This is a book of really beautiful interconnected short stories. Stunning little vignettes of everyday life. Lots of enjoyable commentary of modern life and all it's complexities and fast-moving complications. A really enjoyable read, an absolute treat of a book.

Lydia Millet’s collection of stories are refreshing, engaging, and quirky. I was gifted a copy and thoroughly enjoyed it. The stories tackled real life issues without coming off as being patronizing or giving a sermon to the reader. All of the characters in this collection are interconnected and seem to exist in the same world. This was an interesting technique. It almost made the short story collection more like a novel. I liked coming across characters we had met in a previous story in different ways and perspectives. I read this collection quickly because it as fast paced and moved along nicely. Prior to reading this collection, I read something much heavier and this was the perfect next move. There is a weight to the stories but they didn’t weigh me down. Seek out this book!

Poignant in a funny-sad way, these interconnected stories about mostly white upper-middle-class LA families deal with intergenerational attempts at connecting through and around technologies, coping with climate change and the dread of The End, stumbling on each other's porn histories, nail-biting over white guilt, breaking up and getting together. Connecting somehow. It doesn't add up to anything earth-shattering, but I loved it for its everyday truth-telling, a series of refreshing little paintings about our ridiculous modern world.

Atavists is a wonderful collection of linked short stories, a genre I particularly like--when well done short stories are an amazing artistic feat and when connected they give the satisfaction of a novel while also giving the opportunity to read an entire piece of craftsmanship in a short but concentrated experience.

The stories are about family and relationship but also about climate change, the end of the world, greed, the aftermath of the pandemic, depression, community. Millet is a fine writer--she creates complicated worlds with deft touches. The older generation (people in their 40s) feeling like "tourists" in a new world while the younger generations seem equally confused. Ordinary people of all ages trying to make sense of extraordinary times. A young man goes to therapy and the therapist can't decide if he is depressed or merely seeing the world accurately.

Millet tackles big themes but through people living through all the ordinary situations and relationships with which we are familiar. Two sisters--one, the "successful" career woman (Millet manages to use this sister and her job to make indirect commentary on capitalism--through the eyes of her mother, who carries the memories of her activist days--who is settling for an unsatisfying relationship from which she is too lethargic to end; the other sister is drifting until she finds meaning in an unexpected way.

The writing is beautiful. The people and situations feel real, vivid and the larger themes don't take over the life of the world Millet has created. Middle (or maybe upper middle) class people making their way and creating their lives--the world seems new but the challenges remain familiar: to make connections and find meaning individually and in community.

Atavists will be published on Apr 22 2025 by W. W. Norton & Company. I want to thank the publisher, NetGalley and the author for providing me with a copy of this ebook.

There are some interesting plots in this collection and it was novel to me how interconnected the characters were. Much of the dialogue lacked distinct personality, so many of the characters seemed to speak too similarly. Additionally, I’ve noticed that many Internet-age writings like these with a lot of meme-inserts and relevant-name-drops tend to lose their poignancy after a while.

Thank you to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Co. for the ARC.

These stories are a written humorous manner, which I could appreciate, and some of the author’s motifs on existentialism came through. My one issue is that this read got more and more confusing. With each new story, it became more difficult to grasp its connection with previous stories, and some were simply difficult to understand. I get that it had to do with the main character of said stories, but it was so confusing that it became unenjoyable.

I’ve been a big fan of Lydia Millet’s writing: I adored The Children’s Bible and enjoyed Dinosaurs. However, her most recent collection of short stories didn’t quite do it for me. Each story felt like a bit of flash fiction or 75% of an idea. Every time a story ended, I was surprised by it, as I felt like the thought never reached its conclusion. Despite this, I appreciated the interwoven nature of the stories and enjoyed seeing the same characters pop up again. I was also really intrigued by the premise of each of the snippets, and thought the characterization and scene setting was super sharp. This won’t be my favorite work of hers, but I’ll still be excited to read whatever she writes next. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.

'Atavists' by Lydia Millet is a composite novel that comments on how different generations and a community interact. She interlinks people through not only their small daily interactions but also major social upheavals. Her comments on the COVID pandemic are some of the best I have ever read.

I am a massive fan of Millet. Her ability to transform the ordinary into a story that feels completely extraordinary is a true talent. In such short pieces, she makes the reader connect with the characters and expresses their emotions, motives, and actions compellingly. It is such a talent to be able to represent so many individual characters within each other's narratives, yet it is seamlessly done by Millet. At no point, did it feel forced to have the characters come in and out of each other's lives. It seemed natural and human, much like how in our daily lives we interact with those around us. I have found this in Millet's writing that she has a strong ability to represent what being human feels like.

The plot was simplistic but in a way that the focus is always on the characters and setting around. She delves into themes of grief, aging, and politics in a way that is enhanced by its lack of adrenaline pulsing. Instead creating a slice-of-life and commentary on the world around us.

I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of lit fic as Millet can truly cater to many audiences.

Thank you to #netgalley for this edition of #atavists. It's a book I won't stop recommending.

