Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

1984 by George Orwell

80 reviews

liagorash's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Stalking

deadeye's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Excrement, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

astrid421's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Gaslighting, and War

nielsrenssen's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

One of the best books of all time written by one one of the best authors of all time. Surprisingly philosophical. Every sentence is masterfully constructed. The fact that the metric system plays a role in Orwell's vision of dystopia is hilariously British. Need to give this an annotated re-read at some point.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and War

lauradanby's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

I listened to this as an audiobook and whilst I enjoyed it, I don’t think I would have been able to finish this if I was reading it in print. There were some long-winded moments where Winston would be reading texts or ruminating on certain ideas that - whilst valuable - sometimes did not keep my attention. That being said, every word is insightful and important in Orwell’s meditation on the nature of power and humanity. 

I felt this novel was particularly relevant in a world where certain individuals are manipulating media - even to the point of revising history and fact - to influence people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Torture, and War

accio_gays's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

Had to read it for English Lit. It was slow and a slog in some places. I hate Winston with a passion,

especially after what happens in room 101

. The ending was so disappointing, NGL. I really wanted

Winston to have revolted and won over The Party, and for him to escape the dystopian world in some way

. It was really thought provoking though, I enjoyed really thinking about what the characters were saying etc, and how they interact in a world not entirely unlike our own. There are some quotes within the book that just made me go on a thought tangent, it was just so exciting to think about. Probably wouldn't have read it if I hadn't taken English tbh, it's not really a book I would've voluntarily picked up. But I'm kinda glad I did, in a weird and twisted way. I love a book that allows me to think. However the outdated and clearly Christian views (the religious undertones that run through the book, about purity, and Big Brother being a higher power etc that just may be the English student in me though) that run through this book made me want to throw it across the room (which I did). the descriptions of many minorities including Jewish people, Fat people, women etc DISGUSTING. I get that Orwell was from the 1940s or whatever but the views of the main character are nasty and say so much about how much of a shitty person the author would've been in our time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Antisemitism, Abandonment, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Alcoholism, Slavery, Vomit, Grief, and Alcohol

mistyswiftie's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

2.5

this book took me over a month to read, i’m so happy it’s over not gonna lie. i can tell that the author was a genius but really the book just wasn’t for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, and Colonisation

nastyabbj's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Gun violence

scruffie's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

It was 12 years ago, the last time I read this book. I remember feeling empty and hopeless after finishing it. Now, the second time, was a little different. I was able to appreciate the quality and precision of the writing. Dark, brutal, relentless.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Alcohol

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual content, Kidnapping, and War

Minor: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

simixfe's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

2.75

There was no need for this to be this f*cking long. 
The concept was good but the implementation was lacking...
I probably would have enjoyed it if it hadn't been written by Orwell



I read it a second time for my A-level and surprisingly I liked it even less. As for now, I would only give it 2⭐ My criticism from the first time reading it still holds true for me but the second time it felt even more annoying and repetitive...

The plot could be summarised with only a few words

Winston: all women bad, government bad too
Julia: I love you
Sex
Talking about rebellion
More sex
Even more sex
Receives "the book" from O'Brien
Info dump 
Arrest
Torture
Rats
Gives in
End

And a lot more passages with only info dump

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Antisemitism, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Slavery, Suicide, and Murder