In 'Trick Mirror,' Jia Tolentino navigates the complexities of modern life through a series of insightful essays that intertwine personal anecdotes with sharp social commentary. She explores the nuances of identity, the impact of the internet, and the entanglements of feminism and capitalism. Each essay acts as a mirror reflecting the contradictions of contemporary existence, challenging readers to confront their own beliefs and behaviors. With wit and candor, Tolentino delves into the uncomfortable truths that shape our realities. This compelling collection leaves a lasting impression, urging us to question what we see and how we see it.
By Jia Tolentino
Published: 2019
"We are all trapped in the mirrors of our own making, reflecting back the truths and lies we choose to see."
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - "From The New Yorker's beloved cultural critic comes a bold, unflinching collection of essays about self-deception, examining everything from scammer culture to reality television."--Esquire "A whip-smart, challenging book."--Zadie Smith - "Jia Tolentino could be the Joan Didion of our time."--Vulture NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review - Time - The Washington Post - Esquire - Elle - Glamour - Good Housekeeping - The Dallas Morning News - BookPage Jia Tolentino is a peerless voice of her generation, tackling the conflicts, contradictions, and sea changes that define us and our time. Now, in this dazzling collection of nine entirely original essays, written with a rare combination of give and sharpness, wit and fearlessness, she delves into the forces that warp our vision, demonstrating an unparalleled stylistic potency and critical dexterity. Trick Mirror is an enlightening, unforgettable trip through the river of self-delusion that surges just beneath the surface of our lives. This is a book about the incentives that shape us, and about how hard it is to see ourselves clearly through a culture that revolves around the self. In each essay, Tolentino writes about a cultural prism: the rise of the nightmare social internet; the advent of scamming as the definitive millennial ethos; the literary heroine's journey from brave to blank to bitter; the punitive dream of optimization, which insists that everything, including our bodies, should become more efficient and beautiful until we die. Gleaming with Tolentino's sense of humor and capacity to elucidate the impossibly complex in an instant, and marked by her desire to treat the reader with profound honesty, Trick Mirror is an instant classic of the worst decade yet. Praise for Trick Mirror "Jia Tolentino is the best young essayist at work in the United States, one I've consistently admired and learned from, and I was exhilarated to get a whole lot of her at once in Trick Mirror. In these nine essays, she rethinks troubling ingredients of modern life, from the internet to mind-altering drugs to wedding culture. All through the book, single sentences flash like lightning to show something familiar in a startling way, but she also builds extended arguments with her usual, unusual blend of lyricism and skepticism. In the end, we have a picture of America that was as missing as it was needed."--Rebecca Solnit, author of Men Explain Things to Me
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“We are all trapped in the mirrors of our own making, reflecting back the truths and lies we choose to see.”
Trick Mirror
By Jia Tolentino
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Jia Tolentino is a celebrated writer and editor known for her incisive essays and cultural commentary. A staff writer at The New Yorker, she has gained acclaim for her ability to blend personal narrative with broader social issues, reflecting on the complexities of modern life. Her notable works include the essay collection "Trick Mirror," which explores themes of identity, technology, and the self in today’s hyper-connected world. Tolentino's writing style is characterized by its sharp wit, depth of analysis, and an unapologetic exploration of contemporary feminist topics.
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