The Doloriad
A post-apocalyptic debut novel about incest, survival, and decay.
The Doloriad is a 2022 novel by Missouri Williams, an English novelist, playwright, and editor. It is her first book and was longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize in 2023.
The story takes place in a ruined hospital outside an unnamed city after an unspecified disaster has wiped out human civilization. A family lives there, led by a woman called the Matriarch. She has incestuous sex with her brother, hoping to repopulate humanity, while secretly nursing romantic feelings for him. The two of them and their children make up the entire family.
After the Matriarch has a vision of another surviving family, she sends her granddaughter Dolores into the woods as a bride. Dolores, born from second-generation inbreeding, has no legs and severe mental disabilities, so she is carried in a wheelbarrow. Another grandchild, Agathe, who suffers seizures and speaks poorly, watches in secret.
Left alone, the family returns to its routines. The children fetch a legless man called the schoolmaster, who lives in the ruined city and appears to be the only other survivor. Each morning, he recites passages from old books until he falls asleep. In the evenings, the children gather around the Matriarch’s television to watch a surreal program called “Get Aquinas In Here,” in which disturbing scenarios are resolved by Thomas Aquinas.
Dolores, frightened, finds her way back by morning. The family blames her for failing the others and the Matriarch for either endangering them or being wrong about the vision. Jan, one of the older sons and the de facto leader of daily life, grows frustrated with his lazy siblings. Dolores’s return and the Matriarch’s weakening leadership push him to violently rape Dolores, leaving her pregnant.
The situation worsens after a poorly received speech from the Matriarch and a harsh heat that threatens the crops. Jan impales his sister Marta and leaves her body in the city, where the schoolmaster finds it. The Matriarch questions the schoolmaster in her office, but Jakub, a younger brother, eavesdrops. Jan notices and beats Jakub unconscious until another brother, Adam, breaks Jan’s legs. The remaining adults then vanish from the camp.
Agathe has visions of the Matriarch navigating secret tunnels where she has stockpiled supplies.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Missouri Williams
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Genres
- Horror / Feminist literature / Science fiction
- Publisher
- Dead Ink Books (UK) / MCD x FSG (US)
- Pub Date
- 2022
- Pages
- 240
- Isbn
- 9780374605094
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The novel follows a family living in a ruined hospital outside an unnamed city after an unspecified cataclysm. The Matriarch, the family's leader, engages in incestuous sex with her brother to repopulate, though she harbors romantic feelings for him. Their offspring, all products of inbreeding, include Dolores, a legless granddaughter with severe mental disabilities, and Agathe, who suffers from seizures and poor speech. The Matriarch sends Dolores into the woods as a bride for another surviving family, but Dolores returns, leading to escalating violence and dysfunction.
Reader's Guide
The Doloriad is significant as a debut novel that blends horror, science fiction, and literary fiction, drawing comparisons to William Faulkner, Cormac McCarthy, Ottessa Moshfegh, and László Krasznahorkai for its dense, lyrical, and brutal prose. The novel emerged from Williams's recovery from temporal lobe seizures, shaping its winding sentence style. Reception was generally positive, with Publishers Weekly calling it a 'love it or hate it' novel, while Kirkus noted its oppressive language. It was shortlisted for the First Novelist Award by Virginia Commonwealth University. The work contributes to post-apocalyptic and feminist literary discussions, though its unflinching depiction of incest, violence, and decay challenges conventional genre boundaries.
Did You Know?
- The novel was developed from Williams dealing with the aftermath of temporal lobe seizures.
- The family's television plays a surreal program called 'Get Aquinas In Here' featuring Thomas Aquinas.
- Dolores, a legless granddaughter with severe mental disabilities, is carried in a wheelbarrow.
- The schoolmaster retreats into a cocoon of moth-infested fabric, believing he will become a moth deity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote The Doloriad and when was it published?
The Doloriad is the 2022 debut novel by English writer Missouri Williams, who also works as a playwright and editor. It marks her first published book.
What is the setting of The Doloriad?
The novel unfolds in a derelict hospital on the outskirts of an unnamed city, after an unnamed catastrophe has destroyed all of human civilization. The entire narrative takes place within this single isolated location.
Who are the main characters in The Doloriad?
The story centers on a small family unit led by a woman referred to as the Matriarch, who lives with her brother and their children. Together, this group constitutes the last remaining family in the post-apocalyptic world.
What recognition has The Doloriad received?
In 2023, the novel was longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, giving it notable visibility in the literary speculative fiction community.
What themes does The Doloriad explore?
The book weaves together post-apocalyptic survival, family incest, and physical decay as its central preoccupations. It examines the desperate, morally compromised attempts to repopulate humanity in a world where all other civilization has vanished.
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