Book Description
One day in early spring, Dorrit Weger is checked into the Second Reserve Bank Unit for biological material. She is promised a nicely furnished apartment inside the Unit, where she will make new friends, enjoy the state of the art recreation facilities, and live the few remaining days of her life in comfort with people who are just like her. Here, women over the age of fifty and men over sixty–single, childless, and without jobs in progressive industries–are sequestered for their final few years; they are considered outsiders. In the Unit they are expected to contribute themselves for drug and psychological testing, and ultimately donate their organs, little by little, until the final donation. Despite the ruthless nature of this practice, the ethos of this near-future society and the Unit is to take care of others, and Dorrit finds herself living under very pleasant conditions: well-housed, well-fed, and well-attended. She is resigned to her fate and discovers her days there to be rather consoling and peaceful. But when she meets a man inside the Unit and falls in love, the extraordinary becomes a reality and life suddenly turns unbearable. Dorrit is faced with compliance or escape, and…well, then what?
The Unit is a gripping exploration of a society in the throes of an experiment, in which the “dispensable” ones are convinced under gentle coercion of the importance of sacrificing for the “necessary” ones. Ninni Holmqvist has created a debut novel of humor, sorrow, and rage about love, the close bonds of friendship, and about a cynical, utilitarian way of thinking disguised as care.
A Q&A with Ninni Holmqvist
Question: The Unit is not set in the present, but its echoes of present-day issues are clear and ominous. Describe the world of The Unit. Ninni Holmqvist: The Unit is a dystopia set in a near future. It is about people who don’t have any children or anyone else who loves them and need them, and who aren’t useful to the society in any other way either. These people are called “dispensable,” and they are picked up at their homes at a certain age (women at 50, men at 60) and taken to special units (“reservbanksenhet” in Swedish) for biological material, where they are supposed to serve the society through participating in various tests (like animal testing but made on people), but also, eventually, by donating organs to those of the society’s needed citizens—the ones who produce and raise children, the loved ones, the ones who contribute to the economic growth—who are afflicted with severe illnesses and need organs from healthy bodies to survive. Dorrit Weger, who just turned 50, is one of those dispensable. She is a writer, childless, quite poor, and lives alone with her dog. The story begins with her arrival at the unit, an establishment/institution she immediately finds a lot more comfortable and human and loving and beautiful than she ever could have expected. Question: The Unit raises a number of complex—and sometimes disturbing—ethical questions. Do you see the novel as having a central moral theme? Ninni Holmqvist: The book is above all written as a critique of society and the way political leaders today see everything in figures and numbers. But my aim was also to raise questions like: What is freedom? What is human dignity? How do we humans value our selves and each other? But The Unit is also very much a story about love (Dorrit meets the love of her life at the unit, a man called Johannes, and she also, miraculously, gets pregnant) and friendship and loyalty. Question: Who did you write The Unit for? Did you have someone—personally, or in society—that you intended the story for? Ninni Holmqvist: My intention was that it is for everyone. But I guess it might especially appeal to middle-aged single people, childless ones. But also people who are in or are close to other categories of “dispensable” people: disabled people for instance, long time unemployed persons, culture workers. And people who are critical of capitalism and economism. Perhaps also people who don’t mind being provoked. |
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 chilling, thought-provoking, infinitely sad |
| Review Date: July 10, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Opal, Ohio, USA |
| The Unit was my book club's selection for July. We all LOVED this book. The story was so realistic. From the initial description, I was picturing more of a "Logan's Run" futuristic piece, but what I read was a moving psychological story. So engrossing I finished it in two days, but I wanted to read it in one. (If only my family didn't interrupt!) The character's were thoroughly fleshed out and believeable. My only suggestion? Have tissues nearby - it is that touching! |
A fantastic read
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| Review Date: May 17, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Bookphile, USA |
"The Unit" reminded me very much of some of my favorite novels that are built around a chilling but very believable view of the future, such as Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World. I love reading these kinds of books because they really demand that we, as human beings, think about how we treat others and how we treat our world. There is a very slippery slope when deciding what is ethical and what is not, and these books reminds us that what we might find abhorrent could, if perceptions were to alter ever so slightly, could be viewed as not only acceptable, but perfectly humane.
The novel begins with Dorrit Weger entering the unit. As a "dispensable", she will live out the rest of her days as the subject of "humane" experiments and multiple organ donations. The unit is a beautiful place, and the residents there are treated well. Everything is provided to them at no cost, the facilities in which they live are top-notch, and they are able to enjoy luxuries that their outside lives on the fringe may have placed beyond their means.
What Holmqvist really does well in this novel is to provide small, very jarring and shocking details that jolt the reader out of the seductive beauty of the surface appearance of the Unit. The "humane" experiments to which these people are subjected are not without consequence, and what ultimately happens to the residents demands that the reader really think critically about policies that may benefit the greater good at the expense of the rights of the individual. For the most part, the characters in the story complacently go along with the carefully crafted philosophy of democracy because their society is structured in such a way that they are spoon-fed the conviction that it is right. However, there are cracks aplenty when one looks at the surface more carefully.
Ultimately, the novel offers up some tough themes of parental love and the idea of free will versus reality. The choice Dorrit makes is an extremely difficult one, and long after having finished the book, I found myself looking at it from multiple angles in an attempt to determine what I would have done were I in her shoes. The fact that the answer is not at all obvious speaks volumes about the ethical and moral questions that are raised by this book. I thought it was simply superb. |
How to Kill A Good Idea
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| Review Date: May 9, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Jon Craig, Charlottesville, VA USA |
| The Unit takes an interesting premise - the mandatory "harvesting" of dispensable older adults - and puts it on a shelf. Instead of exploring how and why this practice came into being, the author gives us repeated descriptions of the same indoor garden and detailed scenes involving old people on dates and having sex. Perhaps the author is making a point about how this whole thing becomes accepted by everyone involved. The less than sympathetic protagonist seems to enjoy her newly found freedom (she can't leave the unit but the salads are really good) and the only "person" she misses is her dog. I found the book very frustrating - nothing really happens and none of the characters is notably engaging. |
Yes, more please!
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| Review Date: April 26, 2010 |
| Reviewer: maximum verbosity, Ohio USA |
I REALLY enjoyed this book. Like, A LOT. I was a little hesitant because it was in the "sci fi/fantasy" section of the library and that's not my thing, but I love Scandinavian literature so I could resist. And I'm glad I didn't! The basic premise of the book is that society is now divided into groups. Those who are considered essential (parents, people with close ties to family, etc). And those who are not (singles mostly). The government decides who is dispensable (sound familiar to anyone supporting Obamacare? Not so far off). Those who are determined to be dispensable are forced to give up their homes, pets and eventually their lives and live in a beautiful "biosphere" type community where every need and desire is provided. The trade off is the complete lack of privacy and the requirement of submitting to clinical trials, organ and tissue donation until eventually you must make the final donation.
Thrilling and scary because it's one of those things that feels like it could actually happen, no matter how farfetched it seems now. Read it, you'll love it! |
Thought-provoking, and yet . . .
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| Review Date: April 16, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Ellen, California |
I agree with all of the positive things other reviewers have said about this book. It was well written. There was a great sense of atmosphere and the characters and relationships were all well done, with depth and nuance. The story was engaging, disturbing, and thrilling -- a real page-turner. Like others, I couldn't put it down. But . . .
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS**
The author does a good job of showing that valid and positive choices and personality traits can lead a woman to end up single and childless at age 50. It seems like one of the points of the book is that people can be needed and valuable even if they don't pair up or procreate. But then what happens? On her first day in the Unit, the main character meets Prince Charming, then falls in love, is cherished, has perfect sex, and gets pregnant!!! I agree with her friend Elsa on this -- it's infuriating! I don't know exactly what the 'moral' of this story is supposed to be, but this 180-degree shift in personality, circumstances, and perspective seems to diminish rather than strengthen it. |
as gripping as a thriller and more disturbing
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| Review Date: April 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: R.R., Chennai, India |
| I saw this book on some kind of editorial bests list here at amazon and bought it after reading a few reviews. I fully expected a rewarding read but was surprised by how I devoured it. I found it un-put-downable. I wont cover the plot since many reviews have done so already. The conversations in the book between the "needed" and the "dispensible" are scarily real. Have you lived through experiences of attempted brainwashing and the ability of human beings to justify something that seems unarguably wrong? Ths can happen until the exploiters/aggressors truly believe they are justified, and incredibly the situation gains momentum, finding wider acceptance both with those that it wrongs and the exploiters. It happens with cartels, lobbies or with unfair practices in a community or corporation. This book is chilling because it shows an extreme example of such an exploitation build up in a manner that is convincingly real. Many books have a similar premise of a harsh future where a section of mankind finds basic human rights stripped away, but few manage to do it with as much conviction. The author's ingenuity lies in the matter of fact tone of narration that make it more horrifying than a more dramatic style of writing. |
Much enjoyed!
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| Review Date: February 27, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Jenna, Charlotte, NC |
I'm not usually one to pick up a book off the bookstore shelf, without researching it. So I was delighted that this book surpassed all expectations.
The author uses great imagery and descriptive details. I could picture the cold winter rain. Hear the bark of her dog. This book has sparked my interest in Dystopian Fiction. I've never read a book twice, however, I may revisit this one.
The message delivered by this book remains with me. When are we ultimately classified as disposable? |
An Economic Critique
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| Review Date: February 4, 2010 |
| Reviewer: M. Reddick, Knoxville, TN United States |
| The Unit is a critique of productivity, cost, and economics devoid of humanity. It is a contrast between economic purpose and human meaning where rational productivity reaches its unfeeling conclusion - the Unit. The book might be more aptly titled the Community as the Unit becomes a window into that larger world as well as a window into the human soul. The book is a book of ironic contrasts: reason and emotion, productivity and art, gender equality and relationships, freedom and captivity, life and death. The contrasts are ironic because the Unit, a place of death, is the place of life, and the Community, the place of life, is the place of death. The Unit stands as a dire warning against inhumane economics. One is left with the conclusion that real humanity out in the Community is only a dream. |
Haunting novel
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| Review Date: January 18, 2010 |
| Reviewer: J. Jackson-Forsberg, Buffalo, NY |
| Having just finished this novel, I find myself wanting to think and talk about it with others...one of the marks of a good novel, I would say. The Unit is a provocative novel, both intellectually and emotionally. On an intellectual level, the novel explores the question of what it means to be needed in society and what the meaning of life is for the individual. On an emotional level, the novel explores friendship and love in the time and space wherein the characters are healthy and happy, yet their purpose is defined by their foreknowledge of imminent death. In a future not entirely distinguishable from our present, the novel is set in a time when being needed by society -- producing children and being productive in certain (read non-artistic) occupations -- is more valued than individual self-actualization or chosen isolation. Those individuals who have not produced are "dispensable" after child-bearing age is past and are reduced to commodities within "the unit" where they undergo medical experiments and ultimately give their organs to people who are "needed." I highly recommend this novel. |
Disturbing look at a possible future
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| Review Date: January 14, 2010 |
| Reviewer: D. Suzuki, Newark, CA |
This book freaked me out because it was one of those I can almost believe it could really happen sort of societies. It makes me wonder if one day our society could reach the point where we are so desperate for organ donors and so focused on productivity that we could basically sentence people to death just because they are older and have no children. It was amazing watching this group of people come to terms with their new life in The Unit. Some seem to almost enjoy the life they live here despite the looming weight of the 'final donation'. Others are resigned and for some it doesn't really sink in until they lose someone they are close to.
