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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Having your face, ears, arms, and legs blown off provides a lot of room for introspection. The stream of consciousness scratched my brain, and it was crazy trying to decipher between what was real and what wasn't since the narrator could barely even tell. Shit, man, and the anti-war sentiment was carried out so well. I felt for the character a lot, especially when he reflected on his life before he was drafted.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Johnny Got His Gun tells the story of Joe, a terribly mutilated American soldier from WWI that has no eyes, nose, mouth, jaw, tongue, arms, or legs. The entire story essentially takes place in his hospital room and in his mind, as the book shifts between flashbacks, dreams, and the confronting reality that Joe can never escape.
What I first noticed about the book was Trumbo's writing style. He tends to use zero punctuation (sans full stops) making the book a fast-paced read and fairly chaotic. Thoughts are told exactly how one would think them, allowing the reader to enter the mind of Joe extremely intimately. I thought this was very interesting, and instantly made the association of the chaotic structure and the chaos of war.
And this association was seen throughout - it is an anti-war novel after all - making the book just so well thought out. Joe ends up representing the anti-war movement; finally feeling like he is able to express himself and his opinions, he is completely shut down by authority.
The last few chapters of this book are amazing, the beautiful monologue that Joe presents (supposedly in Morse code) is just so important, slowly building up with frustration at the war and authority. But it is as confronting as it is beautiful; my eyes were glued to the pages as my face was constantly changing to reflect my emotions of pity, disgust, and frustration. Trumbo truly achieved his goal of striking emotional chords.
Overall, I think this book is tremendously important. Too many times does Trumbo foreshadow his unknown future, which to us now is known, and we see today the ongoing nature of war and the one question behind it all (a question Joe will never get an answer to, no matter how much he asks): Why?
I'm giving this a strong 4.
What I first noticed about the book was Trumbo's writing style. He tends to use zero punctuation (sans full stops) making the book a fast-paced read and fairly chaotic. Thoughts are told exactly how one would think them, allowing the reader to enter the mind of Joe extremely intimately. I thought this was very interesting, and instantly made the association of the chaotic structure and the chaos of war.
And this association was seen throughout - it is an anti-war novel after all - making the book just so well thought out. Joe ends up representing the anti-war movement; finally feeling like he is able to express himself and his opinions, he is completely shut down by authority.
The last few chapters of this book are amazing, the beautiful monologue that Joe presents (supposedly in Morse code) is just so important, slowly building up with frustration at the war and authority. But it is as confronting as it is beautiful; my eyes were glued to the pages as my face was constantly changing to reflect my emotions of pity, disgust, and frustration. Trumbo truly achieved his goal of striking emotional chords.
Overall, I think this book is tremendously important. Too many times does Trumbo foreshadow his unknown future, which to us now is known, and we see today the ongoing nature of war and the one question behind it all (a question Joe will never get an answer to, no matter how much he asks): Why?
I'm giving this a strong 4.
dark
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
One of the best books I’ve ever read, Johnny got his gun is a story that many have lived. An inescapable prison, it’s horrifying and painfully real. Never leaving Joe’s body, you feel his pain, his memories and his desires. It’s a painful read but it’s one I believe everyone should read. It’s an important piece of literature