The Definitions A Novel

By: Matt Greene

Published by Henry Holt and Company, 2025-12-02

An elegant, haunting dystopian novel about individuals relearning how to navigate the world after a mysterious illness strips them of their memories

Nestled in an idyllic locale beside the sea, the Center is a place of rehabilitation for those afflicted by a strange illness that has swept through the population, erasing their memories and any sense of identity. Students arrive at the Center nameless—none of them know who they are or how they got there.

Each day, they attend classes that will help them relearn the right ways to speak and live; they practice the roles they hope to assume once they graduate and return to society. In their free time, they negotiate a burgeoning social hierarchy and watch old videos together, stories of characters whose names they adopt: Maria, Chino, Ross, Chandler, Gunther . . . But as flashes of memories—of pets, lovers, errands, and beloved music—emerge, some students start to question the Center’s strict instruction and begin to explore different ways in which they might define themselves.

A stunning, intimately told story about what makes us who we are, The Definitions examines the limits of language, the power of connection, and how the human spirit can flourish even under the most oppressive conditions.