Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

V for Vendetta by Alan Moore

4 reviews

bold_badger's review

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Murder, and Torture

Moderate: Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Abandonment, War, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Genocide

yaboiellis's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Bullying, Classism, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Blood, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Body horror, Death of parent, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: War, Alcohol, Trafficking, Alcoholism, Torture, Xenophobia, and Violence

Minor: Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual violence

samdalefox's review against another edition

dark inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

V for Vendetta is a dark graphic novel based in dystopian England in the 1990s, that teaches very interesting lessons of fascism, anarchism and revolution. Obvious biases that affect my reception of the graphic novel: I'm a communist, and an anarchist sympathiser. I am vehemently anti-fascist and anti-authoritarian and pro-militant action. Of course I was always going to love this story! I preferred the comic to the film, there a couple of significant changes to the film that I feel diminish the story's message. I'd recommend reading the comics, you can buy the complete collection in one volume and I found the style very easy and enjoyable to read.

Pros

•  The inclusion of Valerie is incredibly important. To centre the story of a persecuted lesbian woman of integrity as the manifesto for resilience, resistance, hope, and love is just perfect.“...it was my integrity that was important. Is that so selfish? It sells for so little, but it’s all we have in this place. It is the very last inch of us, but in that inch we are free....It is strange that my life should end in such a terrible place, but for three years I had roses and apologized to nobody. I shall die here, every inch of me shall perish—except one” (156, 160).
• The inclusion of arts as well as the sciences and philosophy. The symbolism of the roses is particuarly beautiful for socialists and communists, referencing Rose Schneiderman's "bread for all, and roses too". 
• The pacing and aesthetic was bang on for a dystopian vision. Heavy shade, stylised thought 'bubbles', interesting strip arrangement. 
• Accurate portrayal of various supporting systems of oppression propping up fascism; racism, homophobia, and notably patriarchy. At first I wanted to put the appallingly frequent slut shaming, misogyny, and sexism into the cons bucket as I didn't enjoy it, but tbh it's a hallmark of fascism so is probably best accepted charitably as accurate and not unecessarily used. 

Cons

• Dare I say, too much focus on the fascist government and not enough on the oppressed people? The novel does a good job at exploring the nuances of consciousness in the people in power; how they are negatively affected by fascism too. But in a graphic novel that claims to want to upset that very balance of power, it would have been nice to have the same nuance and diversity explored within people not in power (excluding V and Evey).
• The
  capture and torture of Evey
  was VERY problematic. It was unjustified as a plotline and completely undermines the anarchism point the novel was trying to make in my opinion. I think Evey's liberation could and should have been achieved in a different way, and the story of Valerie could have been included via a different mechanism.
• I would love a follow up about the BUILDING PHASE. Most dystopian fiction focuses on the destruction phase of anarchy. The building phase in V for Vendetta was at least mentioned, but was never focussed upon. The building phase is not as gritty, glorified, or glamorised, but it is still tough and a worthwhile story to tell. I think V for Vendetta missed a trick by not creating a short sequal or appendix covering the hardships of healing and creating. 
  
  Favorite Quotes: 
  
  

“Everybody is special. Everybody. Everybody is a hero, a lover, a fool, a villain. Everybody. Everybody has their story to tell.”

“Knowledge, like air, is vital to life. Like air, no one should be denied it.”

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture, Misogyny, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent, Death, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Racism, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Confinement

fallandfox's review against another edition

emotional informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, War, Violence, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Sexual assault, Rape, Racism, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Homophobia, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse