God's Grace

This visionary tale with a prophetic warning could have been written only by a superb artist who dares to take risks. "Of all men, Calvin Cohn lived on, passionate to survive. " After the Djanks and the Drushkies do themselves (and the world) in, with their thermonuclear war. God speaks: "They have destroyed my handiwork: the sweet air I gave them to breathe; the fresh water I blessed them with; the fertile green
earth. They tore apart my ozone. carbonized my oxygen, acidified my refreshing rain. Now they affront my cosmos. How much shall the Lord endure?" And so the second Flood follows...

Not the sort of thing I usually enjoy, and I didn't. Calvin Cohn, scientist and ex-rabbinical student, is the only human survivor of a nuclear holocaust. Being the protagonist of a novel by a Jewish, male, American, he naturally blames God for wiping out the rest of the human race, and has a big argument with Him about it. God finds a peculiarly apt and very nasty way to teach him a lesson.

This satirical fable, Malamud's last completed novel, is very cleverly done, full of references to literature, philosophy, science, and - above all - the Old Testament. The bleak message seems to be that, however sophisticated and enlightened the civilization we build up for ourselves, selfishness and violence will smash it all up again. I'm not sure show more why he really needs a complicated structure of apocalypse, flood, and talking chimpanzees to demonstrate that, though. show less

This is an amazing book, it sticks with me years after reading. A post-apocalyptic tale of the last man standing, and chimps. Four stars b/c his male chimp competitors would have ripped... various parts off shortly after encountering him - but that would have made a much less interesting story.

An allegory, a fairy story, another end of the world drama where the only question is does the human screw up paradise yet again?

Malamud's writing is so excellent, his characterisation so real, that whether or not the plot is quite 'all there', the book is thoroughly enjoyable to read.

I thought the premise sounded interesting - last man on the earth - talking chimpanzees - a new world. The book was interesting, though the religious elements were somewhat odd - a jewish man who believes and yet doesn't believe. A God who talks to Cohn (maybe - I was never quite sure). However, in the end, this seemed to be yet another book of the same - we hope for better but we are what we are. Cohn conceives a new, better world. But even the destruction of all but a handful of survivors doesn't change the essential nature. Events don't change nature. Maybe a second reading will illuminate more of what Mr. Malamud was saying in this short novel.

Never know what to expect from Malamud, but it's always worth reading