We must attempt, with great urgency, to imagine a world that does not require Shadow Lands, that is not predicated on sacrificial people and sacrificial ecologies and sacrificial continents. More than imagine it, we must begin, at once, to build it. [loc. 6058]
Activist and writer Naomi Klein (author of No Logo, Shock Doctrine and other impactful works) realised that she was being conflated with Naomi Wolf (author of The Beauty Myth, but more recently anti-vax and conspiracy-minded). The two, at least from Klein's perspective, could not be more different, yet Wolf -- 'Other Naomi' -- has been cast as her doppelganger. Klein writes about how Wolf, her reputation in tatters after introducing factual inaccuracies into her book about LGBTQIA+ history, reinvented herself -- and how Wolf could pivot so easily from left-wing to right-wing, from the real world to the Mirror World of conspiracies and bad faith arguments.
This is very much a lockdown book. It was released in 2023 and the initial focus is on the pandemic, on Wolf's comparison of lockdown to the Holocaust, on the spreading of misinformation and anti-vaccination arguments. Klein argues that major issues, such as wealth inequality and scepticism abut the health industry, easily mutate into their Mirror World counterparts: QAnon's 'New World Order', anti-vax warnings about microchips. And she discusses how modern issues mirror Nazi Germany, and how the Holocaust required not only an othering, a racial profiling, of its victims but also a history of colonial genocide. "The flip side of the post–World War II cries of “Never again” was an unspoken “Never before.” The insistence on lifting the Holocaust out of history, the failure to recognize these patterns, and the refusal to see where the Nazis fit inside the arc of colonial genocides have all come at a high cost." [loc. 5150]
It took me a long time to read this book. It's far from my usual subject matter, and I found it relentless and horrific. Klein's writing is powerful, and what she's writing about is of immense importance: but it's hard to find hope, despite her stirring call to action.
What a compelling review! *Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World* sounds like an intense and intellectually rich read. I found your reflections on the themes of identity, duality, and the interplay between truth and illusion especially intriguing. It’s fascinating how the author navigates such a surreal concept with both sharp analysis and personal insight. The way you described the book makes it feel not only timely but also timeless—a real deep dive into the human psyche and our cultural moment. It’s rare to find a nonfiction book that reads like a psychological thriller! On a different note, for anyone looking to transform their home environment into a space just as thought-provoking, I recommend checking out R for Remodelers. They specialize in custom renovations that bring creativity and comfort together. Thanks for sharing your take—I’m definitely intrigued!
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