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The Unit
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Check link for latest rating. ( 12,327 ratings, 1,723 reviews)
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The Unit
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This book will appeal to readers interested in speculative fiction with a thoughtful, unsettling exploration of societal values, individual worth and personal sacrifice. Fans of dystopian narratives and literary fiction with a psychological edge will find it compelling.
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A chilling and gripping dystopian novel set in near-future Sweden
In paradise, nobody can hear you scream
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Single, childless, fifty and deemed economically worthless, Dorrit leaves behind her married lover, her beloved dog and her ramshackle house and joins the residents of the Second Reserve Bank Unit for biological material. She is resigned to making her contribution to society by giving herself, organ by organ, to the necessary population outside the Unit.
Despite constant surveillance and the regular disappearance of inmates making their final donation, Dorrit and her new friends eat well, sleep well, keep fit, play hard and even make love. Their fears are deadened by the luxury of their surroundings, their newfound companionship, the atmosphere of calm, and their freedom from financial worries.
Is it possible that against all the odds, real happiness can exist in the Unit? When something truly extraordinary happens to Dorrit, highlighting the grotesque reality of her situation, she faces the hardest decision of her life. Will she exchange one nightmare for another?
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
‘A haunting, deadpan tale set vaguely in the Scandinavian future… Holmqvist’s spare prose interweaves the Unit’s pleasures and cruelties with exquisite matter-of-factness. Readers actually begin to wonder…is life better as a pampered lab bunny or as a lonely indigent? But then [Holmqvist] turns the screw, presenting a set of events so miraculous and abominable that they literally made me gasp.’ – Washington Post
‘I liked The Unit very much... I know you will be riveted, as I was.’ – Margaret Atwood
‘The message is bold if not on the nose: If you don’t fall into a classic nuclear family, then your value as a human are the spare parts you can give those who do contribute to traditional family structures. Holmqvist’s writing is clear and precise; the clinical tone adds to the book’s eeriness.’
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781780747217
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 05 April 2018
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Oneworld Publications
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 20.0mm
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 272
About the Author
Ninni Holmqvist lives in Skane, Sweden. She is the author of three short-story collections, including Kostym (Suit), and two novels. She also works as a translator.
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