Reviews tagging 'Torture'

1984 by George Orwell

680 reviews

lizzyspooks's review against another edition

dark reflective tense 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence

Minor: Rape

justagirlwithbooks's review against another edition

3.0

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

Well... This book had some very interesting and intriguing concepts. And the ending was super creepy and just reading that was really disturbing. But this book gets 3 stars because of the total Edward Cullen vibes that Winston gave off in the first two thirds of the book. It was giving

I want to have sex with you but I also want to kill you.

But then again, this book was written in the 1950s, so maybe I should have expected something else. But the textbook excerpts were a lot to deal with in this book. And I was confused at some points. All in all, it was an interesting read for sure, and I can't wait to listen to the audiobook adaptation. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content

charliecarey's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

idk if anyones ever said this but this was very orwellian

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Murder, and Gaslighting

sunflower7skull's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

i found this book really interesting. perhaps not as horrifying as i expected, but the worldbuilding was quite impressive and im glad i read it. i'd had it on my list for a long time and my favorite part of trading it was the interesting dystopian political commentary!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and War

Minor: Homophobia

hdhreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture, Violence, and Gaslighting

Minor: War

adiafearn's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

roxireads12's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

2.0

Characters were insufferable, the main character possibly being the worst. Another anti-soviet book Orwell wrote for either the British government or the CIA with hardly any merit and any time I hear someone call anything "literally 1984" it makes me want to punch them because they sound like the sheep from the other anti-Soviet novel Orwell wrote, "Animal Farm."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Sexual content

callmeclara's review against another edition

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting

Moderate: Torture and Vomit

amy332's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring reflective tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

rocean2002's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

1984 is a must-read. From the get go of the book there is hope. Hope of escaping to a world of truth and freedoms. Maybe or maybe not one of equality. But then, your hopes are dashed as surely as blood on a sidewalk.

 

The scenes of physical torture were sickening but the mental rewiring might’ve been the scariest part. I desperately hoped that Winston would find a way to out-logic O’Brien but as Orwell writes: “What can you do… against a lunatic who is far more intelligent than yourself, who gives your arguments a fair hearing and then simply persists in his lunacy?”

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture