Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo

4 reviews

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. 

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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

add_a_little_spook's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Rape, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism

bkmckown's review against another edition

5.0

This book was an emotional ride! This author was well beyond his time and struck every nerve and left them raw. The writing was amazing, the story was tragic and heartbreaking and it made the reader feel such strong empathy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail

sassafrasrewts's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Confinement, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide