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the_birk's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I would not expect more from an anti war book than this book gave me, and the story of Joe makes suck a powerful symbolism of the horrors of war.
I bought the book out og curiosity and also to face my fears a little bit. The song called “One” written by Metallica is based on this book. It is haunting and dark I I kind of wanted to know the whole story behind the soldier who lost his legs, arms, mouth, eyes, hearing etc.
In some aspects I was expecting more horrors happen in this book, and I’m not saying I was not horrified now and then. I was expected more torment from Joe in his time in the womb, I sometimes felt like he took things too lightly on his situation, like come on, he soendnsix years during this book doing absolutely nothing but being a piece of meat with a brain. I was also surprised that he didn’t show any sign of wanting to die. I know it makes a major part in the movie adaption, and I guess there would probably not be much reflection to read in the book if his only goal was to make someone end his misery.
Regarding the war, the big picture. I really felt the feelings going directly from the author onto the story. The pointlessness of war from the perspective of the individual American, the cruelty towards the wounded soldiers and the dead soldiers with no voice.Joe is dead and Joe is alive and his voice is denied even though he at the end finds a way to communicate. It is not because we can’t her then, it’s because we won’t hear them.
Some sections really felt like preaching with poetic wordings describing the disgusting nature of powerful individuals sending innocent people into wars and the harsh reality revealing that no person would actually accept their death for the sake of democracy.
I bought the book out og curiosity and also to face my fears a little bit. The song called “One” written by Metallica is based on this book.
In some aspects I was expecting more horrors happen in this book, and I’m not saying I was not horrified now and then.
Regarding the war, the big picture. I really felt the feelings going directly from the author onto the story. The pointlessness of war from the perspective of the individual American, the cruelty towards the wounded soldiers and the dead soldiers with no voice.
Some sections really felt like preaching with poetic wordings describing the disgusting nature of powerful individuals sending innocent people into wars and the harsh reality revealing that no person would actually accept their death for the sake of democracy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
inica's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Foundational anti-war book that kind of destroys you from the inside out. Lovely read and my favorite book ever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, War, and Injury/Injury detail
juliaxgulia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
fizzymicro's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Unlike other anti-war books, Johnny Got His Gun focuses less on the happenings of war but rather on the logistics of it, on life before and after, and it seeks to humanize soldiers by bringing light to their individual experience in a haunting, staggering way. As American people, this glorified image of fighting for honor and patriotism is shoved down our throats. Trumbo tears these ideas away from the reader in turn for a reality, in which is glaring and gory and brutal and unforgettable. That reality is simply war.
I've seen this book face criticism for being, in every sense, a ramble. I think that's what makes it so real. With the minimal punctuation, you run through sentence after sentence and naturally they begin to take on this great sense of urgency and panic. It's a genius way to place the reader in Joe Bonham's shoes (or lack thereof). I'm amazed at Dalton Trumbo's ability to somehow write 250 pages of nothing but the inner thoughts of the protagonist, and for a wide span of the book, with little to no action except his memories. You're supposed to get bored. You're supposed to fumble. You're supposed to feel what Joe feels, trapped in this something that is nothing. All he has are his thoughts, and you get no further insight than he does. It's intimate and chillingly personal.
Taking it as it is, the morbid theme of this book is what makes it so striking. You're forced to imagine the unimaginable. Unlike other books which I'd say are not worth their shock factor, Johnny Got His Gun is. I want to force it into the hands of men who dream of going to war for glory, for patriotism, for a fight they know nothing of, for rhetorics no one can grasp.
"There's no word worth your life.... Nothing is bigger than life. There's nothing noble in death." — pg. 137.
TL;DR - read this book.
I've seen this book face criticism for being, in every sense, a ramble. I think that's what makes it so real. With the minimal punctuation, you run through sentence after sentence and naturally they begin to take on this great sense of urgency and panic. It's a genius way to place the reader in Joe Bonham's shoes (or lack thereof). I'm amazed at Dalton Trumbo's ability to somehow write 250 pages of nothing but the inner thoughts of the protagonist, and for a wide span of the book, with little to no action except his memories. You're supposed to get bored. You're supposed to fumble. You're supposed to feel what Joe feels, trapped in this something that is nothing. All he has are his thoughts, and you get no further insight than he does. It's intimate and chillingly personal.
Taking it as it is, the morbid theme of this book is what makes it so striking. You're forced to imagine the unimaginable. Unlike other books which I'd say are not worth their shock factor, Johnny Got His Gun is. I want to force it into the hands of men who dream of going to war for glory, for patriotism, for a fight they know nothing of, for rhetorics no one can grasp.
"There's no word worth your life.... Nothing is bigger than life. There's nothing noble in death." — pg. 137.
TL;DR - read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
weed_babushka's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
maevekilcarr's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- 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? No
5.0
An emotionally taxing read, but a necessary one. Truly a classic in the sense of remaining painfully relevant as each passing year brings more examples of war, violence, and innocent victims unjustly harmed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Medical content, War, and Injury/Injury detail
xvicesx's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
A deeply moving descent into madness, showing human ingenuity in the face of untold adversity, though ultimately grim in the way it wraps up. I'm not sure it's the kind of book you'd read over and over again, but definitely the kind of book you want to read before you go off to war for glory.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Medical trauma, and War
Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
guinness74's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A truly horrifying work that spells out the horrors of war. I did not care for Trumbo’s stream-of-consciousness writing, but I understand its purpose in terms of the main character. And Trumbo certainly gets his point across using Joe Bonham as his example for the terrifying reality of wars. Sure, wars have become a bit more ‘humane,’ I guess, since the WWI setting for this novel. Actually, humane isn’t the right word. Antiseptic, I suppose. But then, I can say that from my safe distance; my privilege, can’t I? Anyway, the worth of this book is compiled into the last couple of chapters. Not that you shouldn’t read it all, but the importance of it is at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail
goemonxiii's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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? It's complicated
4.25
Surprisingly clever for its seemingly narrow premise. The plot goes far beyond its premise of a man with no arms, legs, ears, nose, eyes, or mouth and excels at its purpose of being an anti-war novel. It's perfectly timeless and especially important to read considering the current political tensions in the United States and abroad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Death of parent
eyesofcrows's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a book to behold. My god. It was devastating. I think I cried every other chapter. I had to take breaks regularly because my emotions got too much.
Johnny’s story is so heartbreaking. It’s also an excellent use of a, somewhat, inconsistent timeline as he comes in and out of memories and consciousness. This was recommended by a friend and I can see why this book was given high praise by them. Sure, the writing style is something to get used to but I’ve read other books with similar styles so it was fairly easy to understand. I just loved it all, really.
Johnny’s story is so heartbreaking. It’s also an excellent use of a, somewhat, inconsistent timeline as he comes in and out of memories and consciousness. This was recommended by a friend and I can see why this book was given high praise by them. Sure, the writing style is something to get used to but I’ve read other books with similar styles so it was fairly easy to understand. I just loved it all, really.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War