Smashbomb

"Baldwin’s grand novel, Another Country, delivers beatnik-era 1950s, with characters who are on all sides of black, white, gay and straight, twisting complex lives into a magical taffy of perfection. By humanizing the bourgeoning civil rights movement and changing attitudes towards women, Baldwin creates a historical portrait of America that is a great key to understanding where we come from."

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Kudos

Asif Kapadia recommended Perfume: The Story of a Murderer in Books (curated)

"An incredible, sensual, magical, dark, twisted story. There was a point when everyone was reading this book in London and I delayed. For some reason I didn’t like the cover (embarrassing, but true), but finally the word of mouth was just too strong and I dove in, took one sniff and was blown away. It’s one of the finest books I’ve ever read."

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Kudos

Clea DuVall recommended Pan's Labyrinth (2006) in Movies (curated)

"I hate fantasy movies. I did not want to see this film. I don’t remember why I ended up seeing it, but it immediately drew me in and left me breathless. Guillermo del Toro has the ability to create magical worlds that are emotionally grounded, and he never shies away from the darkness that exists in both fantasy and reality."

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