Doppelganger is a wide reaching book. Initially focussing on the mistaken identity of the author Naomi Klein and the author Naomi Wolf and their vastly different world views.

However, the book also branches out and looks at the populist news media, the resurgence of anti-semitism, the coverage of world conflicts, the attitudes towards autism and many other areas of interest. As such, Doppelganger at times is a disjointed read, following the train of thought of the author. Unlike her other books, the reader is left unclear as to what agenda Naomi Klein is trying to explore.

Ultimately, Doppelganger is an informative read, but perhaps should be seen more as a collection of essays or thoughts rather than a cohesive whole.

Absolutely terrifying, whilst simultaneously bl++dy funny. As always, she writes beautifully and with passion and whilst this is a more personal book than normal for her, it touches on some major themes for our modern online social media world.

An intriguing read into a case of mixed identities, a doppelgänger situation where one person is associated with another online identity and takes on a whole life of its own.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book it certainly gets you thinking. Plus a little nervous 😬

This is an incredibly gripping, non fiction book that is very relevant and timely for our lives as we live them now.

Whilst this wasn’t exactly what I was expecting when I picked it up, it really was fascinating to explore how someone (who might view themselves as progressive) can so easily become involved with extreme ideologies and conspiracy.

Ian interesting book for anyone who enjoys socio-psychology.

DNF- I’ll admit I went into reading this expecting something quite different and unfortunately this type of book just isn’t what I’m looking for right now. Will definitely try to give it a go again in the future as it has had such a positive response.

her first name, but had radically different, harmful views, was getting chronically mistaken for her, it seemed too ridiculous to take seriously. Then suddenly it wasn't. She started to find herself grappling with a distorted sense of reality, becoming obsessed with reading the threats on social media, the endlessly scrolling insults from the followers of her doppelganger. Why had her shadowy other gone down such an extreme path? Why was identity - all we have to meet the world - so unstable?

To find out, Klein decided to follow her double into a bizarre, uncanny mirror world: one of conspiracy theories, anti-vaxxers and demagogue hucksters, where soft-focus wellness influencers make common cause with fire-breathing far right propagandists (all in the name of protecting 'the children'). In doing so, she lifts the lid on our own culture during this surreal moment in history, as we turn ourselves into polished virtual brands, publicly shame our enemies, watch as deep fakes proliferate and whole nations flip from democracy to something far more sinister.

This is a book for our age and for all of us; a deadly serious dark comedy which invites us to view our reflections in the looking glass. It's for anyone who has lost hours down an internet rabbit hole, who wonders why our politics has become so fatally warped, and who wants a way out of our collective vertigo and back to fighting for what really matters.

Doppelganger proved to be an eye-opening read, surpassing initial expectations. Anticipating a comparison between the two Naomis, the book instead provided insight into the phenomenon of people undergoing sudden shifts in political stances. The narrative delved into the causes behind these transformations, shedding light on how individuals' beliefs can align with real events.

While initially feeling like a mash-up of diverse events, the story masterfully weaved them together, creating a cohesive and meaningful narrative by the end. The book serves as an educational resource, particularly for understanding how individuals can transition from relatively 'normal' perspectives to extreme positions such as anti-vax sentiments, racism, and anti-government sentiments.

Overall, "Doppelganger" is recommended for those seeking a deeper understanding of how the general population can swiftly transition into polarized beliefs and ideologies.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

A really thought provoking book on Klein's own experiences following her doppelganger, Naomi Wolf, whose career began in much the same way as Klein's until it took a turn into the mirror world of conspiracy theory. She follows the growth of conspiracy theory culture, fuelled by Trump and the pandemic, and sees how these ideas grow and are validated in the mirror world.

Doppelganger took me quite a while to get through. Partly because my kindle copy also contained the same formatting errors and irritating absences of letters that some other reviewers here have mentioned (though on my laptop, strangely, the document was fine.) And also because I found that many of the ideas, people, events, titles and the like referenced within sent me scurrying off to look them up and I’d duly come back to the book an hour or so (plus several internet rabbit holes) later. So… that’s my fault, really. I lacked the discipline to stay focussed on the reading task at hand.

Given I’ve just now seen some of the other reviews already posted, I suppose I might mention my astonishment that more than one of my fellow reviewers (my reading Doppelgangers? Perhaps not exactly in this case) had no idea who Naomi Klein is, or for whatever reason thought they would be embarking on a work of fiction. The mind boggles…

…And as for the book, well, my mind was rather boggled again, albeit in a far more positive sense. I thought it was brilliant, one of the most interesting, thoughtful and, indeed, nuanced pieces of extended-form writing I’ve read in some time. NK (as opposed to NW…) has managed to craft a series of interlocking chapters and sections that, the more I thought about them, move with impressive elegance from the highly personal to the societal and geopolitical, often in the widest possible sense. Concepts, facts/data and historical interpretations are woven together into a smooth, if troubling, tapestry which requires thought and attention, but which I found to be a most stimulating and rewarding assembly of ideas. Consequently, and a bit regretfully, I might as well then comment it clearly won’t be for everyone. Such is reading life.

After skimming other reviews here on Netgalley, I then thought to trot over to Amazon for one of my favourite pastimes: a quick peek at the 1* reviews of a book I admire (gratifyingly these are hugely outnumbered by the infinitely more positive - and dare I say it, perceptive - 4 and 5* reviews). I’m not exactly surprised Doppelganger has provoked an eruption of derision and mockery from a few; as the book illustrates very plainly, some people really don’t like it when their own personally curated framework of cherry-picked, tendentious, evidence-free etc beliefs and notions are systematically dismantled and disproved. (“Just sheeple unable to handle the real truth and instead accepting lamestream lies!” might be their counter-criticism. Such is modern life.)

For this is rather where we collectively seem to find ourselves at the end of 2023, clicking through snapshots of polarised societies found and mirrored all over the globe, and NK’s depiction of two (or more?) - at times parallel, on other occasions rather more perpendicular - worldviews constitutes a depressing precis of present-day debate, and the gloomy direction in which we will likely further head. Will something crack and duly break at some point? Hard not to believe that something’s gotta give, or arguably is giving and breaking already. And not perhaps in especially peaceful or positive ways; time will tell, as it usually does.

'Humankind cannot bear very much reality’ (T.S. Eliot) springs to mind.

Some of her ideas were new to me; some less so for a variety of reasons. I didn’t agree with everything NK writes, but found many of her ideas persuasive, and was impressed by the generosity of spirit she displayed in seeking to understand, as much as possible, those who think (extremely) differently. Overall, I found it to be an impressive piece of work, one that starts out rather whimsically and ends up staring into the abyss. I also liked the fact she doesn’t tack on too many upbeat thoughts at the end as sometimes happens with these kinds of serious, rather downbeat books (very possibly at the publisher’s behest.) True, there is a bit of that, but presumably NK realises how hollow and unlikely it all sounds after what she’s documented, so she keeps any positivity in the final chapter fairly brief and abstract.

Unreservedly recommended for those prepared to put the time, effort and reflection in.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Press, and the author Naomi Klein.
DNF - I didn't finish this book for a number of reasons. Primarily, the advanced reading copy provided had a publishing glitch that meant 10-20% of words on a page were missing a duo of letters, commonly 'th' or anything in combination with an 'f'. I can see that this is a common theme in the other early reviews. For that reason, it was a very frustrating experience.
Additionally, it felt long and was hard work, with some interesting observations but otherwise, a bit of a slog. Not for me. 2.5 stars rounded up.

I really thought I'd love this book, it sounded really interesting. I just couldn't get into it. Sad to say I did not finish.

Thank you netgally for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

it’s taken me a while to write this review i have mixed views on this book.

It was immensely informative and the ideas of us having doppelgängers were really interesting and maybe a little bit terrifying.

It was well written, thought out and researched. There was clearly a lot of hard work taken for this book to be written.

The writing style was accessible and despite the heavy topic, I found the content easy to follow.

I think the thing I struggled with was that the basis was the author being annoyed that she was constantly mixed up with another person because they have the same first name and are both authors. I found it interesting that this book had stemmed from the author getting fed up and it seemed like this led to her spending enormous amounts of time and effort to write this to repeatedly make the point about how annoying it was.

I think for that reason I struggled with it a little. Yet it was an interesting book and I definitely learnt a lot so overall a four star for me

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review

Being constantly mistaken for Naomi Wolf, Naomi Klein writes how confusion with this other woman manifests itself and how it has troubled her in her life. This was particularly so when Wolf became a celebrity as a vaccine and lockdown sceptic.

