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Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Medical trauma
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Violence, Blood
The main character, Charlie Gordon, is a man with a mental disability, who undergoes an experimental treatment to increase his intelligence. Rather than focusing on the scientific experiment itself, the book is mainly about how Charlie is treated by others, both before and after the experiment. It's epistolary which makes it a quick read, despite the somewhat dark themes.
For the most part, it felt like a pretty accurate depiction of how society treats disabled people, especially during the era in which the book was written. Unfortunately, I can't say that it reads as totally outdated. Since the 1960s, we've come far in terms of disability justice, but there's still much more work that needs to be done, collectively.
"How strange it is that people of honest feelings and sensibility, who would not take advantage of a man born without arms or legs or eyes—how such people think nothing of abusing a man born with low intelligence."
It's not a perfect book, I felt that the second half wasn't written as well as the first, but it's overall a compelling story that I would recommend.
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Medical content
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Medical content, Dementia, Abandonment, Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Incest, Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Dementia
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Abandonment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Medical trauma
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Dementia, Alcohol
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Medical content, Dementia, Alcohol
The changes in Charlie's reports were paced incredibly well. There's so many memorable moments that will keep you thinking about this story long after you finish it.
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Physical abuse
Minor: Animal death, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Abandonment
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Dementia
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Excrement, Grief, Abandonment