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A review by christajls
The Office of Mercy by Ariel Djanikian
4.0
This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic
Though I often lament that I am suffering from extreme dystopia burn out (and I am) I still can’t resist those titles that sound reminiscent of the parents of the genre. The ones that made me fall in love with it in the first place. And when Viking suggested this title for fans of Margaret Atwood and Kazuo Ishiguro there was no way I could say no.
The Office of Mercy takes place in the distant future, where society as we know it has shifted into a high tech, ultra evolved civilization that basically lives inside a bubble. Not a figurative bubble. And actual bubble. But with tunnels and stuff. More like a hamster maze than a bubble. But rather than describe this book as “dystopian” it swings more toward the “utopian” side of the spectrum. We’ve made huge advances in health, science and tech. Overall things don’t look too bad.
The problem, however, is that not everyone lives inside the hamster maze. There are “tribes” of people who still live out in the Wilderness. And because the people of America Five (the bubble) consider themselves so advanced, they also think they know what’s best for those outside the walls. And what’s best, in their opinion, is the complete genocide of the Tribes. Why? Because they are obviously suffering (what with their sickness, and unpredictable weather and death –out there and it would be cruel not to put an end to that suffering. Oh and they carry out this genocide without any warning (does that make it better or worse? I’m still undecided.) They justify this by teaching their citizens:
“For if the Tribes ever did suspect that people like themselves were being systematically wiped from existence, they would feel dread, and dread was a particularly terrible form of suffering, worse even, as some had argued during the debates of Year 121 Post-Storm, than purely physical pain.”
As the novel continues our heroine – Natasha – begins to doubt this policy. She’s always been interested in the Tribes but it’s not until her first outing beyond the Walls that her beliefs are really called into question. She comes across a dog and she’s unable to separate this living thing in front of her from the more abstract ideas she’s always been taught.
I found this novel really interesting because Natasha doesn’t start out as a nay sayer or a rebel. She doesn’t have the same knee jerk reaction that most of us would have while reading this novel. She changes over time as outside influences come into being and we get to watch her transformation and the issues she begins to question at each step.
The Office of Mercy calls into question the nature of mercy itself as well as the question “what makes a meaningful life?” Is their life in America Five more valuable or more meaningful because of their scientific advancement? Or is it better to be a part of the Tribes and have more deep and meaningful connections with your fellow men and women? I don’t have a perfect answer but The Office of Mercy definitely got me thinking.
Though I loved almost everything about this book, I had a few issues with the writing style. At times it felt a bit cold and clinical – and maybe that was on purpose to mimic life within America Five but it always kept the story at arm’s length for me. I was never particularly moved by what was going on and I had a hard time bonding with Natasha. It all just felt so distant. It’s still an incredibly interesting book just not as emotional as it probably could have been.
Recommedation: I’m really happy I read this book. It’s a complex book that raises some complex questions. It’s not the most beautifully written but it is really interesting and very compelling. Recommended for fans of 1984 and Logan’s Run.
Though I often lament that I am suffering from extreme dystopia burn out (and I am) I still can’t resist those titles that sound reminiscent of the parents of the genre. The ones that made me fall in love with it in the first place. And when Viking suggested this title for fans of Margaret Atwood and Kazuo Ishiguro there was no way I could say no.
The Office of Mercy takes place in the distant future, where society as we know it has shifted into a high tech, ultra evolved civilization that basically lives inside a bubble. Not a figurative bubble. And actual bubble. But with tunnels and stuff. More like a hamster maze than a bubble. But rather than describe this book as “dystopian” it swings more toward the “utopian” side of the spectrum. We’ve made huge advances in health, science and tech. Overall things don’t look too bad.
The problem, however, is that not everyone lives inside the hamster maze. There are “tribes” of people who still live out in the Wilderness. And because the people of America Five (the bubble) consider themselves so advanced, they also think they know what’s best for those outside the walls. And what’s best, in their opinion, is the complete genocide of the Tribes. Why? Because they are obviously suffering (what with their sickness, and unpredictable weather and death –out there and it would be cruel not to put an end to that suffering. Oh and they carry out this genocide without any warning (does that make it better or worse? I’m still undecided.) They justify this by teaching their citizens:
“For if the Tribes ever did suspect that people like themselves were being systematically wiped from existence, they would feel dread, and dread was a particularly terrible form of suffering, worse even, as some had argued during the debates of Year 121 Post-Storm, than purely physical pain.”
As the novel continues our heroine – Natasha – begins to doubt this policy. She’s always been interested in the Tribes but it’s not until her first outing beyond the Walls that her beliefs are really called into question. She comes across a dog and she’s unable to separate this living thing in front of her from the more abstract ideas she’s always been taught.
I found this novel really interesting because Natasha doesn’t start out as a nay sayer or a rebel. She doesn’t have the same knee jerk reaction that most of us would have while reading this novel. She changes over time as outside influences come into being and we get to watch her transformation and the issues she begins to question at each step.
The Office of Mercy calls into question the nature of mercy itself as well as the question “what makes a meaningful life?” Is their life in America Five more valuable or more meaningful because of their scientific advancement? Or is it better to be a part of the Tribes and have more deep and meaningful connections with your fellow men and women? I don’t have a perfect answer but The Office of Mercy definitely got me thinking.
Though I loved almost everything about this book, I had a few issues with the writing style. At times it felt a bit cold and clinical – and maybe that was on purpose to mimic life within America Five but it always kept the story at arm’s length for me. I was never particularly moved by what was going on and I had a hard time bonding with Natasha. It all just felt so distant. It’s still an incredibly interesting book just not as emotional as it probably could have been.
Recommedation: I’m really happy I read this book. It’s a complex book that raises some complex questions. It’s not the most beautifully written but it is really interesting and very compelling. Recommended for fans of 1984 and Logan’s Run.