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
Related Recs
👞
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
stories about some real desperate losers — it really is as good as everyone says !!!!! smartest book i’ve read in a long time. saying i was completely fucking gagged is an understatement
Nov 28, 2024
first book i’ve ever read written in 2nd person. fiction novel, amazing story, but tonally similar to a self-help book. amazing (& quick) read!
Mar 12, 2025
Top Recs from @fairuz
obvi gotta be abdel halim hafez singing ahwak. of all languages on this earth, i fear romance languages are contrarily not the most romantic -- that crown belongs to arabic. the translation of this song can't even hold a candle to how coveting the lyrics are and the translation somehow is still sickeningly romantic. i mean come on... "i love you, and wish that if i were to forget you, i would forget my soul with you" hello???? "and if it gets lost it will be in your hands so if you were to forget me" sick to my stomach btw. "so i forget you. and watch, how i forget the pain you've caused me, then long for your torture again! i find my tears remember you, so i return to you yet again." and thats like, half of only the first verse. i geniunely implore anyone to listen to ahwak, it's my absolute favourite love song of all time and i will never get over it. it's just so romantic i actually cannot i will actually never recover from it. obviously i'm very normal about it
Jan 6, 2025
oughhh. i first discovered stacey kent as a sophomore in high school around christmas time - nearly 4 years ago exactly. i used to listen to the local jazz radio in my dad's car all the time in high school, and when she sang a cover of 'how insensitive,' i was certainly enamoured with her voice and style but didn't make much of an effort to listen to any of her other songs. i eventually rediscovered her again through her rendition of 'jardin d'hiver,' perfect for the winter weather an exact year later, and also halfway into my ap french class. i'll admit i didn't really listen to any of her other stuff until about a month ago and i'm kind of kicking myself for it. i'm simply obsessed with her album raconte-moi... and took it upon myself to learn her cover of que reste-t-il des nos amours on my keyboard in the literal midst of finals week. the thirteen songs in the album from top to bottom are, simply put, gorgeous. my current favourite has got to be la vénus du mélo. a bit more of a playful tune compared to the rest and maddeningly earworm-ish once you listen to it enough times, i am now an irrevocable stacey kent fan. please give her a listen if you ever get the chance!
Jan 6, 2025