Blood Mirror
At the age of twenty-one, Ibe Rossel published a standout debut, Shakespeare Knows Me Better Than My Boyfriend, a collection of essays in which she used novels from world literature as guides to life. In her new book ‘Blood Mirror’, she turns her attention to a subject that both fascinates and unsettles her: the relationships between brothers. Having grown up surrounded only by sisters, she examines the complex dynamics between brothers from an outsider’s perspective.
In her sisterly reflections on gender-based violence and family relationships, Rossel offers an original take on a centuries-old theme.NRC
From Cain and Abel to Noel and Liam Gallagher, from the Dassler brothers to Kim Jong-un and Kim Jong-nam, from Romulus and Remus to Jake and Logan Paul: fraternal rivalry and violence are common threads in our history, culture and narratives.
‘Blood Mirror’ is a personal and playful essay on masculinity, desire, power, fear, fury and beauty, but also on the struggle to be allowed to tell the story. Drawing on six iconic pairs of brothers, Rossel explores both the allure and the destructive power of brotherly bonds.
A lively and engaging book, full of juicy tales of brothers’ rivalriesDe Groene Amsterdammer
A splendid example of how not to polarise a themede Volkskrant