This book will keep you engrossed as you keep turning the pages waiting to find out what is going to happen in the end. Will Dorrit find a way to escape and fully enjoy her new love or is their love doomed? The ending left me feeling disturbed and this book is definitely one that will stick with you.
If you enjoyed this book you might want to check out Unwind by Neal Shusterman. In his book unwanted teenagers are "unwound" to use them as organ donors. |
Disturbing possibilities of our society's future arise
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| Review Date: January 4, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Kay Elizabeth, |
The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist is a Dystopian book. Be prepared for a novel that seeps silently into your psyche and gives you the chills. This is one unusual and absorbing story that is not easily forgotten.
Dorrit Weger lives in a future society where if you're a woman that's not considered to be the cream of the crop, neither holding down an important job nor needed by anyone, you're considered of little value after you reach your fiftieth birthday. You become a "dispensable". (For males, it's sixty).
After your birthday, you leave your home and live out the remainder of your days sequestered in an institution known as The Second Reserve Bank Unit. Dorrit fulfills the criteria of a "dispensable". Being both childless and a writer with no-one counting on her means her participation in the program. The story begins with Dorrit's arrival at The Unit.
The apartments within The Unit are beautiful. The inhabitants have all kinds of free entertainment and activities at their disposal - pools, parties, indoor gardens, gyms, restaurants to name a few. The distractions are diverse and designed to suit varied and creative tastes but the underlying reason for their presence in The Unit is universal. The "dispensables" are there for a dual purpose: 1) to supply those on the outside with much needed organs and 2) to participate in scientific and psychological testing.
There's no denying that The Unit is a very comfortable, relaxed and loving environment. Life there is akin to incarceration nonetheless. No one can ever leave The Unit once they arrive. The unswerving eyes of security cameras constantly monitor their movements. This continues until the individuals gradually become so debilitated that they are quietly removed to make their final donation. To put it bluntly, classification as a dispensable ultimately determines whether you live or die at a relatively young age and sacrifice yourself, bit by bit, for those deemed essential.
What is most disturbing about The Unit is how easily a reader can see this Dystopian setting evolving in the not so distant future. In this 272 page book, The Unit is accepted as the norm. It's how the world works. Dorrit accepts, albeit a touch grudgingly, that this is what happens. She gradually settles into a kind of acceptance of this lifestyle and her fate. After all, the place is the most comfortable she's ever lived in, the people are friendly, she can take up any activity she wishes, and has no responsibilities nor schedule apart from turning up for the research programs she's involved in.
The spanner in the works occurs when Dorrit falls in love with Johannes and the reality of The Unit's cloistered, monitored existence, the inevitability of her demise and lack of personal freedom all hit home. Dorrit watches close friends disappear one by one and knows she has a decision to make: cooperation or escape.
I have never read such an unusual paperback as The Unit before. This is no horror-fest nor is it set in an unimaginable futuristic landscape. Stealthy is how I'd describe the way the story reveals itself. Hidden in amongst the perceived normality of The Unit's pages is another side of this book. The words appear to bury themselves into your subconscious as you read.
By the end, I had came to a gradual conclusion: The Unit holds a stern yet loving lesson for us all. It illustrates what happens when respect for and understanding of dignity and individuality aren't held in high regard by a society. Like oracles of old, Ninni Holmqvist subtly forewarns us with this exquisite novel of the perilous path we're treading in our own universe.
Laced with occasional humor and touching displays of love and friendship, The Unit isn't doom and gloom. The novel does have its lighter moments in amongst the dark undercurrent. The deeper you get into this novel however, the more aware you become of how much modern day society values money over people. I found it impossible to shake that recurring thought. In The Unit's world a person's value is determined not by who they are but an unnamed bureaucratic perception of their societal worth. The decision on their classification as "dispensable" or not rests on that alone.