Kelin starts looking into the world of conspiracy theories and delves into our own culture during this strange moment in history and refers to Trump and Biden.

Get reading and start thinking about your own Doppelganger!

Doppelganger is a weird book and Klein knows it. It centres Klein herself with the slightly weird jumping off point that she and Naomi Wolf get constantly confused which has become more and more concerning as Wolf has jumped off into the deep-end of alt-right conversations (this may seem weird, but I've done it and everyone I know has done it at least once so the "Kline=Fine / Wolf=oh buddy oof" aide memoir is firmly implanted in my brain). But as a good leftist intellectual she is also concerned about being concerned, she can (and does) spend quite a lot of time using this strange relationship to tackle and dismantle Wolf's fellow travelers and her own bizarre views, particularly taking time around vaccine denial. But she is also concerned about what this said about herself, her own personal brand in a world where she is the biggest anti-brand ambassador (which is in itself a brand of course).

There is something quite scattershot about Doppelganger, which possibly reaches an apex in the chapter about her autistic son and conversations around autism, anti-vaxxers and how to parent. It closely ties into the anti-vax conversation she is having, and there are loose tendrils that talk about how we might consider our children to be out doppelgangers, but she feels uncomfortable being so personal, and says so. I agree that the chapter is a little uncomfortable, but fits in a book that will probably be the closest she writes to autobiography, and much like the best leaders are those who don't want the position, the best memoirs may well be from people who are deeply uncomfortable writing them.

The politics, of course, are sound and she prods a number of post-pandemic truisms - particularly the left's willingness to roll over on vaccine patents and the global distribution of the vaccine. She is much kinder about Wolf than she needs to be, particularly when she reveals her role in Klein's own secret identity. And while its quite a thin skeleton to hang a book on, and doesn't really have a central thesis like much of her other work, there is something fascinating about hanging around the self-critical head of an intellectual, still tossing out political critiques at both sides whilst showing glimmers of routes through and showing a more human side to what had previously seemed more of a perfect polemicist,

I was really interested to start this. Unfortunately, the Kindle version downloaded with so many missing letters in the narrative I was spending more time deciphering than enjoying the book. e.g. location 190 of 6054 "The rst time it happened I was in a stall in a public bathroom just o Wall Street in Manhattan" "I froze, ahing back to every mean girl in high school, pre-humiliated". Looks like an interesting read but think I will buy the paperback so I can actually get into the story! Author 5* as looks well written, Kindle version 1* for reason above.

From the individual shadow to collective, ancestral and cultural

Naomi Klein, a Jewish Canadian writer with progressive, radical views has written several popular and incisive books critiquing capitalism. For example , The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, This Changes Everything : Capitalism versus The Climate, and No Logo. Her viewpoint is collectivist, unifying, humanitarian, egalitarian, feminist, socialist.

Another slightly older Naomi, Naomi Wolf, also a feminist, also Jewish, American, wrote, back in the early 90’s an influential book called The Beauty Myth : How Images of Beauty are Used Against Women.

Wolf, however, over the years, has moved far far rightwards. She has got into ideological beds with any number of conspiracy theorist and far right demagogues. In fact, her identity is now regularly described not as ‘writer and journalist’ but AS conspiracy theorist. Antivaxxer, sharing platforms with Steve Bannon, spouting out unsubstantiated fake news, party to all those Trumpian inanities, insanities.

The original impetus for Klein’s extremely well written, reflective, and incisively argued book, came out of a general mangling of the identities of two very different Naomis in the collective consciousness. A proliferation of social media confusion, misinformation and mangling, with each successive outrageous Wolf misinformation and inflammatory pronouncement leading to shocked responses by the Twitterati and others at the latest dangerous and completely ‘fake news’ shocker from KLEIN. When it was never Klein, but Wolf.

Almost as if two completely different Naomis couldn’t exist. ‘Bad’ Naomi conflated with ‘Good’ Naomi. Naomi Hyde (Wolf) and Naomi Jekyll (Klein) This took her to look at the mirror image, ‘mirror world’ What was that mirror world Wolf now occupies, what is its origin, where did this particular warp view arise from

Klein began to think of, of the idea of the ‘Doppelganger’ in a much more interesting, less personal, collective way. What is our individual shadow, unacknowledged, and what is our collective, unacknowledged shadow.

Towards the latter half of the book is where this really became rigorous and incisive for me, with the tracing back of a particularly European history of exploration, colonisation, building of Empire, and displacement of indigenous people, built on the premise those peoples were lesser, than the colonisers.

Reading this book during October 2023 it has seemed ever more darkly pertinent and prescient. The powerful tell themselves stories about themselves being more, others being less, to justify the taking of land. And, as a species, this also affects our views of the planet and the other species which inhabit it.

I do think that some of what is covered in this book, particularly the analysis of ‘Doppelganger’ in relationship to Philip Roth’s writing, could have been excised, or at least, edited. For me, it is the latter part of the book which is the nub or nugget, and really is the main thrust. Till reaching this, I sometimes was somewhat wearied by what seemed highways and byways, rather than main road and destination

Nonetheless, a sobering and necessary read

The basic concept of the novel seemed interesting and i was intrigued to know how it would develop. However, I was so frustrated by the number of missing letters in the pre-publication copy kindly supplied through Netgalley that I found it difficult to concentrate on the text - I was having to guess at words every few lines.. I have given three stars on the basis of the underlying idea.

I'm not going to be able to do this book any justice in this review, you just need to read it!

I found Doppelganger to be a rather eye opening book in the end. I went into this expecting a comparison between the two Naomi's, and came out with understanding on how people change political stances seemingly overnight. It helped to educate me on the causes of these changes, and how often times the things they believe are mirrored by real events that happened.

It felt like quite a mash up of many different events at one point, however everything links in so well and makes sense by the end of the book.

Overall, I recommend this to anyone who wants to understand how easily the general population can jump from being relatively 'normal' people to becoming extremely polarised anti-vaxers, racists, and anti-government.

A fascinating book, which covers many of the most urgent questions of our time, in particular the ills of social media allowing everybody to be an instant expert on the basis of no strong evidence for whatever arguments they choose to make, and the connected ills of capitalism and profit at all costs. Although I don’t agree with everything she says I found it thought provoking and compelling.

Doppelgänger is a fascinating exploration of Canadian author & journalist Naomi Klein’s experiences of being mistaken for American author & journalist Naomi Wolf throughout her career, and how problematic that has become for her since the latter became a full-blown Right Wing anti-vax conspiracy theorist during the Covid pandemic. Klein relates her own views while examining the role of doppelgängers in the arts and literature and how the struggle to maintain a genuine persona in the media, and especially online, becomes almost impossible when your social media “twin” holds views almost diametrically opposed to yours.

It seems I’m not the only one who had heard of both Naomi’s as writers of a series of provocative best-selling non-fiction books, but not registered they were two different people! It’s understandable - they’re similar ages, both Jewish, both strikingly good looking, writing similar kinds of books, albeit on very different topics. I read Naomi Wolf’s debut book, The Beauty Myth last year, and found it illuminating if rather dated - it was first published in 1991. Conversely I had not read any of Klein’s books, but was aware of No Logo (published in 2002) as it has appeared on multiple Top 100 lists. I am now more keen to read it even if I find her far left politics irrational (for context, by New Zealand standards I’m definitely right of centre, but in the US I’d definitely be a Democrat.) I did know that Wolf had moved on from feminism to become a buffoonish alt-right caricature, but didn’t realise quite how bad things were.

This is a long book which took me over two weeks to finish. It isn’t quite as long as the ebook appears, however, as the last 16% is all references, acknowledgements and an index. My copy was particularly hard to read because the ARC copy I received had an unusual formatting glitch throughout that left out almost all letter clusters involving f or th, and some others, so deciphering the text was like figuring out word puzzles. I’m sure this will have been fixed for the final version, although I was only approved post-publication so you would think the publisher could’ve sent a corrected copy. Maybe it’s an anti-piracy thing, but I haven’t come across it before and haven’t seen other reviewers mention it. Not a good reading experience!

Despite this challenge, I enjoyed Klein’s insights on a variety of important and topical global issues.
It does come across as self-indulgent, a bit hypocritical and at times self-pitying, and unfortunately we never find out what Wolf thinks about their weird non-relationship, but unless you’re from one of the groups she criticises mercilessly, or a Trumpet, in which case you’d hate it, it’s well worth a read.
4.5 for originality, forthright thinking and opening my mind to some concepts I’d never considered before.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.
Doppelgänger is available now.