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A review by outsmartyourshelf
Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.75
Have you been feeling that in the last few years things are slightly off with the world? Public violence seems to be increasing, & people have little time, care, or respect for others. Online, the slightest disagreement results in pile-ons, doxxing, & calls for people to lose their jobs. I know that I sometimes look around & wonder what the hell is going on. There's a feeling that we have truly stepped through the looking glass. Naomi Klein calls this the Shadow or Mirror world, which leads her onto Doppelganger culture: the world of the Shadow selves.
Klein, author of books such as 'No Logo' & 'Shock Doctrine' has over the last few years been continually confused with another writer of a similar name but who holds the opposite viewpoints in many things. It's all a bit tenuous - I can imagine it is frustrating to have people keep attributing her words to you, but a doppelganger? Not sure. There were some very interesting sections, one being the modern 'branding' of the self as a selling point which is fuelling this reluctance to be seen even considering other viewpoints lest they spoil our 'brand' (the polarised debate over face mask wearing during Covid is one topic covered). Another being the argument that the ideas synonymous with Nazi Germany did not spring from nowhere but were influenced both by the expansionist policies of contemporary Europe & the eugenics & segregation polices of the US.
Overall though it jumps about from topic to topic (including racism, xenophobia, the Holocaust, communism, climate change, Covid, & facism) & it was difficult at times to stay on track whilst reading. My mind started to wander at times. There were some things I agreed with but others I was not altogether convinced. It's my least favourite of her books that I've read for sure. There were several mentions of films & books which deal with doppelgangers, most of which I noted down for later reading/watching.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Penguin Press UK/Allen Lane, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
Klein, author of books such as 'No Logo' & 'Shock Doctrine' has over the last few years been continually confused with another writer of a similar name but who holds the opposite viewpoints in many things. It's all a bit tenuous - I can imagine it is frustrating to have people keep attributing her words to you, but a doppelganger? Not sure. There were some very interesting sections, one being the modern 'branding' of the self as a selling point which is fuelling this reluctance to be seen even considering other viewpoints lest they spoil our 'brand' (the polarised debate over face mask wearing during Covid is one topic covered). Another being the argument that the ideas synonymous with Nazi Germany did not spring from nowhere but were influenced both by the expansionist policies of contemporary Europe & the eugenics & segregation polices of the US.
Overall though it jumps about from topic to topic (including racism, xenophobia, the Holocaust, communism, climate change, Covid, & facism) & it was difficult at times to stay on track whilst reading. My mind started to wander at times. There were some things I agreed with but others I was not altogether convinced. It's my least favourite of her books that I've read for sure. There were several mentions of films & books which deal with doppelgangers, most of which I noted down for later reading/watching.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Penguin Press UK/Allen Lane, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia and Racism