Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

1984 by George Orwell

43 reviews

nikenacs's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective tense medium-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

4.5

[Book club - May 2022]

I now liked this SO much better than when I read it in school at 15. Also really, really reminded me why I like philosophy. '1984' takes the essential philosophical questions "What is (objective) reality? Who constructs reality?" and builds an entire state on the thought that a government could prescribe reality, fleshed out to the last detail. The society and world-building in this is nothing less than spectacular (if absolutely horrifying, of course). Also a great example for a book that puts plot over characters - Winston, Julia etc are just vehicles for the story, examples of people who have been brought up in the society this book aims to paint. Anyways, this was a tough read, but I'm so glad I did read it, and it will stay with me for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Colonisation

Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Antisemitism, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Rape

pranati_pathak05's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and War

evicteline's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Gaslighting, and War

Moderate: Body shaming, Sexual content, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Infertility, Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, and Classism

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

martu_pm's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, and Colonisation

tinnuben's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.5

Do I recommend reading this book? Yes.
Did I hate reading it? Also yes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual content

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

francescabooks's review against another edition

informative reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

bradiehilliard's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War