Little Mushroom

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“Until the day humanity falls.”

In the year 2020, Earth’s magnetic poles disappeared and humankind was nearly wiped out by cosmic radiation. Within the span of a hundred years, living creatures began to mutate and devour each other while the remaining humans, numbering in the tens of thousands, struggled bitterly in their man-made bases.

In the Abyss, home to the mutated xenogenics, there lived a sentient little mushroom. Because it had been nourished by the blood and flesh of the deceased human An Ze, not only did it take on a similar-looking human form, but a similar name as well: An Zhe.

An Zhe is determined to go to the human base to search for his spore, which had been harvested by humans. Once there, however, he faces the omnipresent risk of discovery and certain death as he tries to keep his non-human nature hidden from the Judges, whose responsibility is to inspect for and eliminate xenogenics like himself. And of all the Judges, Colonel Lu Feng is the most perceptive and merciless—as soon as he determines that someone is a xenogenic, he will execute that person on the spot.

But An Zhe’s mutation goes undetected by Lu Feng’s eyes, and so a tale of humans and xenogenics unfolds…

Silver Award winner at the 12th Chinese Nebula Awards for Chinese Science Fiction.

Associated Names
One entry per line
Cây nấm nhỏ
Xiao Mogu
เจ้าเห็ดน้อย
小蘑菇
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Saving Unpermitted (13)
How to Feed an Abyss! (11)
Thrive in Catastrophe (8)
I’m Not Shouldering This Blame (7)
Laws of the Other World (7)
Mist (5)
Recommendation Lists
  1. terminados
  2. Novels I've read
  3. Apocalypse [BL]
  4. My fav
  5. Most Favorite BL/Danmei

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339 Reviews sorted by


lollypop77
lollypop77
August 16, 2023
Status: --
A very engaging novel, its short, interesting, and will most definitely hurt your heart if not make make you cry.

... more>>
Spoiler

The side characters in this novel is pretty weird. They will NOT stay long, only long enough to pique your interest in them, but not long enough for you to get attached. I cant say for sure whether I like or haye the way side characters are in this novel, but for some of them, their deaths are really fitting, like the mistress of the black market.

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Everything in this novel is not too hard to understand, I'd even say this is fit for middle schoolers to read if not for the implications in the extras. Since MC is a mushroom, everything is explained through his point of view, so it really should be a breeze to follow through with everything going on.

ML IS SOOO INTERESTING, I loved him, everything about him is just amazing. His backstory, his motives, his interactions with everyone, and most importantly HIS DIALOGUE!!

Overall you wont regret reading this, though MC's "fragile" character may not fit everyones taste. <<less
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Geozah
Geozah
July 5, 2023
Status: Completed
At first I didn't expect to like and be so impacted by this story, I really feel everything the writer conveys, I cried a lot, I felt the frustration with them, and when it was all over I felt the joy and relief with them.

The romance was beautiful, from the first meeting, every bit of their evolution and the growth of affection they feel for each other, the love was beautiful to see, even with the world going through one disaster after another, the small demonstrations of their affection and... more>> concern makes us forget that humanity is ending. An Zhe and Lu Feng will be in my heart, it was beautiful to go through all the troubles and happiness with them <<less
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Old_Cat
Old_Cat rated it
January 22, 2023
Status: Completed
I was always reluctant to read this, thinking it was too deep and I might not like it. I love the summary at that time but some of the comments discouraged me. This time, I tried to push myself to finally read it, and it's definitely worth it. I laugh, I cried, different emotions. This story is too alive. The premise, the characters, the world, one the stories that made me feel like I am also seeing what the MC sees around him.

Characters:

You could say MC was like a... more>> bystander at first. He was a mushroom that knows nothing about human emotion. He has no empathy, and simply watch things unfold in front of him. He was a mushroom, and he is only aware of the system of the Abyss. He was used to death of the creatures around him, so he also thinks it's normal. He was cute and will make you feel that you need to protect him at all cost. Now I actually find mushrooms as cute although it was one of my favorite food 😂. I think the person who makes him feel or experience those emotions is the ML only. He knows how to be angry, how to throw a temper, and how to feel happy towards him.

ML on the other hand, I feel so much pity for him. He was handsome and I also love him. The fact that most people is against him killing when he was doing his job right and trying to protect everyone from more death when a heterogeneous slips in. At first, I thought there's something in his eyes where he can see a color in the infected person and where in the body it started. Especially when he first meet the MC. It's actually unclear, and it might just really be his instinct. The way he dotes, but also teases the MC though. The same fact that I only saw him laugh because of the MC. A typical ML but he has more depth.

Even the other characters. It's not just about ML or MC, but also how every characters tried their best to save humanity.

The overall story was really good. I cried at the near end but thankfully, it's really a happy ending. The extras are also cute. Showing snippets of their life after the ending. I binged read it and finished it in one night. Definitely worth it. <<less
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eleen
eleen rated it
December 23, 2022
Status: Completed
This novel left me crying. I really dislike MC who doesn't posses great skills. MC should be on per with ML.

Ahhhh, this one, I love little mushroom, he is naive and innocent. Not like those dumb MC. Even as a reader I want to desperately protect him, let alone ML and others. T T
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YoruHana
YoruHana rated it
November 27, 2022
Status: Completed
Good novel. Gives a different taste to doomsday novels.

Though I have mixed feelings bout the ending

Spoiler

I am happy because the MC survived. But I am also sad because it did not gave birth to what he is expecting his spore to be. I hate my imagination cause I think the MC denied his supposed baby/spore a new life

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But everything else. I like it.
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AnihilatorEightK
AnihilatorEightK rated it
November 6, 2022
Status: --
Reading this I felt unbearable sorrow but at the same time I was so happy. Can't remember last book that made me feel so much. I couldn't stop reading and finished it in like 15 hours (english is not my 1st language so I'm not a fast reader).

The story is great and the world feels real. You can easily believe that humanity may perish just like this in a blink of an eye at its own hand. Life is so fragile.

Characters are alive. Mushroom is a mushroom, he is not... more>> a human being so he acts and thinks accordingly. But slowly he learns what it mean to be human and I think he is one of the most humane fictional characters of all times. Lu Feng till the end follows his cause. He sacrifices all he has to it. He is not just an unfeeling tool of the author to evoke compassion from a reader, he is a person. All his actions correspond to his character. Though you may think otherwise at first.

This is a great novel and I recommend it. Just start reading and you won't stop. Be ready for a lot of angst though. <<less
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violetruby
violetruby rated it
August 23, 2022
Status: Completed
This novel is a scam. What little mushroom? This story is indeed about little mushroom, but the journey of the little mushroom surely isn’t as cute as the title. I underestimated the tag-apocalypse.

Sure, there is some cute moments like how naive the MC, but that can’t compare with the situation of the story. It’s literally about doomsday.

Their love is so pure, I like this kind of pure and innocent love. But.. Innocent love doesn’t always means good! Because I think that kind of love will always be accompanied by the... more>> word ‘sacrifice’

still I love this book so much! I enjoy every chapter. The plot is interesting that makes you don’t want to read the spoiler at all. And want to continue the journey with them.

highly recommended! Don’t think twice reading this book! It’s definitely worth your time. <<less
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LazyPeruser
LazyPeruser
August 19, 2022
Status: Completed
When I read the synopsis/description, I thought it will be a BE, so I read some comments and discovered that it is HE BUT a lot of people will die. So whenever MC met characters in the novel, I will try my best to not get close to them, I always say to myself that "oh new character, he/she is gonna die" "is this character gonna die?" or something like that 😂.

... more>>
Spoiler

and I dont regret thinking like that sometimes 😭😂

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What I really love about this novel is it's uniqueness. I've read lots and lots of stories but I never thought that this kind of plot can also be written and be popular as well (because it was so well written). There's some plot holes such as if some characters that MC got close to or met is really alive or dead. But I think it's a perfect plot and I really want more chapters where there are more moments of our main couple.

All in all it is a perfect 5/5 rating for me. So try reading this and don't hesitate. I'm one of those readers who don't want to read stories where the plot is depressing and almost all the characters dies. But I'm telling you that this story don't belong to that category. So give it a try and you won't regret it. ☺️ <<less
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CriTheMarshall
CriTheMarshall rated it
July 22, 2022
Status: Completed
Little Mushroom is the type of danmei I love the most, where the romance isn't the central part of the story but is also not completely sidelined either. The relationship between the MC and ML develops very naturally, with the motives and reasonings behind their actions clearly reflecting their own personalities and life experiences. However, you can also read this novel purely just for the story and the interesting world it offers.

What I absolutely adored was that the author clearly went into the story with a very meticulous and thoughtful... more>> mindset. Often times in danmei, even in ones I really like, there are some moments that are clearly there just to move the plot forward, but viewed by themselves, are ridiculous and illogical. In this novel though, everything was very clear and made sense, which is a huge plus for me personally. All in all, a relatively short but very good read. <<less
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yellauraya
yellauraya rated it
March 7, 2022
Status: Completed
★★★★☆ [4/5 stars]

Reading Little Mushroom reminded me so much of reading Sha Po Lang and Can Ci Pin by Priest, since these novels required brain cells because of the complexity. This novel is a heavy Sci-Fi novel with a lot of science terms and it made me feel so dumb, but it's great! This has an apocalypse setting with mutated creatures rather than zombies. Humanity was about to go extinct and the desperation to survive is quite palpable throughout the novel. The story is heavy and emotional. I felt hopeless... more>> myself at one point, thinking how can they survive this world.

