What do you think?
Rate this book
The Unbinding: A Novel
Before AidSat I had no self, no soul. I was a billing address. A credit score. I had a TV, a computer, a phone, a car, an apartment, some furniture, and a health-club locker. Then AidSat hired me and gave me a life. And not just one life. Hundreds of them, thousands.
Kent Selkirk is an operator at AidSat, an omni-present subscriber service ready to answer, solve, and assist with the client’s every problem. Through the AidSat network Kent has a wealth of information at his fingertips–information he can use to monitor subscribers’ vital signs, information he can use to track their locations, information he can use to insinuate himself into their very lives.
Kent Selkirk is an operator at AidSat, an omni-present subscriber service ready to answer, solve, and assist with the client’s every problem. Through the AidSat network Kent has a wealth of information at his fingertips–information he can use to monitor subscribers’ vital signs, information he can use to track their locations, information he can use to insinuate himself into their very lives.
178 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Walter Kirn
44 books244 followersWalter Kirn is a regular reviewer for The New York Times Book Review, and his work appears in The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, Time, New York, GQ and Esquire. He is the author of six previous works of fiction: My Hard Bargain: Stories, She Needed Me, Thumbsucker, Up in the Air, Mission to America and The Unbinding. Kirn is a graduate of Princeton University and attended Oxford on a scholarship from the Keasby Foundation. "
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
November 6, 2015
Based on two quite decent film adaptations of Kirn's work, I was hoping the unfavorable reviews of this one were merely overly critical, but no, this book lived up to all of them and then some. The Unbinding, although charitably brief, was a sort of experimental mess of a profoundly unlikeable unsympathetic main character's adventures in identity. It wasn't utterly terrible and it even had some cleverness to it, multiple perspectives, multiple personalities, social media satire and so on, but the general impression was that of a stylized stream of consciousness nonsense that just didn't have much to offer. Took just over two hours to get through and wasn't worth the time. And yet, it seems like the sort of thing someone out there would just love, a strange acquired taste like spaghetti and marshmallows or something. Yeah, that sounds like an experimental mess too.
April 13, 2014
What was with Tom Cruise?
August 25, 2008
I vacillate between two and three stars on this one.
I found this story of super-high technology and psychosis interplay(with a heavy dose of paranoia mixed in) rather compelling, although it ultimately left me feeling stranded and confused (maybe not an inappropriate reaction at all, given the subject matter).
The whole thing had me thinking "well, this is what you get when you put modern technology in the hands of the wrong individuals". Unfortunately, it also has me thinking that we're all potentially the wrong individuals.
Each one of us laboring, creating our own delusions of ourselves and the world around us, and rapidly gaining access to make those of our choosing an active part of our own personal plot.
The mindf*** potential here is overwhelming (as the book clearly illustrates).
I found this story of super-high technology and psychosis interplay(with a heavy dose of paranoia mixed in) rather compelling, although it ultimately left me feeling stranded and confused (maybe not an inappropriate reaction at all, given the subject matter).
The whole thing had me thinking "well, this is what you get when you put modern technology in the hands of the wrong individuals". Unfortunately, it also has me thinking that we're all potentially the wrong individuals.
Each one of us laboring, creating our own delusions of ourselves and the world around us, and rapidly gaining access to make those of our choosing an active part of our own personal plot.
The mindf*** potential here is overwhelming (as the book clearly illustrates).
August 22, 2018
Začiatok bol zaujímavý, no musela som sa donútiť to dočítať... Mix ľudských osudov, ktorých má na starosti operátor a dohliada na nich cez akési náramky monitorujúce životné funkcie, polohu, komunikujú cez ne (niektorých zachránil, iných nie). A nie je to až taký dobrý človek, ako by som tipovala. Využíva znalosti z práce, aby si našiel ženu, čo ho zaujala a pripomína to skôr stalkera, ako úprimný záujem.
July 13, 2020
A prescient tale of modern life.
Long before the tech giants we all know today, there was AidSat. The Unbinding told our future as mere products in an interconnected web of for profit manipulation and data mining.
This fast moving tale hit all the points of our increasingly tenuous tie to the real world and perfectly described the calculated existence of the online and ever present digital mirage we live with now. Walter Kirn just saw it coming years ahead.
Long before the tech giants we all know today, there was AidSat. The Unbinding told our future as mere products in an interconnected web of for profit manipulation and data mining.
This fast moving tale hit all the points of our increasingly tenuous tie to the real world and perfectly described the calculated existence of the online and ever present digital mirage we live with now. Walter Kirn just saw it coming years ahead.
December 28, 2008
This book was crazy. It made very little sense. It was mostly confusing.
On the good side it was short and some parts were interesting. I liked the spy aspect to it but that was also a confusing part too.
