The World's Smallest Bible - Softcover

"Told in startling, poetic language, "The World's Smallest Bible" is an ode to the power of the imagination, as two boys in a Pennsylvania town during WWII sustain each other with stories and fabulist visions. Their struggle with the real world--the war, teachers, their parents--runs through "The World's Smallest Bible" like an "obbligato." Dennis Must skillfully combines narrative momentum with lyricism resulting in a novel of extraordinary grace and originality." --Thaisa Frank, author of "Heidegger's Glasses"
"What a wild and wonderful trip "The World's Smallest Bible" is. It's like Sherwood Anderson territory glimpsed through the prism of Kafka's consciousness. The story's at once otherworldly, yet also very much of this world, the world of 'bang and blab' as Roethke puts it--the feverish fluctuations between the two elements I see as a cardinal strength of the work. And the storyteller's neighbor's perpetual motion machine seemed to me a potent symbol/metaphor of all our tangled hopes, aspirations, audacities, fears and obsessions; it is utterly fascinating with all its physical oddities and contrarieties, embodying something important to us all." --Geoffrey Clark, author of "Two, Two, ""Lily-White Boys," "Necessary Deaths," "Wedding in October," and "Jackdog Summer"
"In this darkly comic "Bildungsroman," Ethan Daugherty, initially plagued by several manifestations of moral evil--both imagined and real--comes to understand one indisputable existential truth: The restrictive confines of place--in this case, Hebron, Pennsylvania, toxic in practically every respect--can maim the soul, kill the human spirit. Reminiscent of Zola, "The World's Smallest Bible" brilliantly demonstrates that for all one's attempts, whether ignoble or noble, to escape one's seemingly appointed lot, the only way out may be the grave." --Jack Smith, author of "Hog to Hog"
""The World's Smallest Bible" is that too rare and beautiful combination of a literary novel that is al

Told in startling, poetic language, "The World s Smallest Bible" is an ode to the power of the imagination, as two boys in a Pennsylvania town during WWII sustain each other with stories and fabulist visions. Their struggle with the real worldthe war, teachers, their parentsruns through "The World s SmallestBible" like an "obbligato."Dennis Must skillfully combines narrative momentum with lyricism resultingin a novel of extraordinary grace and originality. Thaisa Frank, author of "Heidegger s Glasses"
What a wild and wonderful trip "The World s Smallest Bible" is. It s like Sherwood Anderson territory glimpsed through the prism of Kafka s consciousness. The story s at once otherworldly, yet also very much of this world, the world of bang and blab as Roethke puts itthe feverish fluctuations between the two elements I see as a cardinal strength of the work. And the storyteller s neighbor s perpetual motion machine seemed to me a potent symbol/metaphor of all our tangled hopes, aspirations, audacities, fears and obsessions; it is utterly fascinating with all its physical oddities and contrarieties, embodying something important to us all. Geoffrey Clark, author of "Two, Two, ""Lily-White Boys," "Necessary Deaths," "Wedding in October," and "Jackdog Summer"
In this darkly comic "Bildungsroman," Ethan Daugherty, initially plagued by several manifestations of moral evilboth imagined and realcomes to understand one indisputable existential truth: The restrictive confines of placein this case, Hebron, Pennsylvania, toxic in practically every respectcan maim the soul, kill the human spirit. Reminiscent of Zola, "The World s Smallest Bible" brilliantly demonstrates that for all one s attempts, whether ignoble or noble, to escape one s seemingly appointed lot, the only way out may be the grave. Jack Smith, author of "Hog to Hog"
"The World s Smallest Bible" is that too rare and beautiful combination of a literary novel that is also a page-turner. It somehow manages to be narratively ambitious, while the writing comes across as effortless. "The World s Smallest Bible" is an excellent book. An enormous pleasure to read, and a novel I d recommend to anyone. Rob Roberge, author of "The Cost of Living," "Working Backwards from the Worst Moment of My Life," and "More Than They Could Chew"
"

Told in startling, poetic language, The World s Smallest Bible is an ode to the power of the imagination, as two boys in a Pennsylvania town during WWII sustain each other with stories and fabulist visions. Their struggle with the real worldthe war, teachers, their parentsruns through The World s SmallestBible like an obbligato.Dennis Must skillfully combines narrative momentum with lyricism resultingin a novel of extraordinary grace and originality. Thaisa Frank, author of Heidegger s Glasses
What a wild and wonderful trip The World s Smallest Bible is. It s like Sherwood Anderson territory glimpsed through the prism of Kafka s consciousness. The story s at once otherworldly, yet also very much of this world, the world of bang and blab as Roethke puts itthe feverish fluctuations between the two elements I see as a cardinal strength of the work. And the storyteller s neighbor s perpetual motion machine seemed to me a potent symbol/metaphor of all our tangled hopes, aspirations, audacities, fears and obsessions; it is utterly fascinating with all its physical oddities and contrarieties, embodying something important to us all. Geoffrey Clark, author of Two, Two, Lily-White Boys, Necessary Deaths, Wedding in October, and Jackdog Summer
In this darkly comic Bildungsroman, Ethan Daugherty, initially plagued by several manifestations of moral evilboth imagined and realcomes to understand one indisputable existential truth: The restrictive confines of placein this case, Hebron, Pennsylvania, toxic in practically every respectcan maim the soul, kill the human spirit. Reminiscent of Zola, The World s Smallest Bible brilliantly demonstrates that for all one s attempts, whether ignoble or noble, to escape one s seemingly appointed lot, the only way out may be the grave. Jack Smith, author of Hog to Hog
The World s Smallest Bible is that too rare and beautiful combination of a literary novel that is also a page-turner. It somehow manages to be narratively ambitious, while the writing comes across as effortless. The World s Smallest Bible is an excellent book. An enormous pleasure to read, and a novel I d recommend to anyone. Rob Roberge, author of The Cost of Living, Working Backwards from the Worst Moment of My Life, and More Than They Could Chew
"

The World’s Smallest Bible chronicles the seriocomic boyhood of Ethan and Jeremiah Mueller in mill town Pennsylvania during the height of World War II. As they lose friends and neighbors to the front lines, the boys try to make sense of the mounting darkness with their imaginations?except in their world, no one ever dies. In a private, laconic language, they invent stories that mirror the irrational world around them: a chaplain with bad news becomes the Angel of Death, skeletal Nazis lurk around the corner, and the ghost of a dead playmate taps at their bedroom window in the night. With startling lyricism and narrative grace, Dennis Must has fashioned an indelible vision of the Mueller boys’ blighted youth.