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kailiyahknight's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Alcohol, Classism, Medical content, Violence, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexism, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Torture, Body horror, Confinement, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Murder, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Rape, War, Alcoholism, Slavery, and Addiction
Minor: Homophobia, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Infertility, Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
riverofhorton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The book itself is a somewhat dramatised (hopefully) version of Stalin's Russia/Nazi Germany. It has so many layers to it, and I', still not convinces I've worked out just how deep the 'Party' goes in their propaganda, gaslighting, and plotting against its own citizens.
This is an incredibly well planned out (or perhaps the word is researched) and realised world, where even the bits that are fiction could very easily be real. That, I think, is the true terror of this book: How easily society could go from even today's status, to that found in this book. Thus, Orwell's intention to have this book serve as a warning was fully realised.
Graphic: Animal death, Classism, Cursing, Death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Genocide, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Infertility, Medical content, Misogyny, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Suicide, Vomit, Acephobia/Arophobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Colonisation, Confinement, Deportation, Slavery, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Outing, Police brutality, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Torture, Trafficking, Grief, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, and War
elliotcarlisle's review against another edition
4.25
Moderate: Gore, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Colonisation, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Torture, Body horror, Violence, and War
Minor: War, Suicide, Slavery, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Colonisation, Classism, Alcohol, Blood, Torture, Murder, Mental illness, Gore, Hate crime, Gaslighting, Vomit, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Cursing, Confinement, and Death
hannahcstocks's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Classism, Slavery, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Blood, Confinement, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Body horror, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Sexism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Torture, Violence, Vomit, War, and Xenophobia
natalie_ann's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Rape and Vomit
nicichels's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Torture
Minor: Rape and Vomit
pupaebug's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I absolutely love the world-building of a totalitarian regime. It is why I loved the Handmaid's Tale so much, it was really cool to see a regime that seemed to spring out of our own society and our own history. After reading this, I realized that all the things I loved about the Handmaid's Tale were inspired by this book. Just like Winston, I wanted to know absolutely everything about the Party. Did the
I know that this book is going to stay with me for the rest of my life. What an incredible read.
P.S. Throughout reading this book I felt I could pinpoint the exact moments that inspired Margaret Atwood to write The Handmaid's Tale. The use of the word Unperson (Unwoman, in THT), The emergence of a new society in the wake of the old one, with the war effort always in the background to encourage patriotism and limit rationing of goods. The presence of a regular scheduled catharsis time for all of the citizens to get their rage out on the "enemy" (Two Minutes Hate in 1984, Particicutions in THT). I also really think Margaret Atwood read the Appendix in 1984 and was inspired to include the Historical Notes section in the Handmaid's Tale. It's just too similar. An essay written by an academic after the events of the story that suggest that things have gone back to normal and the totalitarian regime has ended. Newspeak is no longer used, the Party is spoken of as if it is a thing of the past, free thought is free again.
This review is so long. This book is amazing. The general consensus is always about how important a book this is, and it absolutely is important. However, I think a lot more people would choose to pick it up if they knew how genuinely enthralling this book is as a piece of psychological horror.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Body horror, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent and Antisemitism
dropout's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Classism, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit, Chronic illness, Death, Excrement, Hate crime, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Police brutality, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and War
castle_samj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I think I’m disappointed. I had long expected this book to contain some more SCIENCE to its -fiction, yet mostly it dealt with drama and confusing or blurring the lines of reality. I’d wager this was more intended as a political protest and warning tragedy of the existing world governments in the 1940s than a prediction of what was to come. While a lot of the meta-content has, in fact, evolved to become true, it equally mispredicted some changes, lending to its true purpose of protest.
I can not recommend reading this book. Read a synopsis or something, or read Part 2 Chapter 09 and nothing else. I’m not even sure if Orwell was antisemitic by making the ‘villain’ be Jewish (
Graphic: Confinement, Police brutality, Self harm, Genocide, Racial slurs, Slavery, Kidnapping, War, Addiction, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Bullying, Body horror, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Classism, Murder, Colonisation, and Torture
Moderate: Addiction and Alcohol
Minor: Cultural appropriation, Antisemitism, and Grief
seapotatohowisitalrtaken's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, Torture, Police brutality, Gore, and Alcohol
Moderate: Stalking, Infertility, Vomit, Toxic relationship, War, Murder, Mental illness, Body horror, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Medical content, Sexual content, and Rape