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ok it took me two months to finish it but this book is genuinely unlike anything else i’ve read. it’s a fairytale about the planned economy! it’s somehow both an empathetic work of fiction and an in-depth examination of an era and its ideology. plus the sentences are so intensely rich and beautiful. anyway its not for everyone but it was really for me.
Mar 18, 2025
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i genuinely struggle to verbalise just how good this book is. after the semester ended for me in mid-december, i was grappling with some major reading burnout and legitimately felt like i could not read more than three pages of any one book at a time. a few days into the break, my sister sat me down to straighten my 3c hair just for some shits and gigs (it took three hours), told myself just to sit with a book and turn my phone off, and i damn near finished it, cover to cover. i wanna avoid spoilers but. oh my god it is So Good. two days later i was driving to the nearest barnes and noble to pick up another copy to gift my friend. i actually cannot sing its praises enough, though i would recommend reading the sympathiser by the same author first. it's one hell of an inspired historical fiction novel and has got to be among my top.. singular book of all time. like my fave book ever. a man of two faces is the author's memoir, and if you're into politics, history, human rights, or just being educated and also down for a laugh with some dark humour and some really emotional prose, i can't recommend this book or author enough. 100% adore
Jan 6, 2025
i recently read this cover to cover on a flight home.
i honestly did not expect to become to drawn in, i love a book that puts blinders on me, making me focus in and want to ignore anything off the page.
the not so far off dystopian tone to the novel was eerie but familiar… a story that doesn’t seem too far away.
more like this please.
Jan 29, 2025
This is one of the only novels over 500 pages that not only did I read through to the end but also devoured each page. Ive never known of a book around 600 pages to absolutely speed through immense amounts of plot as this book does but it feels like a list of slimy gossip plastered onto you until you’re absolutely coated in grimy stories of poisoned smack or bitten off noses.
the way this book also proudly flaunts its anti-capitalism and anti-America ideology is also so pleasing- so many of the characters are absolutely blinded by the bright lights of the post war boom and the new reinstatement of the American dream.
If you’re looking for a book that not only exudes with the sounds of the platters and frank sinatra but also shows you the obvious underbelly of American history then read the FUCK out of this book.
Apr 3, 2025
Top Recs from @beabecker
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so fucking accurate 10/10. like…correct
Jan 31, 2024
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Videos. Journals. Planners. Calendars. Playlists. Spreadsheets. Letters to open in the future.
Keeping track of the present (in a way that is low stakes and fun) keeps me from dwelling on the past or feeling upset about changing. It will be there for me if and when I want to return to it! And I get to dip into the things I have thought and felt and loved in the past and maybe they become part of my life again or they don't!
I also love to experiment with form in the ways that I record myself. Journals are a classic, but doing something like journaling in a planner with limited space or on a calendar means you have to pick just one memory from each day. Or making playlists / watchlists / reading lists of what's important to you at a time. Embarking upon fun little challenges of discovery (places, songs, books, movies, foods) and keeping track of what you learn in an organized (or disorganized) way! Video journals or little vlogs just for yourself! Scrapbooking!
Fun in the moment to create and fun in the future to rediscover.
Jan 26, 2024
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it’s a shit game so if you’re gonna play it at least go for a little “nice to come home” when you land on one of your own properties
Feb 14, 2024