Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

1984 by Umberto Eco, Miguel Temprano García, George Orwell, George Orwell

244 reviews

mortalsword's review against another edition

4.5

informative reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Text is dated by modern standards, but the themes are more important now than they may have ever been. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape

cozy_tea_reader's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Ableism, Racism, Self harm

moonblaze7's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Gaslighting

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Rape, Sexual content, Suicide

breadgloves's review against another edition

4.25

dark inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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The dystopian reality George Orwell created in the 40s mirrors our modern reality with scary accuracy. The method of surveillance is even more intense in some cases than the novel portrays; the telescreens have a limitation in their ability to surveil, our phones do not have the same limits. It is easy to be manipulated to love and to hate. It is hard to manipulate the memory of living people whose trauma still rings in their ears. This is why the Ministry of Truth destroys evidence that would prove their word otherwise. The government has assigned vices with Victory Gin and Victory Cigarettes; they want people to have addiction and poor health. The government wants Big Brother to be the warm and fuzzy presence for those who conform and submit, but the threatening and controlling for those who do not. 

While the designed fear of knowledge and freedom lives in both reality and novel, the red-armed woman gives hope. She is evidence that the people will prevail. The feeling of helplessness is designed, but do not let it be your design. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Classism

Moderate: Violence

Minor: War

jj_lee's review against another edition

challenging dark sad

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, War

kreglow's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation

novembers_witch's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Abandonment

shaleen64's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Misogyny

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Pregnancy

ashteroids's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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“Who controls the past, controls the future. Who controls the present, controls the past.” 

A nauseating yet necessary read. If you told me this book was written yesterday, I’d fully believe you. Of course that was the point, but it’s still horrifying how comparable it is to our current political climate. 

It’s unsettling, realistic, defeating, crushing, and so very heartbreaking. I felt sick and emotional throughout, and now that I’ve finished it, even though it’s been a few hours I’m left with sadness and unease, and still finding myself crying thinking about it.

This is one of those books that are typically in high school curriculums, but I am so glad I read it for the first time as an adult at 26. I don’t think I would’ve fully understood and appreciated the impact this book has when I was a teenager, and most likely wouldn’t have returned to it. And if you had read it when you were in high school, reread it. I may need to come back to this book myself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Trafficking

amessina3399's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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To nobody's surprise, this book is absolutely brilliant. Poignant, thoughtful, and scarily timely in this current era, this book is a total page-turner that keeps you invested in the characters, as well as the political landscape of this dystopian world. 1984 will both devastate you and leave you better than before you read it. That all being said, this book is quite heady and at times dense, especially when it's diving into the sociological explanations and implications of the world. But if you can get through those moments with curiosity and your whole-hearted attention, you'll find absolutely genius storytelling and a wonderfully, horrifyingly realistic world.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Classism

Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol