his backyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs they pick away at the splitting seams in American culture, Millet's characters shimmer with the sense of powerlessness we share in an era of mass overwhelm. A beautician in a waxing salon faces a sudden resurgence of grief in the midst of a bikini Brazilian; a couple sets up a camera to find out who's been slipping homophobic letters into their mailbox; a jilted urban planner stalks a man she met on a dating app.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn its rich warp and weft of humiliations and human error, \u003cem\u003eAtavists\u003c\/em\u003e returns to the trenchant, playful social commentary that made \u003cem\u003eA Children's Bible\u003c\/em\u003e a runaway hit. In these stories sharp observations of middle-class mores and sanctimony give way to moments of raw exposure and longing: \u003cem\u003eAtavists\u003c\/em\u003e performs an uncanny fictional magic, full of revelation but also hilarious, unpretentious, and warm.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lydia Millet\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e W. W. Norton \u0026amp; Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3\/10\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 240\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.48 lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8.24\" H x 5.57\" L x 0.67\" W\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9781324123552\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Flowerburst","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51228842688816,"sku":"9781324123552","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2712\/8368\/files\/9781324123552.jpg?v=1774669789","url":"https:\/\/flowerburst.co\/products\/atavists-stories-lydia-millet-paperback","provider":"Flowerburst","version":"1.0","type":"link"}