On the good side it was short and some parts were interesting. I liked the spy aspect to it but that was also a confusing part too.
August 30, 2007
The best thing I can say about it is that it's relatively short.
September 18, 2007
Unsympathetic, amoral characters with no interesting personality traits.
July 27, 2009
There are so tremendous cultural insights that show up as nuggets. The style reminds me of Bret Easton Ellis' Lunar Park part Douglas Coupland circa Girlfriend in a Coma.
July 4, 2011
I've tried to read this book a few times, and am finally giving up.
June 16, 2022
Followed up the book of short stories with this one. Had some fun lines in it but overall not my taste. I can tell I like the author though. As other reviews likely indicate this was initially a serial in an on-line magazine where one would read chapters as they became available. One could could also click on links throughout the story. In book form it did not not translate for me. Book was short and I was happy to get through it.
January 23, 2021
One of the dumbest, most disappointing books I’ve ever read. The author obviously thought he was writing the greatest piece of literature ever and the arrogance bleeds through into every character and narrative. Im about to throw this thing into the recycling bin cus I don’t want anyone to make the same mistake I did in thinking this would be fun to read.
August 7, 2018
second time around. still weird and still great.
January 19, 2021
Weird in a very specific, committed way. There were many sentences I appreciated, but I would not recommend this to anyone I can think of.
March 4, 2023
This is such an underrated book. I'm so glad I read it despite all the negative reviews. If you're looking for an unconventional, satirical, and kind of a tech-turn-off read, this is it.
September 27, 2024
First, I think this is best understood in the context of its time. This was published week-by-week online, which allowed the author to include commentary about ongoing and then-current events, but reading this NOW 17 years later, the references and commentary on celebrities serve less as a biting/witty criticism and more as an irritation, knowing that you have missed the joke and the reference over and over again. And when I would go and research the references, I'd more often than not react with "oh okay" rather than anything else . I think this added to the overall frustration.
The story itself is convoluted (which is NOT a bad thing) but it can make for a nauseating reading experience at times. While, I'm not too sure where to place this, I know that I did NOT appreciate Kirn's overly self-conscious + witty writing style (which it seems to permeate every character in this universe and their own writings). I definitely think I'm missing something with the larger image of the book, however, I can't help but wonder if my feeling that way comes from being born in the midst of this very digital era.
One last thing: while this is not supposed to be a novel where you like or relate to the characters, (in fact, the themes of alienation seem to become quite meta here), I found myself pushed more towards that "I don't care" end of the spectrum that affected my entire reading experience . Whatever. Still funny that people know Tom Cruise is a nut.
Whatever / / / / / / w / h / a / t / e / v / e / r /
The story itself is convoluted (which is NOT a bad thing) but it can make for a nauseating reading experience at times. While, I'm not too sure where to place this, I know that I did NOT appreciate Kirn's overly self-conscious + witty writing style (which it seems to permeate every character in this universe and their own writings). I definitely think I'm missing something with the larger image of the book, however, I can't help but wonder if my feeling that way comes from being born in the midst of this very digital era.
One last thing: while this is not supposed to be a novel where you like or relate to the characters, (in fact, the themes of alienation seem to become quite meta here), I found myself pushed more towards that "I don't care" end of the spectrum that affected my entire reading experience . Whatever. Still funny that people know Tom Cruise is a nut.
Whatever / / / / / / w / h / a / t / e / v / e / r /
August 27, 2007
I'm still technically reading this book. (As in, I haven't finished it yet, not that I'm actively reading it.) But I don't like it. I'm going to finish it, for two reasons: 1) I will not be bested by a book; and 2) it's like 35 pages long. Seriously, if I ever just pick it back up, I'll finish it and then I can hate it, qualm-free.
Here's the thing: it's a book that was initially published online, in installments. If you read it when it came out, you followed all of these links in the text to webpages that acted not like footnotes, but like thousands of (often jarring) minijokes and assisted the tone. But it's really been an awful experience for me. You can't get swept away in a book if you have to hover over the webpage (provided for those who purchased the bound book) clicking the appropriate links. Oh, and did I mention that about a third of the links are defunct?
P.S. whoever writes blurbs for the backs of novels: disliking authority is not enough to make a writer Orwellian.
I have to stop now; I'm talking myself out of finishing the book.
edited to add: Screw this, I got like 15 books for Christmas that I WANT to read. I'm finished pretending that I'm going to go back to this one.
Here's the thing: it's a book that was initially published online, in installments. If you read it when it came out, you followed all of these links in the text to webpages that acted not like footnotes, but like thousands of (often jarring) minijokes and assisted the tone. But it's really been an awful experience for me. You can't get swept away in a book if you have to hover over the webpage (provided for those who purchased the bound book) clicking the appropriate links. Oh, and did I mention that about a third of the links are defunct?