An Zhe (MC) is a naïve, pure and innocent little mushroom turned into human and risk his little life to retrieve his spore while Lu Feng (ML) is a cold, merciless and ruthless judge who executed people who's suspected of being infected/mutated. They have opposite personalities but they do have something in common, their determination and firm conviction. When they decided that they need to do something, no one can shake their principle, both as a human and as a mushroom. Their relationship also progressed so naturally. They both experienced tragic things and if I wasn't informed beforehand that this novel is HE, I would have cried even harder. Knowing that this is HE was the only thing that comforted me in the middle of reading the desperation to survive. This is indeed a wonderful novel. I'm new to apocalyptic setting so I'm not quite used to reading this, but this is really great. Now I understand how a lot of people really loved this. Because I, too, would recommend this for everyone! <<less
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yukicchi
yukicchi
December 28, 2021
Status: Completed
An Zhe's naivety isn't the type that would make you hate him. His personality compliments well with Lu Feng. What I really love about the story is, aside from its concept, the CP's chemistry doesn't seemed forced nor it was rushed. It feels natural and you can see how they're well suited for each other. I really love this, so glad it was an HE.
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dokkaebisan
dokkaebisan
November 5, 2021
Status: Completed
How the doomsday fairytale 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 (#小蘑菇) by Shisi triumphs not only as a bewilderingly beautiful ode to humanity, but also as a significant piece of science fiction:

Readers expecting a delightful adventure romp based on the title alone is in for a surprise! This is more than a quest with an adorable little protagonist in the forefront: this is a tale about The End.

The story is set 100 yrs after Earth's magnetic fields vanished, nearly wiping out mankind thru exposure to cosmic radiation. The fallout mutated most living creatures into... more>> monstrous "xenogenics, " and surviving humans had to live in Bases protected by xenogenic-killing "Judges."

Amidst this dystopian landscape, a sentient mushroom obtains human form and embarks on a journey to retrieve his stolen spore—unwittingly weaving his destiny not only with that of the land's best Judge, but also with the rest of humanity in the process.

The novel gives us an interesting pair thru which we get refreshing perspectives: An Zhe, our mutated mushroom-on-a-mission who tries to distance himself from human affairs; and Lu Feng, the xenogenic-killing Arbiter who vows to always uphold "humankind's interest over all else".

For a dystopian fiction to work, ensnaring your audience with a setting of believable solidity is a must—and Shisi aced it effortlessly. The world-building is top-notch, allowing for its story to unfold in a universe that has a similar multi-dimensional authority as our own.

The wild abode of monsters, the cold Bases of humans, the warm hearths of creatures in between, the entirety of it on the brink of collapse—they all spring to life, with readers treated to a writing that's a feast for the senses. The setting breathes, like a veritable character.

Impressively, all of these pop off the page from an unembellished prose. Powerful in its simplicity, Shisi's writing also gives us cohesive storytelling, which in turn allows for its plot to charge along at a gallop.

By wrapping its philosophical core with the warmth of a bedtime fable, Little Mushroom manages to deliver a powerful and hefty emotional punch. Its commentary on the human condition and unflinching treatment of other heavy themes are what, personally, make it a runaway winner.

Suffused with an omnipresent foreboding, the novel asks: at what point does upholding mankind's interest begin to bring more harm than good? Who decides where the bottom line lies? Forced to be ruthless in the face of doom, when do we become the very "monsters" we so much fear?

By telling a story about what it truly means to be human from the perspective of a creature who, at the outset, doesn't possess a deep understanding or appreciation of it—follies, foibles, and all—Little Mushroom deftly plunges its readers into an existential quagmire.

An Zhe's innocent character provides us an unprejudiced vantage point. From there we get amplified answers to the questions we carry throughout the book: are we really no different from the beasts we're so afraid of? If so, what will it take for us to be worthy of redemption?

The entirety of An Zhe's growth is in itself an invite for readers to reexamine the beliefs we hold about humanity prior to reading the story. That said, his humanization—both from the characterization & literal in-universe perspectives—is a testament to Shisi's literary prowess.

With Lu Feng, we see a figure of authority who precariously straddles the line between hero and villain—and someone who doesn't care about what people will classify him as. His existence asks: will morals hold weight in a world that loses meaning as it teeters to destruction?

Does compassion have any place in a world on the brink of cataclysmic decline? How does kindness become the rudimentary requirement to survive in a place that doesn't even recognize its merits? If all else gets thrown into oblivion, what will you be able to leave behind?

The story's well-wrought themes tap into veins of universal concern. You'll be made to think about faith, its various skeins, and the role it plays in The End; the fleetingness of life, and the inevitability of going "gently into that good night..."

Outside the main characters are voices that give the narrative further depth. Madam Lu/the Rose Manifesto offers us a haunting peek at the lengths society will go through for survival; the firebrand Colin, meanwhile, magnifies the people's call for fairness in the Trials.

With all of these happening, you ask: where does even romance come into the picture? Loving where there isn't supposed to be love is a largely subversive act. When Lu Feng (a xenogenic-killer) loved An Zhe (a xenogenic), it already sparked an implicit revolution of its own, subtly burning the lines separating species that deserve to live and those that don't.

Something as "tiny" as this love would still be powerless against the colossal threat of extinction, but this is no ordinary story, after all: we see this spark get fanned by other hearts to be a raging flame that offers a chance of a new beginning.

Though bleak in tone and themes, Little Mushroom isn't really that dark all through out. In fact, it's shot through with a whimsical kind of comedy and occasional fluff—a blend that, under Shisi's adept pen, just perfectly works.

Replete with philosophies about faith, fate, kindness, redemption, and salvation, #LittleMushroom is—at its heart—an intricately written love letter to humanity.

Need more reasons to read Little Mushroom? The novel bagged the silver award at the 12th 星云奖/Nebula Awards for Global Chinese Science Fiction (Best Original Novel category) ! Here's our talented author Shisi getting her well-deserved recognition! <<less
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Solunter
Solunter rated it
October 5, 2021
Status: Completed
The characters are too adorable. Some said this story will make you cry, but An Zhe was just too adorable that he comforted me. The characters have their own circumstances and personality and the story is not too hard to read.

I feel bad for the characters who wasn't able to find the truth to their questions and also towards Lu Feng who was misunderstood by those people even until the end of their lives. I felt like they didn't deserve it, but life is like that I guess. No one... more>> can know every answer in this world.

The ending was kind of predictable, but it's a justifiable ending for me. I need more though.

Spoiler

I wish An Zhe could find the cave.

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<<less
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coconutmuncher
coconutmuncher rated it
July 15, 2021
Status: Completed
When I first came across Little Mushroom, I was unaware of what to expect.

The simple synopsis intrigued me, and once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. Little Mushroom is a tart, yet succulent novel that reads with the charisma of a high budget sci-fi movie. From the main question of ‘What is it that makes us truly human?’ to the overlying themes of despair and loss.

Despite having a happy ending, Little Mushroom doesn’t fail to smack you with the bitter pang of loss. You begin to wonder... that in the... more>> push for human continuity, did they end up losing a part of their humanity?

What makes you human? Is it being biologically born that way, or possessing humanity?

10/10 recommend this novel, it’s not a straight up tearjerker, but thought provoking nonetheless. <<less
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Bluepersona
Bluepersona rated it
July 4, 2021
Status: Completed
Worth every second of my time. As everyone will suggest, do not just go by the summary, it's so much more. It just cleanses your soul. The writing is beautiful and it doesn't take you much time to get used to the post-apocalyptic world setting. The plot is pretty rapid. The author does not let us stay in one place at all. It gives you that strange sad feeling... where you are desperate to find a home, stay a bit longer, linger a bit longer holding your dear ones. I... more>> really dint except to cry such warm tears.....I mean who would have thought just a little mushroom, devoid of human emotions could make you feel such strange emotions...

The MC and ML are one of those unique sweet couples that deserve all the love on this planet. Throughout the series, you will have one main motto "Protect the MC at all cost, period". He will make your heart warm, will make you shed tears and his smile will melt you away....... trust me, every time I see little mushrooms growing in my backyard now, I just can't stop smiling....

The plot progressing fast also might make you feel a bit uneasy cause there are lots of elements happening here that may bounce above your head.. plus the concept is also to show how fleeting human life is... all lives tbh. Its philosophy heavy, so dialogues form a large part of it and every line is great. But yes, having a bit of science knowledge may help. Some might find it too much to grasp, but it's still enjoyable and that part of the plot does not occupy the series completely.

