Bird Box (novel)
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''Bird Box'' is a 2014
post-apocalyptic Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction are genres of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astronom ...
horror novel and the debut novel by American writer and singer Josh Malerman. The book was first published in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2014, through Harper Voyager and in the United States on May 13, 2014, through
Ecco Press Ecco is a New York–based publishing imprint of HarperCollins. It was founded in 1971 by Daniel Halpern as an independent publishing company; Publishers Weekly described it as "one of America's best-known literary houses." In 1999 Ecco was acquir ...
. The book follows a woman who must find a way to guide herself and her children to safety despite the potential threat from an unseen adversary. The story is partially told via flashbacks and takes place during three time periods. A sequel to the book, titled '' Malorie'', was released on July 21, 2020. ''Bird Box'' was adapted into a film in 2018.


Plot

The novel is narrated in the first person by the protagonist, Malorie, and takes place in the present day with alternating flashback sequences. International news sources report a series of cases involving people suddenly flying into homicidal and suicidal madness. After becoming pregnant following a one-night stand, Malorie realizes that the phenomenon has reached the United States. The madness seems to be generated by "something", believed to be an entity, which causes people to develop sudden and violent suicidal tendencies just by looking at it. Not being able to determine the threat, the population runs for cover by hiding in their homes and covering the windows. Following the death of her sister Shannon, who committed suicide after accidentally looking out the window, Malorie follows a newspaper advertisement to a safe house with other survivors: Tom, Jules and his dog Victor, Felix, Don, Cheryl, and Olympia, who, like Malorie, is about 4 months pregnant. The group barricades itself in the house, only going out blindfolded to get water or dispose of garbage. Tom explains that the original owner of the safe house, George, had a theory that the entity could be seen indirectly without repercussions: to test the hypothesis, he recorded footage from a window and then watched it after being tied to a chair by his companions. This tactic failed, and George killed himself afterward. Tom suggests using dogs to navigate when traveling outside the house, believing they may be immune to the creature. He and Jules search nearby houses for supplies and dogs to train, as Jules does not want to put Victor at risk. They find some birds in a box and decide to use them as an alarm, as they become agitated every time the creature approaches. On their way home, they encounter a tent in the middle of the street in front of their house. After months of isolation, a man named Gary asks for asylum. He claims to have left his previous refuge because Frank, a recluse obsessed with writing in journals, believed the threat was merely caused by mass hysteria, going so far as to uncover the windows and open the doors to prove it. Gary befriends Don, frequently discussing Frank's ideology. Suspicious, Malorie secretly opens Gary's briefcase and finds "Frank's" journal. She reveals this to the housemates, leading to a majority vote in favor of Gary's eviction. Don becomes increasingly withdrawn and moves to the cellar. Over the next few months, the survivors use a phone book to call various numbers and leave messages on various answering machines, but they receive no response. Olympia and Malorie go into labor and are taken to the attic to give birth. Don is revealed to have secretly sheltered Gary in the cellar; the latter confronts Malorie and reveals that he and Frank are the same person. Having already been mad before the cataclysm, he has no problem seeing the entity and has spied on the house's inhabitants long before seeking refuge. Downstairs, Don removes the window coverings, causing the other housemates to go mad and kill each other. Gary opens the attic door to allow the entity to enter; Malorie providentially covers her gaze, but Olympia sees it and goes mad. Before committing suicide, Olympia gives Malorie her newborn child. Malorie waits for Gary and the creature to leave and finds the corpses of the other housemates, but finds Victor alive in the locked cellar. Malorie answers a phone call from a survivor named Rick, who received the housemates' message and invites her to a refuge, leaving her with detailed instructions. Malorie, burdened by grief over her companions' deaths and by the necessity of caring for two newborn children, declines his offer, but Rick reassures her that he will call her weekly and will always welcome her. Malorie raises the children using harsh training techniques to ensure their survival, heightening their senses and teaching them to automatically keep their eyes closed. She refers to the children only as "Girl" and "Boy," as she feels that names are an unnecessary luxury. During an exploration for supplies, Malorie discovers that animals are not immune to the entity, as Victor goes berserk. When the children are 4, Malorie journeys to Rick's refuge. She chooses a particularly foggy day, hoping to hide their escape in case Gary is still spying on them. The three travel along a river, at one point ignoring a madman who tries to convince them to remove their blindfolds and behold the creature. They are later beset by a pack of wolves, one of which injures Malorie. The entity appears and nearly removes Malorie's blindfold, leaving the group. Malorie, needing to determine the right path, musters the courage to remove her blindfold briefly. Eventually, they make it to the refuge, which she discovers was originally a school for the blind. They are met by the blind Rick, a sighted Constance, and dozens of others who have blinded themselves to remain unaffected. Now certain in their safety, Malorie finally allows herself to name the children "Tom" and "Olympia" and tells them to remove their blindfolds.


Reception

Critical reception for ''Bird Box'' has been positive and Malerman has received comparisons to
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
and Jonathan Carroll. Tasha Robinson of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'' gave the book a B rating, writing "Malerman overreaches a bit in his debut, which could use as much attention to the cast as to the mood, but the mood is chillingly effective. Reading it feels like accepting a dare to walk into a strange place, eyes closed, with no idea who, or what, might be reaching out to make contact." Malerman wrote the
rough draft Drafting is the process by which preliminary forms of a written work are composed. Separate from other steps of the writing process, such as revision and editing, drafting involves the initial creation of the main content, structure, and styl ...
of ''Bird Box'' prior to the release of the 2008
M. Night Shyamalan Manoj Nelliyattu M. Night Shyamalan ( ; born August 6, 1970) is an American filmmaker. His films often employ supernatural plots and twist endings. The cumulative gross of his films exceeds $3.3 billion globally. Shyamalan has received vario ...
film '' The Happening'' and the 2009 film ''The Road'' (although the novel '' The Road'' was written in 2006)'','' which caused him to worry that the book "might get lost in the shuffle."''''


Awards and nominations

* Michigan Notable Book Award (2015, won) *
James Herbert James John Herbert, OBE (8 April 1943 – 20 March 2013) was an English horror writer. A full-time writer, he also designed his own book covers and publicity. His books have sold 54 million copies worldwide, and have been translated into 34 la ...
Award (2015, nominated) *
Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel The Bram Stoker Award for First Novel is an award presented by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in horror writing for an author's first horror novel. Winners and nominees References {{Bram Stoker Award Firs ...
(2015, nominated)


Film adaptation

Film rights to ''Bird Box'' were optioned by
Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...
in 2013, prior to the book's release.
Scott Stuber Scott Stuber is an American film producer. He was the chairman of Netflix Films. Career After graduating from University of Arizona with a film degree, Stuber worked at Universal Pictures as a publicity assistant to Lew Wasserman. Stuber wa ...
and Chris Morgan were initially set to produce the film, with
Andy Muschietti Andrés Walter Muschietti (; born 26 August 1973) is an Argentine film director and screenwriter who had his breakthrough with the 2013 film ''Mama (2013 film), Mama''. He gained further recognition for directing both films in the It (novel), '' ...
('' It,
Mama Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to: Roles *Mother, a female parent * Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority *Maternal uncle, in some parts of South Asia Places * Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlement in the Mam ...
'') as director and Eric Heisserer in negotiations to pen the script.
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
then acquired the rights of the book with
Sandra Bullock Sandra Annette Bullock (; born July 26, 1964) is an American actress and film producer. The List of highest-paid film actors, highest-paid actress of 2010 and 2014, Sandra Bullock filmography, Bullock's filmography spans both comedy and drama, ...
and
John Malkovich John Gavin Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and ...
in starring roles, Morgan co-producing, Heisserer writing, and
Susanne Bier Susanne Bier (; born 15 April 1960) is a Danish filmmaker. Bier is the first female director to collectively receive an Academy Award (Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, Foreign Film), a Golden Globe Award, a European Film Award ...
as the director. A spin-off sequel, '' Bird Box Barcelona'', was released on Netflix on July 14, 2023.


References

{{reflist 2010s horror novels 2014 American novels 2014 debut novels American horror novels American novels adapted into films American post-apocalyptic novels Debut horror novels Ecco Press books Horror novels adapted into films Monsters in popular culture Nonlinear narrative novels Novels about suicide