Adverbs (novel)

Adverbs, in the context of Kevin Brockmeier's 2008 novel The Brief History of the Dead, refer to the central concept underlying the existence of the City, a post-mortem realm inhabited by the dead who are remembered by the living. The "adverbs" are not grammatical terms, but rather represent the varying intensities and qualities of remembrance – how intensely, frequently, or vividly a deceased person is remembered by those still alive. The more strongly and consistently a person is remembered, the more robust and defined their existence becomes in the City. Conversely, as memory fades, so too does the individual's presence and permanence in this afterlife.

The novel explores the consequences of dwindling remembrance, particularly in the face of a global pandemic that drastically reduces the number of living people capable of remembering the dead. This decline in memory weakens the City and its inhabitants, leading to a slow and agonizing dissolution. The "adverbs" thus become a metaphor for the power of memory, the importance of connection, and the fragility of identity in the face of oblivion. The narrative uses the concept to examine themes of loss, mortality, and the enduring human need for meaning and purpose, even beyond death. The state of being "remembered," quantified metaphorically as the "adverb" attached to an individual, directly impacts their continued existence within the narrative.