They tried to keep us alive as long as possible, in fact, and some individuals who were very fit had lived in the unit for six or seven years before they were taken in for their final donation. … They don’t use the dispensable until it is obvious that no other method and no other material is available for a particular patient with a serious illness, or in those cases where it is extremely urgent. This whole thing — “this whole free-range pig farm” as Elsa angrily called it — is in other words significantly more humane that I could have imagined at first.
(from The Unit page 112)
The Unit is an amazing debut novel by Ninni Holmqvist set in Sweden at some point in the future and centered on Dorrit Weger, a childless writer who has just turned 50. Having reached this milestone, Dorrit must report to the Second Reserve Bank Unit, where women over 50 and men over 60 must reside if they do not have children or “important” jobs. These men and women are considered dispensable and are required by the government to submit to pharmaceutical and psychological tests and give up their organs as necessary. The benefits of the unit are emphasized; they can’t leave the building and cameras watch their every move, but they have access to a beautiful garden and recreational activities and can shop, eat, and go to the theater as they please.
Of course, there is a price. They must give up a kidney here and a cornea there, and when the time comes, they’ll make a final donation. Dorrit soon learns that the residents care for one another in a way that makes the inevitable more bearable. Although she misses her dog fiercely and never intended not to get married or have children, Dorrit finds love and friendship within the unit and blossoms in a way that one wouldn’t expect considering the circumstances. Once she has something to live for, Dorrit must fight to survive.
The Unit doesn’t have any graphic scenes or outright violence, but it’s freaky and even downright scary at times. Many people are scared of aging, and Holmqvist has created a world to be feared. The scariest thing about the book is the fact that people didn’t go to the unit kicking and screaming. Even though it wouldn’t have done much good, I would’ve fought; I’m dead either way, but where there’s the possibility of escape, there’s some hope. Beyond the matter of aging and survival, Holmqvist raises several issues for discussion, including how much control the government should have over our bodies and whether having a career and being a parent truly define us.
Dorrit is an ordinary woman, and we can picture ourselves in her shoes. The book gave me the chills, but I couldn’t put it down. The Unit is among the best dystopian novels I’ve ever read, and it likely will make my list of the best books I’ve read this year.
Disclosure: I received a copy of The Unit from BlueDot Literacy, LLC for review purposes. I am an Amazon associate.
© 2010 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
Wow, this sound so creepy! I’m glad there’s no outright violence in it — I think stuff like that makes a story even more creepy than having it all out there on the page.
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It is creepy when you really think about it. And none of the procedures they are forced to undergo are shown other than to say they occurred and their effects.
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Ahhg, this has been on my tbr for too long. I need to read it… now!
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Definitely!
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It’s one of my absolute favorite dystopian novels. The questions that it raised while I read it several months ago are still with me.
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I haven’t read too many dystopian novels, but I’m sure this one will remain a favorite as I read more.
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This one has intrigued me since I first saw it. I’m not much of a dystopian reader but I think I really need to give this one a shot.
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This was different than other dystopian novels for me in that I could imagine a world like this. There aren’t major upheavals, just laws that are passed to allow it to happen. Life goes on otherwise. That’s why it’s so scary and can appeal to people who don’t usually read these kinds of books.
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This is a novel I’ll have to borrow from you. I’ve heard such great things about it.
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Definitely! Just let me know when you want it.
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I was 50 when I read this, so imagine how I felt! I think people didn’t fight because they didn’t really know what to expect in the unit and were treated so well when they first got there.
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You’re probably right. It does seem like an ideal place to live when they’re not undergoing procedures.
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It sounds scary, mostly because the characters accept that scenario so willingly.
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I wonder if there were people who resisted. I read this several months ago, and it’s stuck with me. I’m thinking since it’s told from the point of view of one person, she wouldn’t know about the people who came before her, whether anyone fought back and what happened to him or her. That’s the thing with the first person POV; it gives you an in-depth look on the one hand, but it’s very limited on the other.
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Ack, typically, so checked the library and they do have the Swedish book, but not in my city, and they even had an e-book, but no wont go there. I could always have them get it from another city, hm.
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I have the same problem sometimes, but I’m always thankful for interlibrary loans!
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Oh this has been sitting in my tbr pile for ages and even back when I first got it I thought it sounded so good. I really need to dig it out and read it. Could be dangerous though as it’s at the very bottom of a pile of books. lol.
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I bet it’s a really tall pile, too. LOL Hope you make time to read it soon.
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This somewhat reminds me of that 2005 movie The Island.
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I don’t recall seeing that movie. I’ll have to check it out.
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Sounds so good. I’ve actually had this one since it came out but am just waiting for the right time to read it. You know how that is sometimes.
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I certainly do. Hope you’re in the mood to read it soon, because it’s really good!
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Oh I really really want to read this! Great review!
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Thanks! Hope you get your hands on a copy soon.
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At first read, I thought this would be one that I would not be able to get into at all. But I’ve read quite a few positive reviews about this one and maybe I’ll have to read it to see what I think!
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I think you’d give it a try. It seems like a book you’d enjoy, though that’s probably not the right word in this case. 😉
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“Chilling” is definitely a great word to describe this book. I thought it was disturbing, yet very good, as well!
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I’m glad to hear you liked it. I’m always looking for disturbing books, though not sure what that says about me. 😉
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Oh, I really want to read this!
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You really should! 🙂
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Very interesting. At least they knew what they were up against. In the movie Soylent Green, no one had any idea what happened to the older people.
I won’t say what happens, in case you want to see it.
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I’ll have to check it out. Haven’t heard of it, so thanks for the recommendation!
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I read this book last August and really liked it as well. The scary thing is that something like this could happen if we let it.
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I definitely can envision such a world and that in itself is scary. Glad you liked the book, too.
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I’ve read reviews of this one before but none of them gave me chills likes yours did. Eeeek! I added it to my Goodreads TBR list though 🙂
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Glad to see you added it to your TBR. At first I was afraid I’d scared you away from the book! 😉
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Chilling is definitely a word I’d use to describe this book! You’re right that the scary part is the citizens WILLINGLY go there…
Here’s my review:
http://mentalfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/02/book-review-unit-by-ninni-holmqvist.html
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Going to check out your review right now…
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