Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

158 reviews

bella_01's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad medium-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

2.0

I didn't enjoy this book much. The story is well written and easy to read (besides searching the meaning of a few words). I was not a fan of the antisemitism woven through the book.

I did not enjoy the 'book within a book'. I begrudgingly read it because I was unsure whether it was important to the story or not. I found the ending of the book a bit trash too. I have searched for an explanation of it, but haven't felt satisfied.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, and War

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Antisemitism

toodeadtoread's review against another edition

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

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

dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad 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

My god.... this was a hard read. Not in a bad sense but this soaked up all the happiness in me and left be shocked, rooted to the spot. And I love it for every thing it is. 
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. 

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Content Warnings

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

sophs0899's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

honeyvoiced's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Racism and Rape

nikenacs's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

[Book club - May 2022]

I now liked this SO much better than when I read it in school at 15. Also really, really reminded me why I like philosophy. '1984' takes the essential philosophical questions "What is (objective) reality? Who constructs reality?" and builds an entire state on the thought that a government could prescribe reality, fleshed out to the last detail. The society and world-building in this is nothing less than spectacular (if absolutely horrifying, of course). Also a great example for a book that puts plot over characters - Winston, Julia etc are just vehicles for the story, examples of people who have been brought up in the society this book aims to paint. Anyways, this was a tough read, but I'm so glad I did read it, and it will stay with me for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Colonisation

Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Antisemitism, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Rape

stardustdreamer's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

wiggl3s's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is one of those books that you finish and think “nothing really happened did it?” Until later. 

It’s a classic for a reason. You’ll be sitting minding your own business days later and suddenly this book will pop into your head. A quote or an image or an idea will appear in your daily life and you’ll realise just how ahead of its time this book really was. 

The book is about the messages within it rather than the story. It is about both the subtle and glaringly obvious ways humans can be conditioned to believe whatever someone wants if they have the resources. I think this book will stay with me for a while. 

Life really does imitate art. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Religious bigotry

Minor: War

manu_k's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-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

Beautifully horrifying, this book is a ride from start to finish. We know it has been a cornerstone for the dystopian fiction genre, but reading it makes me realize just how much this book has shaped this genre.

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:

the first part was almost boring, which I thought was the point. It showed us how the regime worked, some background to Winston, but didn't actually contribute to advancing the story line as such. The second part was much more fast paced and actually exciting in regards to the advancement of the story, and by far some of the chapters in this part are my favorites. I didn't appreciate the whole 'I love you' debacle in the beginning, but I guess it shows how much sexually and emotionally repressed these people are. I believe it seems very fitting that Julia is introduced as a central character at the start of the second part and her role ends at the end of the second part. The third part was one of the most difficult parts to get through, despite me having experience with reading torture scenes (I read The Surgeon when I was 15, it still haunts me). It was brutal no holds barred kind of writing, with the descriptions, O'Brien's almost - almost - loving teacher like treatment of Winston, and then the change in the way of Winston's thinking, how different it was from the other two parts. The ending was surprising to me, despite knowing that it won't end happily as other dystopian books I have read.

 

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Content Warnings

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

hreads03's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: War

Minor: Gun violence and Sexual content