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A review by decapode
Doppler by Erlend Loe
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Poignant and hilarious peek into the white male psyche, this is a must-read. You’ll relate a bit too much to the deeply unlikeable protagonist, and learn things about yourself you might not want to, but it’s worth it. The entire book being extremely white and male might not be for everyone but that’s how they see the world; women are background characters, while men (and by extension, boys) are the only actual human beings. Even the animals are portrayed with more personality and agency than the protagonist’s wife and daughter. Reading Doppler feels like going to the zoo, but the only ones on display are bored white middle-class men who want to «make something of themselves» but end up oscillating between extremes - one just as unhealthy and alienating as the other. Andreas Doppler is for all the dudes who refuse to pin the blame for societal ills on their male ancestors, but instead build monuments to them and imagine how much better the world was back then. Feeling alienated by our capitalist hellscape he ends up further alienating himself from the people he loves. It’s as tragic as it is funny.