Title: The Measure
Author: Nikki Erlick
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Speculative Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Year of Publication: 2022
Date of Publication: June 28, 2022
Pages: 368
ISBN-10: 0063204204
ISBN-13: 978-0063204201
Audiobook Narrator: Julia Whelan
Summary of The Measure by Nikki Erlick
The Measure is a novel that presents a world where, one March morning, everyone over the age of 22 finds a box on their doorstep. The box itself is a dark brown small wooden chest with reddish tint, and it appeared in every town, state and country. It came with an inscription:
“The measure of your life lies within.”
At first, people did not know what the string meant and many where skeptical about even opening the box. Some suggested it was a prank, but others doubted that this was the case because of the large scale distribution of the boxes. There were also speculation that the strings were a government hoax. Eventually, people discovered that the box contains a string that reveals how long each person is going to live.
The string itself cannot be cut even by the sharpest of tools and the box cannot be destroyed although it can be thrown away. Once opened, the box has a silvery white piece of delicate fabric that covers the string. The only variation on each box is the length of the string and the name on the box. Those with long strings would later be nicknamed long-stringers and those with short strings, short-stringers.
The story follows various characters including family members, lovers, friends, and strangers. As a reader, you get to watch each character decide on whether they would like to look at their strings and the effects knowing whether or not you would have a short life or long life has on each character’s work, insurance, health care and their personal relationships.
Main and Supporting Characters
- Nina: Is an editor and journalist that is based in New York. Initially, she did not want to open the box but was later convinced to do so by her girlfriend Maura. Afterwards, Nina would spend a lot to time checking online platforms and doing research to see what she could learn about the box and how or if it has affected other aspects of life.
- Amie: Is Nina’s younger sister who has no interest in opening her box. She is a teacher who enjoys reading novels.
- Ben: Is a rising Architect who was returning from a conference and was on a flight when the first boxes arrived. He joins a short-stringer support group held in Room 204 of a school. He begins exchanging anonymous letters with Amie after a support group exercise.
- Maura: Dating Nina. Maura and Nina open the box together and one of them had a much shorter string than the other. She joins the support group after Nina encourages her to do so.
- Hank (Doc Hank): Is a doctor that works in New York Memorial Hospital. He also joins the short-stringer support group.
- Anthony Rollins: A long-stringed presidential candidate who promotes fear and division against short-stringers. Before the boxes arrived, his presidential campaign chances were a bit shaky after he was accused by a former college classmate who had appeared on television and stated that she had once overheard a drunken Anthony make sexists comments about female partygoers at his fraternity. She also recounted that most freshman girls were warned not to drink the punch at Anthony’s frat house after several incidents were women experienced memory loss after a party and a male student even died from alcohol poisoning. When the boxes arrived one month later, Anthony saw them as a blessing.
- Jack Hunter: Anthony’s nephew and a military academy cadet with a long string.
- Javier (“Javi”) Garcia: Jack’s roommate and best friend. He is also a cadet.
- Sean: The disabled long-stringer who facilitates the short-stringer support group.
- Lea: A surrogate and short-stringer attending group sessions; her pregnancy becomes a point of solidarity. She convinces Ben to tell his parents.
Key Themes
- Life and Mortality: The novel examines how awareness of life’s limits changes one’s outlook and priorities. Essentially, would you do what you are doing today if you knew the exact length of time you had left.
- Choice and Acceptance: Very key in the book is the decision on whether or not you would like to look at the length of your string. Characters must decide how they face their fates. The Measure also highlights how different governments reacted to the idea of dealing with people who knew how long they had to live and how some governments mandated that people open their boxes and disclose their status.
- Connection and Empathy: Erlick looks into the impact of mortality on relationships and how often times there is compassion and unity.
Writing Style
The author tells the story using a narrator who focuses on the lives of multiple characters. Each chapter is based on the lives of the main characters. The story is also told moving from different seasons i.e. Spring, Summer, Winter, and seven years later.
Memorable Quotes
- “The measure of your life lies within.”— Narrator
- “…they are a reminder that sometimes we screw up and sometimes the system screws with us. But if you live your life with enough passion and boldness, then that’s what you would be remembered for. Not the crap that happens along the way.”— Maura
- “..but there is something so deeply upsetting about seeing your parents sob and apparently, you never grow out of that. But I still think you should tell your family. It’s too much of a burden to carry alone.”— Lea
- “Sit down and ask yourself. Are you happy?”— Ben remembering an annual phone alert a friend from college set on his phone to check in on his own happiness
- “Families support each other, especially ones like ours.”— Jack’s father
- “This was, quite possibly, the best thing to happen to his campaign.”— Anthony Rollins’ reflections
- “A meaningful life, at any length.”— This was written on a poster that Maura found at a school.
- “She knew that things could always get worse, unless enough people kept on fighting.”— Maura
- “Once you know something, you forget what it was like to not know it.”— Ben
Impact of The Measure by Nikki Erlick
The Measure explores universal questions about life, death, and human connection.
What are your thoughts on The Measure by Nikki Erlick? Would you look if you were given a box that told you how long you would live?
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