For all of its complexities, The Unit is a compelling but not difficult read. This book shouldn't be rushed. It's a story to be savored and mulled over. Holmqvist does an admirable job creating a believable, futuristic scenario that feels so real you could imagine it happening.
What's so eerily disturbing about The Unit is the ordinariness and acceptance of the institution's place in the grand scheme of things by the populace. This is so well written by Holmqvist that the concept doesn't feel far fetched at all. The Unit feels more like a premonition of ominous times ahead than a fantasy that would never be.
Author Ninni Holmqvist, who resides in Sweden, has captivated me with this mesmerizing debut novel. I sincerely hope it won't be her last.
Kay Elizabeth,
Editor/Owner,
The Cuckleburr Times. |
Rather disturbing commentary, yet good
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| Review Date: January 2, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Christina Powell, Wilkes-Barre, PA |
I'm not a huge fan of novels which paint portraits of differences in society's "haves" and "have-nots". However, I was drawn to the uniqueness of this story. The preoccupation of newer forms of medical testing and the need for subjects is an interesting concept and was explored in a superb way by the author.
I found this novel to be a rather disturbing commentary on society's preoccupation with what are considered to be desirable qualities within individuals. However, the author throws caution to the wind and rubs the face of the reader with the obvious ways that we unconsciously separate ourselves into enclaves that force others into feeling unwanted, or less desirable. Perhaps continuing to do this will create such a society as what is chronicled in this novel.
The novel was a page-turner as the plot came together in surprising twists. As I tried to predict what the main character would do as she was torn in several directions, it was impossible. Moral decisions are often hard to understand or predict unless one walks a mile in another person's shoes - I suppose that is one of the points of this novel.
Highly recommend. |
A stunning ending......
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| Review Date: November 24, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Jodi, Georgia |
The plot of this book intrigued me, as I am a big fan of dystopian novels, but I was honestly thinking I would be able to accurately predict the ending. I had one of three possibilities in my head and, up until the very end, it looked like one of my theories was correct. Then a sudden shift in the plot rendered my theory wrong and left me stunned at what had just happened.
This book is very well written and the characters are lively and entertaining. The plot is typical (and by that I mean "dismal") of a dystopian story, yet it is creative and fresh and well thought out. The characters in the Unit are basically considered to be useless and no longer able to meaningfully contribute to society, so they are collected up and housed in the Unit until their internal organs are required by one of the "Needed Ones" out in society. To a normal person, this would seem absurd, but the people in the Unit have grown up knowing this would happen if they, the residents, didn't somehow turn out to be needed by society themselves. To prevent further burdens on society, the people in the Unit become needed in a totally different, totally creepy way....by donating their organs little by little, until the Final Donation. The residents in the Unit are treated with dignity and respect, are well fed and well cared for, and have come to accept their lot in life.
Until one day a completely unexpected miracle happens.
But are all miracles good??????
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories like "We" (Evgenij Zamyatin), "Brave New World" (Aldous Huxley's version of Zamyatin's "We"), and Orwell's "1984". This book will definitely not disappoint. Now keep in mind this is a dystopian novel, so don't hold your breath for a happy ending.
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Great addition to dystopian fiction
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| Review Date: November 18, 2009 |
| Reviewer: 1morechapter.com, Omaha, NE |
"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. |
Fascinating and imaginative
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| Review Date: October 28, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Tiza, ME |
| Others have given the plot so I will just add that I found this book to be one I couldn't put down. I found it well written and the plot different, very different and fascinating. It probably isn't for everyone but I have recommended it to several friends as I wanted to have someone to discuss it with. I've never read anything like it- frightening that perhaps the way our society is going that it could happen here or in Europe. It is not always a comfortable read but good. |
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The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist is an intriguing insight into a world where dispensable people must give themselves over to medical science for the good of society.
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Sounds intriguing, I might just have to check it out!
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