Disturbing, engrossing ... Her observations are intercut with chapters focusing on each of the Colony’s members, in the past and present. Norlin is in full command of her characters’ histories and marshals a tremendous level of detail ... My admiration of The Colony is equally an appreciation for Alice E. Olsson, whose work to bring the story into English is so precise and vibrant that I often forgot I was reading a translation ... The story’s open-ended questions...arise organically, without forcing stale answers.
That the book fails to properly explore any of these ideas is a major shortcoming. Indeed, Norlin spends so long on backstories for the Colony’s individual members and their practical motives for seeking isolation that there’s not only less space but less narrative necessity for them to share a philosophy ... The low intensity of dialogue and debate is baffling, especially given the early signs of discontent that Norlin carefully plants ... If only the whole story had been told from Låke’s curious and blinkered perspective, The Colony might have ended up more show than tell, and the more eloquent for it. As it stands, the characterization is thin, the motivations are overdetermined, and the Colony’s endurance demands too steep a suspense of disbelief.
What makes this book so clever is that you unwittingly follow Emelie’s trajectory of thought about the Colony: suspicious at first, then slowly seduced, before realising that things are not as perfect as they seem ... The novel is testament to the power of writerly discipline. Even though it contains murder, rape, inherited trauma and an unfortunate encounter with a bear, the author never caves in to melodrama, gushy lyricism or sentimentality. The result is an intriguing tale that I’ve been turning over in my mind since finishing it. On further reflection, I’ve decided not to abscond to a commune.
For readers of literary fiction who love nuanced characters and stylistically complex novels with a sense of humor and sharp insight into the problems of modern society.
This is a treatise on humanity, on the things people need and the power and frailty of human connection. This is a novel that will stick with you. A smart and moving look at society, nature, and community.
Remarkable ... Norlin’s character work is superior, bringing each Colony member to vivid life and examining in nuanced detail how they interact. It’s an impressive tale of a found family.
