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Sådan en vigtig bog (stadigvæk). Jeg er enormt glad for, jeg fandt den i genbrugsbutikken. Jeg elsker Karin Boyes digte, men hold op, hun er også en mester indenfor prosa!
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love me some 20th century dystopia and, judging by the preface, I was in for a treat, which it mostly was. It feels like a stripped-down cross between 1984 and Brave New World, compiling just the essential elements of a proper dystopic novel. This takes me to my complaints, which can all be boiled down to one thing: I wish it was longer and more complex. I really felt the need for more world-building, I wish I could understand the context in which Boye's World State came to be and more of its inner workings. It felt more like an exercise in writing a dystopic text, rather than a finished piece. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the emphasis on the individuals' lives and how such a totalitarian state limits them. Leo's journey from fanatic patriotism to rebellious convictions is very compelling, especially as he goes through guilt and denial before finally admitting that he cannot support the world he helped to create. I enjoyed how his snarky superiority towards the naive rebels he interrogates turned into a deeper understanding of what they all long for, which is authentic human connection. This could've easily become one of my favourite books, had it had a more complex plot.
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Deserves to be considered among 1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451 as the preeminent works of fascist dystopian fiction.
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Chilling, yet with a spark of hope.
I wonder why Boye chose to only hint at the amount of physical violence needed to uphold a totalitarian society. A character is condemned to death and the protagonist is a prisoner of war, but they all appear to be treated “humanely.” Is brute force, such as physical torture, no longer needed? Has it gone so far that syringes are all it takes?
I wonder why Boye chose to only hint at the amount of physical violence needed to uphold a totalitarian society. A character is condemned to death and the protagonist is a prisoner of war, but they all appear to be treated “humanely.” Is brute force, such as physical torture, no longer needed? Has it gone so far that syringes are all it takes?
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
dark
mysterious
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