Nevertheless.. you must read it for the MC and ML. Plus its an HE (in between, you will keep reminding yourself it's an HE, its an HE.... Lollololo) <<less
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ApolloAresZues
ApolloAresZues rated it
April 4, 2021
Status: Completed
Probably one of the most depressing books I've ever read. But that's completely not a bad thing. If I were to describe it, then it feels like watching someone slowly drown and seeing as they struggle and struggle, flailing their limbs, to live but inevitably sink and stop breathing. It's slow burn in both romance and pain. The mood of the entire book is very somber and sad, even when happy things are going on it has this solemn feel as no matter what it seems that ... more>>
Spoiler

humans are destined to die off

[collapse]
. The writing is simple and has many short sentences but I think that's what makes it worse. In the simplicity, theirs cruelty and grief.

The MC is like an omnipotent existence and even extremely dangerous situations feel as though they are distant from him, he is ever tranquil. I feel as though if this was a book written by any other side character besides a mushroom, it would have been much more depressing and terrifying to imagine. So I think it was a wise choice for the author to write it in this pov (MC is more of a bystander) as opposed to a human, otherwise only horror and sadness would be left.

I liked the ML and I thought his thoughts abt his jobs were interesting and unique
Spoiler

He is a judge with the authorisation to kill people on sight if they are suspected of being taken over by the creatures from the outside. Even when it is later revealed that the first judge founded a place to house these exact kinds of people and humans later mostly all become contaminated (aka it was inevitable) ML stands by his decision to mu*der all those people previously, and says that he feels no guilt and was not wrong. I get it bc like you can say he was cruel and that in the the end the human Gene's still got contaminated and it become normalized, but rather than Gene's he was able to protect the human consciousness that survived and the remaining human lives, otherwise humans in terms of conciousness would have fallen years ago. Besides, I think any kind of regret or second thinking would've definitely led to him losing him mind. For years he'd been essentially doing mass mu*der for the "people". He killed both his father and mother who got contaminated. For him to look back and say he was "wrong" he'd prob commit su*cide. It's simply too late for him to look back now.

[collapse]

The whole book is one disaster after another and even the end is hopeful at most, not really a HE for humanity. The romance is
Spoiler

a HE

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. While I was reading this book I listened to Ella Hendersons "Empire" and I felt like it suited this book rather well. If you like to listen to music while reading, give it a listen. <<less
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Gerard de augustus
Gerard de augustus rated it
February 23, 2021
Status: Completed
At first, after reading the title and the synopsis, I thought this is going to be a sweet and fluffy story. Oh boy I was wrong. I wasn't ready for this amazing masterpiece at all. This novel is jam-packed with tension, thrill, romance and heart ache. It's a beautiful journey through complex emotions of humankind.
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EurikaYamato03
EurikaYamato03 rated it
December 6, 2020
Status: Completed
THIS IS SO FREAKING GREAT!

5/5 - The story is so good. The pacing is perfect and everything is just so great. The moment you breath a sigh of relief, some thing will happen and will leave you on edge yet again.

I love how the characters does not have an OP powers like some other stories such as space where they can plant and with spring, etc. I binge read it yesterday and my emotions are still in turmoil but don't worry, this story is HE people, HE. (I chant it... more>> almost everytime when sh*t happens)

If you love reading an apocalypse genre but is getting sick of the zombie ones and too OP main characters, this story is for you. You can really feel the despair the characters in the story felt while reading this. Tho don't love a chara too early, you do not know if they will live till the end.

I also love how the main characters expresses their feelings with each other. Their views of the world and their responsibilities, the sacrifices, the choices, and the conclusion.

The translation is really great as it was translated by Rainbowturtle. An awesome story with a great quality translation. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! <<less
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Starsystem
Starsystem
December 2, 2020
Status: Completed
Interesting and unusual plot. Never thought that apocalypse novel can be this unpredictable in good way. Characters are solid and their actions can be explained.

Ending is weird. Last 10 chapters or so are a bit inconsistent with world-building and made me go 'wtf, how is that possible?'.

Translation is definitely not just straight MTL, some work was done. But it could have been better. Anyway thanks to the translator for the efforts.
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lighterxx
lighterxx rated it
November 27, 2020
Status: Completed
One of the rare novels I wished-for to never end. It is somehow a complex feeling to get when reading novels, you read them, understand their facts and emotions, finish it and ponder over their endings. But it's hard to not being able to leave a novel after its end, even when it's happy, somehow, I want more of everything, more of story, more of characters, more of their future, more of interesting and naked descriptions of feelings, without censorship of a BL novel, and with the realism of bitter... more>> Russian novelists' hate for life and beautiful women. I don't know what to say, all I can say is, its a novel hard to regret reading, and hard to de-attach yourself from. <<less
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