 First edition | |
| Author | China Miéville |
|---|---|
| Cover artist |
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| Language | English |
| Genre | Speculative fiction novella |
| Publisher | Pan MacMillan |
Publication date | February 2016 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 160 |
| ISBN | 9781509812141 |
| OCLC | 908517395 |
This Census-Taker is a 2016 novella by British author China Miéville. It tells the story of a boy who witnesses a violent event, which he recalls initially as his mother killing his father, but later as his father killing his mother. Centred on the mysterious events surrounding the alleged murder, it is told alternately in the first and third-person by an unreliable narrator. The writing style is sparse, Kafkaesque and a departure from the detailed world-building of Miéville's prior work.
The book explores the uncertainty and trauma experienced by the boy and features secret messages and keys as motifs. Reviewers found the story creative and praised its eerie atmosphere, but were divided about the plot due to its open-endedness. NPR described the novella as "a beautiful chocolate that you bite into and find filled with blood",[1] and The Scotsman found its unresolved nature tantalising, while The New York Times termed it "an exercise in haunting, lovely frustration".[2]