Reviews with content warning for Colonisation - Doppelganger

"Doppelganger" is a book you read to find footing in our tumultuous world of politics, technology, war, healthcare and the permanent, pervasive ecological damage we've done in the name of capitalism.

Naomi Klein centers this book around the strange occurrence of being mistaken as Naomi Wolf, a fellow writer and feminist whose beliefs she deems harmful and flat-out wrong. But she quickly expands this idea of doppelgangers toward the two selves of a person, a religion, a country. Then brings it back to say, rather persuasively albeit incongruously, that our answer to making the world better lies in abandoning individualism and engaging in a care-based, communal society.

Throughout the book, this idea of relating the world to "doubling" felt like a reach, and overdone. I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't need the constant packaging of mirrors and shadow worlds. Yin and yang, I get it.

Also, this is a call to socialism, essentially. You'll be disappointed if you go into this expecting more of a memoir with a "Black Mirror" angle. But it's a great read for your social consciousness, and how to approach our increasingly hostile, diametrically opposed world.

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nreyno's review

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adventurous challenging dark informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

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lizard800's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This book put into words for me so much about how I've been feeling about the left and social movements. If you're a leftist of any flavour you really need to read this. I'm taking away a lot from this book, but this quote (which is my favourite) sums up my biggest takeaway: "every story of triumph for the fascist right is also a story of fragmentation, sectarianism, and stubborn refusal to make strategic alliances on the anti-fascist left".

Klein is an excellent narrator.

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bookishmillennial's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

This was such a fascinating read and not what I was expecting (I don't read premises, so idk what I was expecting actually....).

I am a tiny bookstagrammer who shares a username with other "bookish millennial"s whose "brands" are much different than mine; they focus on SJM, Fourth Wing, etc. while I ..... do not - no shade, we are just different! I found the premise of this so relatable and compelling. I'm no one, but Naomi Klein's career and brand is deeply impacted by having this author doppelganger. Absolutely wild.

I also heavily related to this because I too, have lost loved ones to the "mirrorworld," who dove deep into the covid, 5G, and other endless political conspiracies that have spread like wildfire since the pandemic shutdown in 2020. It's painful, exhausting, and leaves you in a bit of despair wondering why they can't be pulled back from the dudebro podcasts or vile Trump camp. I appreciated that Klein weaved in so much context about how these ran rampant and gained such strong traction, because it ironically made me feel less alone in my own grief of the people I love changing right in front of me.

The way we think about our online selves, and how performative activism has become a thing was something that I think anyone on Instagram or who is perpetually online can feel connected to. It is something I ruminate about often, as I believe to be seen is to be loved. However, to be perceived incorrectly (sometimes poeple really do intentionally misunderstand you) is viscerally painful and sometimes infuriating. And in other times, you don't want to be perceived at all. This cultural zeitgeist is such a mindfuck sometimes.

I don't particularly think there was anything absolutely novel in this, and though it could feel dense at times, I am really glad I read it and felt really comforted that it's something we are all navigating (to different extents) in this "brave new world" lol.

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uranaishi's review

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challenging emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.75

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dontmindmiri's review

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dark emotional informative medium-paced

4.25

This is above all a very well written book. Klein's ability to tie together seemingly disparate ideas and themes is masterful. She reminds us of our shared humanity and the risks we're taking by not prioritising wealth inequalities and environmental degradation. She pushes past attempts to minimise or write off the mirror world and looks at what it says about us. I wish she had said more in her chapter on Palestine, and a few other areas in the book where I felt like she was trying to say things without saying them outright. I'm grateful for this book, while immensely saddened by it. I hope to have the opportunity to read it again.

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