• idiomaddict@lemmy.world
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      4 hours ago

      I’m an immigrant (not a refugee to be clear) and this excerpt absolutely nails the camaraderie aspect of it and the way that living in immigrant neighborhoods/buildings feels. Turns out, Doctorow’s father was born in a refugee camp.

    • grue@lemmy.world
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      12 hours ago

      Wow, that’s super-topical in more ways than I had expected. The more I read, the more scarily insightful it gets.

      spoiler
      • The main character being a refugee, with almost all that entails (can’t blame Doctorow for not anticipating it getting this bad)
      • The dystopian collusion between the appliance-rentiers and the landlord, as well as the climax hinging on lack of tenant protections
      • The way capitalism attempts to subsume all critique.

      This is a story that’s important, that everybody needs to read.