P.S. whoever writes blurbs for the backs of novels: disliking authority is not enough to make a writer Orwellian.
I have to stop now; I'm talking myself out of finishing the book.
edited to add: Screw this, I got like 15 books for Christmas that I WANT to read. I'm finished pretending that I'm going to go back to this one.
February 13, 2008
This novella was okay. I like the structure and "flow" of each chapter. Originally for the web (I think Slate), the author of Thumbsucker delves into a not-too-distant future scenario of a society well entrenched in the information age, where background checks replace rumors and speculation, surveillance is more a formality than a sign of mistrust, and the term "blind date" loses all meaning.
When originally published online, it was chock-full of links for further reading which allowed for more interactivity on the part of the reader. In its book form, you lose that, but the publisher does provide a website you can visit to see what the boldfaced words in the text are all about. I didn't do this since I primarily read during my morning and evening commutes, but it's still an interesting feature for a book.
When originally published online, it was chock-full of links for further reading which allowed for more interactivity on the part of the reader. In its book form, you lose that, but the publisher does provide a website you can visit to see what the boldfaced words in the text are all about. I didn't do this since I primarily read during my morning and evening commutes, but it's still an interesting feature for a book.
July 27, 2009
"But that's my impression whenever I ask my colleagues for helpful tidbits on clients I'd like to bang."
"'Forget the White House. Forget the Capitol. If somebody wants to kick us in the balls, he should attack the Library of Congress."'
"Her smile was like the flap on a white envelope: that clean, that even, and that wide."
"When you finally let someone in, completely, wholly, it's nice to know that he has insides, too."
"They merely said, 'Follow us,' and my friend did. Out of the building and into a parked car that carried him down the driveway and through the gates and off to wherever they keep the things I love once it has been determined that I can't have them."
"Quick. But meaningless. Wit can be adrenal."
"'Forget the White House. Forget the Capitol. If somebody wants to kick us in the balls, he should attack the Library of Congress."'
"Her smile was like the flap on a white envelope: that clean, that even, and that wide."
"When you finally let someone in, completely, wholly, it's nice to know that he has insides, too."
"They merely said, 'Follow us,' and my friend did. Out of the building and into a parked car that carried him down the driveway and through the gates and off to wherever they keep the things I love once it has been determined that I can't have them."
"Quick. But meaningless. Wit can be adrenal."
November 28, 2011
Really disconcerting book. The main character is fairly sociopathic, yet is strangely sympathetic (?) (probably lending to the disconcertion). It takes place in a near future where everything is monitored electronically. The main character's job as one of these monitors dominates the book. I've heard this described as "Orwellian" but thats really wrong. Its too corporate-friendly, or suspicious-internet-person-friendly to be Orwellian. The story is told through internet posts, emails, letters, and that sort of thing, which was both interesting and confusing. A lot of this book was confusing, but I think it was meant to be that way.
Disconcerting, confusing, interesting but not engrossing, seriously weirded me out.
Thanks IHS for another really weird book.
Disconcerting, confusing, interesting but not engrossing, seriously weirded me out.
Thanks IHS for another really weird book.
May 22, 2008
ok i've only read 4 pages of this book and i'm already hooked...
------------------------------
too bad the above review did not last...got very confusing towards the end, lost some of the plot and too many random references...but still interesting as a concept
------------------------------
too bad the above review did not last...got very confusing towards the end, lost some of the plot and too many random references...but still interesting as a concept
July 22, 2009
There's no story here. Or rather, what there is storywise amounts to an argument over the internet. Not precisely the stuff that stirs the soul.
Kirn has some worthwhile insights and satirical points. Not worthwhile enough to read this short book to glean, but, you know, theoretically worthwhile
Kirn has some worthwhile insights and satirical points. Not worthwhile enough to read this short book to glean, but, you know, theoretically worthwhile
January 11, 2008
OK so I didn't read it all... it bored me. Don't bother, life is to short to waste time on insignificant literature.
December 21, 2008
I realized I already read this on-line. Meh...
April 12, 2009
Kirn is one of our best and most important writers.
September 30, 2009
was originally a serial on salon, lending interesting of-the-moment elements, and enjoyable for folks of a sci-fi bent. not the best bit of literature ever, but i had fun with it.
Want to Read
June 22, 2010pb original; 1st edition, signed by author
October 14, 2012
A quick read, well written and enjoyable.
March 30, 2015
i bought this book for a dollar and regret spending even that much money on it
February 7, 2020
Why does one of the characters date Amy Hempel?!? HOW did AMY HEMPEL get DRAGGED into this?!?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews