Naomi Klein

In Doppelganger, Naomi Klein explores some of the more unsettling aspects of contemporary politics and culture, taking as her jumping-off point how frequently she herself has been confused in recent years with feminist-turned-conspiracy theorist Naomi Wolf. Conspiracy theories and doppelgangers/doubling have abounded in recent years, and Klein is at her strongest when she explores how we are all susceptible to manipulation and to confirmation biases. I doubt it's possible to read Klein's grappling with self-examination in the wake of her "double's" mirroring of her without a certain queasy empathy, and she writes with admirable humour. However, Klein's doppelganger theme feels a bit strained and over-extended at times—are some points of similarity alone enough to merit the title of doppelganger? Contemporaneity and causation aren't the same thing, and I'm wary of grand narratives; then, too, there is the sense that Klein is spending a lot of time grappling with understanding those whose narcissism is both banal and obvious. Still, a thought-provoking read.… (more)