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toodeadtoread's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Gaslighting, and Classism
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, and Classism
mickymouse_007's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Did I expect this to hit this hard? No. Was I prepared for this flawed masterpiece? No. Do I regret reading this? Also no.
I love the layers of this book. It makes you cry a bit. Just like an onion. I am never really fond of sci fi or dystopian books but this book changed my perspective. It was a really dense book and I think people should at least have a basic idea of the book and its themes before jumping into it because it could be triggering to some folks (especially volume 3).
I love the world Orwell created and used the political references in his time to write it. It's so shocking and dark and dull and creepy. And it's such a big red flag and serves as a warning for all of us.
I hate this book for destroying me though (Do I have to explain?)
I knew that I would give this book a 5 star rating but vol 3 chapter 2 especially sealed the rating- I had no control over it from that point on. I was crying but no tears came out and my heart was thumping in my chest.
Overall, I love it. definitely recommend. I will read this again and again and again just to understand it on a more deeper level.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body horror, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Police brutality
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
stardustdreamer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Blood, and War
Minor: Misogyny, Rape, Vomit, and Death of parent
manu_k's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
On the writing style: I thought it was very beautifully written, descriptive but not very much so, the exact kind of thing I like. The way it was written and the analogies and the non - linear storytelling in some parts came together so well, it was immersive in the best way.
On the story:
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Vomit
sandy_21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Sexual content, and War
Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Stalking
sofieskj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and War
librarymouse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
1984 almost makes the unwavering patriotism/belief in a singular person/undefined political ideology, that some of my older family members feel understandable. To see the hero worship for an untouchable ideal that contradicts itself and causes harm without room for critique or progress is painfully relatable for me as an American reader in 2022. I think that crushing dread that there may never be a better world than the one you currently live in with all of its flaws and hardships has been one of the few, traumatic, incorporeal heirlooms that's been passed down for generations.
I was genuinely convinced that Winston's fear of rats was going to have stemmed from his baby sister being eaten by them. The repeated mentions of proll women not leaving babies unattended for fear they be eaten by rats combined with the thing Winston had been blocking out, the poverty his family lived in in his early childhood, and his mother and sister's disappearance made that thought a tangible possibility.
Winston's character development before his time in prison was quite interesting. Initially, he was internally quite violent and held a deep hatred for the people around him, especially the women. His dreams of bashing in Julia's skull and his distaste for his neighbor's wife mixed with his misogynist internal monologue made Winston an intensely unlikable character for the first part of the book. Julia's complacency with party rules and regulations so long as they didn't interfere with her sex life, her zealously performed orthodoxy that she performed fluidly and without thought made her similarly unlikable at the beginning. Their pre-prison development made them into almost beautiful people, in terms of personality. They were both developing forms of self expression and learning to appreciate the small joys afforded to the prolls that their stations did not allow. Winston's longing for familial past he could barely remember and Julia's desire to break the rules slowly morphed into a tentatively explored new way of life and love that pulled from both the pre-party way of life and engsoc orthodoxy. The total destruction of their sense of selves during and after their time in prison was upsetting to read, but gave the book a satisfying ending. Winston's breaking point being something so benign and mortal as rats humanized him in such a way that it felt like the culmination of his characterization throughout the book. To have the thing that shatters his psyche be something so ingrained into him that all the mind tricks and double think in the world couldn't erase was weirdly oxymoronic. O'Brien's promise was that they would want to confess and die for the party and the love of big brother before they would be killed, and Winston's descent into truly believing party orthodoxy happened in a way that is recognizable in the real world in the reactions of people with zealous, deeply held belief systems.
I'm glad I didn't read this book in high school. I had too much optimism for the fate of the world then. It would have gone right over my head.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, and Classism
Minor: Antisemitism
nabilzo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Police brutality
fujo_cat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Stalking, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Alcohol
liagorash's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Stalking