DIO MIO, GRAZIE | 1984 | BERNARD MALAMUD

Dio mio, grazie (God’s Grace, 1982) is a post-apocalyptic novel / allegorical fiction by Bernard Malamud, translated into Italian by Camillo Pennati and published by Einaudi in 1984. The plot follows Calvin Cohn, a Jewish paleontologist who survives a nuclear war and a second deluge, becoming the sole human being left. He finds himself on an island with Buz, a chimpanzee capable of speech, and other primates, whom he attempts to educate so that humanity might be reborn. Through stark imagery of cataclysm and nuanced moral questions, the novel investigates faith, the nature of divine grace, human loneliness, civilization, and survival. It balances speculative / science-fiction elements with deeply religious and philosophical reflection. The title poses a question: is survival a grace, an error, or both?