Doppelganger | Naomi Klein
non-fiction | journalist | memoir
First published 2023
My anti-Capitalist hero, Naomi Klein, has a new book and I have read it and it blew my mind - as usual! Doppelganger takes us on a journey through the world of doubles, where the thin line between reality and illusion blurs, and where our own fears and desires merge in unexpected and sometimes frightening ways.
Klein starts by introducing us to her doppelganger, the feminist-turned-conspiracy-theorist, Naomi Wolf. The two women, who both came to prominence in the 90s for being feminist, anti-capaitalist journalists, are now on very different paths; but because they both share the name Naomi, nobody is able to tell them apart, apparently! In a reference to Philip Roth's book, Operation Shylock, Klein refers to Wolf as the Other Naomi, as she explores the idea of duality in human nature.
Klein explores the complexities between the self and the "other", making us question our own motivations and consider the types of masks we wear everyday as we present ourselves to the world. Klein refers to the world that appears to be running parallel to our own right now as the Mirror World. Where liberal/left ideologies about challenging government power and decisions, asking questions about corporate dominance, etc, have been adopted by the anti-vax movement/far-right/religious fundamentalists and twisted into something unrecognisable and grotesque.
My Verdict: Anyone who knows me knows that anything Naomi Klein writes or says will be repeated by me for the next 100 years! (I am her non-evil doppelganger!) I find her way of presenting difficult issues so unique and she always writes without prejudice. She presents the problem, presents historical facts and precedents and then her ideas about how we can solve this issue. In a world where division is the norm, her unwavering belief that only by coming together can we make any real and long-lasting change is refreshing (and correct!).
What is particularly unnerving about reading this book at this present moment in time, is how relevant it is. Especially the section about Israel and Palestine. I haven't read anything which explains and captures the thoughts I have on this subject so perfectly. This is an incredible, thought-provoking book of the best kind. It leaves you contemplating the past and the future and how they are interconnected. How we are all interconnected and how if we want to make the future a better place to live, we really need to start working together. Now!
Review Award | 5/5
Posted 24.10.2023
Oh hey there!
I'm Louise, but you can call me Fatty. I really like to read, and then I really like to tell people about what I've read. I started this book blog to give fellow readers some great recommendations and maybe introduce them to a writer or a genre that maybe they wouldn't have discovered on their own - because that's what reading is all about!
Follow me on Instagram! i
