Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

133 reviews

chaosandwildflowers's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-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? Yes

2.5

I wanted to like this book so much. I really did. I love classics! I love challenging books that make you think! But from the moment I turned the first page, I just could not get into it!

First issue: the writing style. It's so...dry? Like even when things get interesting towards the end, it's a bit of a slog to get through. And this might have been the fault of my particular edition, but the paragraphs were SO long and blocky, especially once I got to the book within the book (don't even get me started on how useless I found the book within the book).

Second problem: the characters. To put it bluntly, I hated every single character. All of them. Except for the clothesline lady, I liked her well enough lmao, but everyone else I just wanted to strangle with my bare hands!! And I understand, I get it, I realize that this is part of the book's commentary, but what I've learned from reading this book is that it doesn't matter how ~deep~ the commentary is, if the character whose thoughts I'm reading is hateable and a loser, I just could not care less about what they have to say! And Julia? Equally hateable. She and Winston are, even at their best, SO self centered, I just honestly wanted to throw the book across the room the whole time either one of them was on the page, which was the entire time.

When I take a step back and look at this through the perspective of having read it, I see how Orwell was using every detail to get his message across, this whole idea of warning us of totalitarianism and the danger of not knowing the past, and all of that, but I don't think I will ever willingly read this book again.

So, at the end of the day, would I recommend this book? Yes and no. If you're looking for an entertaining dystopia on the level of The Hunger Games, you're not going to find that here. Buuuuuuut if you're in the kind of headspace where you're ready to read an unentertaining, repetitive, dryly written book with exactly zero likable characters to be seen; if you think you're ready to slog through all that, then yes   would recommend it because I think its the kind of book everyone should read at least once. Just don't go into it expecting to root for the characters or care more than a little about the plot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Fatphobia, Rape, and Death of parent

emmalouisereads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

The story and the world Orwell has created is chillingly realistic as a dystopian. 

I knew a lot of the story from what I gleaned from popular culture. The only surprise really is whether there is a happy or sad ending - which I won’t spoil.

I think I would have appreciated a more ruthless editor. There are times where we have the same information repeated to us over and over, and I found myself thinking, I know Orwell, you told me this. There’s also a large amount of a book read by the main character which confirms what the main character knows, which of course we also knew.. so it would have been perhaps fine to say the book confirmed his knowledge?

At any rate, this is a disturbing tale. Too close to possible in some parts.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and War

Minor: Self harm

kibbles15's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative tense slow-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

3.0

The last time I read this book, I gave the book 1 star. I don't remember my reasoning, but I think it had something to do with the intense descriptions of torture in the last part of the book. Now that I am older, I appreciate this book for what it is. It is a well written (disturbing) book. I would recommend a person read the book at least once in their lives. That being said, I still only give the book 3 stars because the plot moves very slowly and is very explanatory.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and War

pott'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? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

 Winston is a bitch ass motherfucker L + ratio haha imagine getting yourself fucked over so bad what a fucking loser

I found the book quite satisfactory. Its concept really captivated me and the whole setting of it was quite haunting, yet alluring to me. I found myself sitting the book in hand just reading for hours. My only critique would be that

the *book* sequence could have been cut a little shorter. It might just be a pet peeve of mine, but I absolutely can not stand that long of explanations of things, especially if it all could be expressed in much shorter ways. I had to dig myself an audiobook version on the side to get through it and that too, was great misery to me even in 1.75x speed.

Nontheless my slander, I enjoyed the book quite a bit.

What surprised me though, was when I was shocked to learn Winston was a huge misogynist. Of course, this is a book from 1949! What else could I have expected, you may ask. And you are right. That was my mistake and I will learn to think better in the future. Either way, I quite honestly started to want dreadful things to happen to him, as one would when they come across a misogynistic white man. Reasonably, he was a motherless, never felt the love of a woman idiotic little -dipshit in my eyes. Absolute fucking wanker. And well... I was right. That's what he was. His mother- no his whole family was gone. I started to understand him, yet could not redeem him in my eyes just because of a sob story. Regardless, he did get some character development after getting a girlfriend. (common case) And I did realise that he in fact is not the worst of the worst. 

I can not say, that I like Winston, but I can respect his growth. 

Maybe he's not so bad. I would like to apologize and redract my ratio.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture and Violence

Moderate: Xenophobia and War

Minor: Rape and Suicidal thoughts

meganpbennett's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• 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

5.0

1984 is George Orwell's dystopian look at the future. Dystopias are drawn from the present, taking one or two things that are and exaggerate them until they become what could be. Some are more accurate than others, and the more accurate a dystopia, the scarier it tends to be, The surveillance state coming out of the Second World War and the Red Scare of the Cold War, all lead into the Telescreens, the retconning of history, Thought Police and Big Brother. 

1984 is a terrifying look at what could be. It was also not intended to be an instruction manual, but a look at what happens when things are taken far, far, far too far. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Excrement and Vomit

catrinaplace's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring 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? No

5.0

A part of my soul just went missing and oops, I think it was this book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Torture, Police brutality, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Dementia, and Medical trauma

Minor: Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Acephobia/Arophobia

laurenleigh's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

My first time reading 1984! I was extremely impressed by Orwell’s level of detail. I almost want to call it world-building, though I suppose it’s still the same old Earth Orwell found himself on too. I think it’s important to note that Orwell was not a fortune teller. He was commenting on certain facts of his current reality and extrapolating a possible future, which happened to be remarkably true for a number of reasons. It makes me wonder if he was alive today, what might a 2084 book look like? The reality of this fictional work is scary and depressing, but still fascinating. I was most struck by the relationship between media and memory. Can’t help but think of the modern phenomena of fake news. I particularly enjoyed this audiobook narrator, and I think it added a whole new layer of complexity.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture and Xenophobia

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Murder, and War

Minor: Sexual content

sinaprst's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

I read this book 2 years ago and it still sits with me to this day and I think about it at least once a day. 
Though written in 1948 it still feels modern and discusses issues that have never been more important. 
I think everyone should read this book at least once in their life, believe me, you won`t regret it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Vomit, and Police brutality

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Gaslighting

jenna_justi2004's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative sad tense slow-paced

• 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

2.0

Not gonna lie I want to take my eyeballs out and eat them. This shit was so horrifying I can’t even fathom a world like this. But at the same time I see the similarities on how it is today. Not to that extent but enough. And it’s very scary. I didn’t like the book at all but I get the message and I will never ever be reading anything by this man unless I want to unalive myself. I literally have no happiness currently so. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism

tiana_king's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

The world building could’ve been done much better but when you get to the last quarter of the book, it’s most interesting. It was all a set up for the author to monologue about human nature, the cyclic nature of society, and the very Voldemort-esque final message of “power for the sake of power”. Despite it being a monologue it’s pretty thought provoking so I still think it was decent.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and War