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“Those Impressionists,” she said, “they certainly knew about color. And about light and shade. Different kinds of shade: thinner shadows that let the light through, and heavier, denser ones. And it’s as if Monet made this garden to show the world how he saw colors. How he saw their power, their potential, and their purpose. I think he wanted to show that the world is color. That life itself is color. That if we can just see the colors, really see them, life will be beautiful. And meaningful. Because beauty has a value of its own, that’’s how I see it anyway.” – p. 37
“People who read books,’ he went on, “tend to be dispensable. Extremely.” – p. 48
Useful or dispensable? A life of choice or no choice? And what if your own choices led you to have to give of your own body to the ‘needed’ until your ‘final donation’?
I love dystopian fiction, and this book was no exception. It reminded me quite a bit of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, so if you enjoyed that book, you’ll probably like this one as well. Reading books like this is always a reminder of the ways society could go horribly wrong, and sadly, I wouldn’t be surprised if parts of the book actually do come to pass someday.
Dorrit, age 50, has reached an age where she is now considered dispensable because she has no children or parents to take care of and because she is a writer, which is considered an unessential occupation. The dispensables in The Unit are provided for in every way, a nice apartment, exercise facilities, and entertainment venues, etc. Except that they are monitored 24/7, and of course, they may never leave The Unit. Dorrit makes great friends here, and in some ways her life is better than when she was on the outside, but, obviously, her life and her body are not her own. She is essentially a commodity of the State.
The book raises some excellent ethical questions. Is a person’s life itself precious and valuable, or is it only what they can contribute to society that is deemed worthwhile? My view will always be the former.
How obtained: I checked this book out from my local library.
2006 (Swedish), 2009 for the English translation; 268 pp.
Other reviews:
- She Treads Softly
- At Home with Books
- Shelf Love
- Bookfoolery and Babble
- Devourer of Books
- Cheryl’s Book Nook
- So Many Precious Books, So Little Time
- Lit*chick
- Literary License
I’ve seen this book make the rounds and everyone seems to enjoy it. Definitely a book I will have to keep in mind next time I hit the library
I’ve seen a ton of reviews for this one, but I hadn’t really been intrigued by it until your review, and now it’s on the TBR list.
Thanks!
Nice review, I’ve seen this book around lately and might need to add it to my list.
Alayne
thecrowdedleaf.wordpress.com
I’ve read some great reviews on this book. Thanks for the review. I definitely have to move this book up the TBR list. Thanks!
I really, really enjoyed this one, and the comparisons I saw others make led me to “Never Let Me Go” which I also REALLY liked.
Wow, I’ve never heard of this book but it sounds so interesting and I really love Swedish novels too. Thanks for the review.
It really was a good book, wasn’t it, and it raised some very interesting questions.
Great review! I’ve had this recommended to me after I read Never let Me go. I’ll certainly be reading it at some point!
I haven’t read this one, but this does sound really good!
Great review Michelle! Thanks so much for the link. I’m glad you liked it too.
Love this review. Thanks for the link too.
I received a review copy of this book and thought it was one of the best books I ever read. I gave it 6 stars (out of 5!)
It just really got me thinking about what life would be like in that kind of society.
It reminded me of Never Let me Go – only The Unit is a hundred times better!
I recently read Never Let Me Go, so I’m even more excited to read The Unit now. I’m going to read this book for lit*chick’s interview on That’s How I Blog, since that’s the book she picked for the 20 minute book club.
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