Lydia Millet’s Atavists is a stunning collection of short stories that pulls you in with its sharp prose, emotional depth, and keen social commentary. Each story centres around an "-ist" identity, exploring themes like desire, connection, and purpose with a mix of humour and poignancy. What truly sets this collection apart is Millet’s gift for creating characters who feel so vividly real, while also weaving subtle, surprising links between their lives.

Standout pieces like "Tourist" dive into modern issues such as the way social media warps reality, while "Dramatist" sensitively explores the intricacies of family dynamics. Millet’s versatility shines throughout, shifting effortlessly from the absurd humour of "Pastoralist" to the introspective tones of "Optimist" and "Gerontologist." The result is a collection that feels both richly varied and remarkably cohesive, balancing levity and reflection with ease.

This was my first time reading Millet, and it left a lasting impression. Fans of literary fiction will find so much to enjoy here—from the relatable characters to the intricately layered themes. It’s a book that invites you to revisit and savour it again and again.

I’ve never read anything that capture so completely the way my thoughts and conversations and worries and irritations have changed since the internet age, and even more so since the covid years. The way the rhythms of life, what moves us, what bores us, has changed. I’m not talking about novels written half in text messages printed in a different font. I’m talking about stories that reflect my shattered-scattered inner world. The noise. The distraction. It’s an extraordinary read that way, although, for me, not necessarily an enjoyable read.

A series of interconnected short stories about modern life. Millet’s observations on human behaviour and relationships make for great reading, and I enjoyed how the characters’ stories came to be woven together. Not necessarily a fast-paced read, but there is enough here to sink your teeth into, especially the stories focusing on unlikeable characters.

Full transparency: I couldn't finish this book. I got 3/4 in, and I didn't feel a need to finish it. I couldn't quite get into it. I wanted a more meaningful, thoughtful piece, as someone who loved Dinosaurs, but I was taken out of that with the repeated reminders of "cancel culture" and "wokeness." It isn't that I disagree with the points that Millet is trying to make, the conversations didn't feel organic and felt counterproductive. I do appreciate the vignette structure and the intertwining characters, and I know other people will appreciate this book for the reasons I couldn't get into it.

the short stories here were generally good and done fairly well, but i found a good chunk of some of the stories sometimes weak. 3.25 stars. tysm for the arc.

a series of interconnected stories each centered on a wide range of characters. i really enjoyed this! you only get a quick snapshot of each character, but they all felt like real people. i loved how all of them were connected in some sort of way and found myself getting excited to see how they would play a role each others lives. very rooted in humanness, and how we all are going through something but so is everyone else even though it may not seem like it. loved the sonderness of it all!

thank you w.w. norton and netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review

Atavists by Lydia Millet featured many stories that really make you think. Each story offered a new perspective that I enjoyed.

This book was particularly interesting to me coming from reading A children's bible by Lydia Millet not that long ago. I see very similar themes and threads in her writing but with Atavists it seems to hone in on this particular time in history. While both books give such a great story telling of generational gaps, with the current state of politics this one seemed so much more relevant. I really enjoyed the almost slice of life stories that interweaved at times. It really felt like you could know any of these characters, you’ve met people like this.

Lydia Millet’s Atavists is a striking collection of linked stories that explores the complexities of modern life through the lives of characters grappling with generational divides, societal expectations, and personal flaws. Set in a vividly rendered post-pandemic America, the stories navigate a variety of settings—from universities and suburban homes to unexpected social gatherings.

Millet’s characters are unforgettable: a professor haunted by an old acquaintance’s social media presence, a mother suspicious of her son-in-law’s peculiar habits, a couple uncovering unsettling secrets in their neighborhood, and more. Each story stands alone but is subtly connected to the others, creating a larger tapestry of contemporary struggles. Some characters will charm you, others will repulse you, but all are rendered with the kind of depth and nuance that makes them undeniably human.

What sets Atavists apart is Millet’s ability to combine sharp wit with emotional resonance. Her writing is both incisive and tender, balancing humor with poignant reflections on human nature. The themes she tackles—generational tension, ambition, and our ever-shifting moral compass—feel deeply relevant, and her skill at creating complex, multifaceted characters across different ages and experiences is remarkable.

With her signature wit and keen observation, Millet delivers a collection that’s as thought-provoking as it is compulsively readable. This is storytelling at its finest—raw, honest, and utterly compelling.

#WWNorton #Atavists #LydiaMillet

This is a hard-hitting story collection that is not afraid to tackle tough societal issues. There's a sharp modernism here with Millet exploring the online world in several of the stories. The collection is linked but only slightly; the links between the stories feel realistic and not forced. At times funny or witty, the collection overall imparts a strong moral message -- judgmental and biting but well-deserved and beautifully written. Highly recommended for fans of literary short stories.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

I really enjoyed this book. Less a collection of short stories and more a collection of incredibly insightful character studies. The links between the stories were subtle but not too tenuous, and it was interesting to see the characters’ stories fleshed out within other chapters. Lydia Millet gave a masterclass on characterisation within this collection, and I was hungry for more within this world.

I really enjoyed this modern collection of short stories. The fact that they were all connected in some way didn't feel forced at all. My interest sort of waived a little towards the middle but I liked the overall feel of it.