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booksums 's review for:
My Annihilation
by Fuminori Nakamura
dark
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“What does it mean to be alive?”
4.5 stars! My Annihilation is a dark, mind-bending depiction of revenge that is nothing at all like what I expected when I started reading. As a student of psychology who is fascinated by the intersection between the workings of the mind and psychological horror, this book was a dream. It’s perverse and taboo in its technical approach to unraveling humanity to enact revenge, along with its underpinnings of graphic violence and torture, suppressed trauma, death and suicide, and evil at every corner.
Although I can understand how this technical writing may be tedious, especially to one who is unfamiliar with psychological concepts, histories, and experiments, I absolutely loved the esoteric approach. In a way, it magnified the horror of it all, the unsympathetic clinical reports that seem indifferent as they described truly heinous acts against the human psyche. It was also so thrilling seeing concepts I’ve spent so much time and effort learning about being employed in such a unique way, entirely foreign to their intended purpose. Having this disturbing perspective of dark psychology is just so interesting, and it really enunciates the power and complexity of psychology and the human mind. It certainly feels like a warning, one that will not be easy to forget, given the feeling of discomfort and dread that finishing this novel procures.
I honestly feel like I’m still reeling from trying to conceptualise this novel. The way it manipulates you to believe you understand its plot and direction before completely upheaving what you think you know and instead slowly planting seeds of doubt in your mind is just brilliant. It’s hypnotic. Nakamura intrudes into the reader’s mind and rewrites your perception while urging you to contemplate his own convictions. The parallel between the manipulation of the reader’s perspective and that of the human mind of its characters is so impactful.
Overall, My Annihilation is a stunning exploration of the dark side of the human psyche and the power our past experiences and trauma have in our perceptions. Infused with Nakamura’s preoccupation with questions of what it means to be human and to exist in the world, this story is so utterly compelling. I love that it bridges the gap between fact and fiction with the author’s use of reference materials, making it feel authentic and, thus, even more disturbing. It’s dark and twisted and will force you into bouts of discomfort and nausea over and over again, but despite its horror, it is easily a masterpiece.
“Turn this page, and you may give up your entire life.”
4.5 stars! My Annihilation is a dark, mind-bending depiction of revenge that is nothing at all like what I expected when I started reading. As a student of psychology who is fascinated by the intersection between the workings of the mind and psychological horror, this book was a dream. It’s perverse and taboo in its technical approach to unraveling humanity to enact revenge, along with its underpinnings of graphic violence and torture, suppressed trauma, death and suicide, and evil at every corner.
Although I can understand how this technical writing may be tedious, especially to one who is unfamiliar with psychological concepts, histories, and experiments, I absolutely loved the esoteric approach. In a way, it magnified the horror of it all, the unsympathetic clinical reports that seem indifferent as they described truly heinous acts against the human psyche. It was also so thrilling seeing concepts I’ve spent so much time and effort learning about being employed in such a unique way, entirely foreign to their intended purpose. Having this disturbing perspective of dark psychology is just so interesting, and it really enunciates the power and complexity of psychology and the human mind. It certainly feels like a warning, one that will not be easy to forget, given the feeling of discomfort and dread that finishing this novel procures.
I honestly feel like I’m still reeling from trying to conceptualise this novel. The way it manipulates you to believe you understand its plot and direction before completely upheaving what you think you know and instead slowly planting seeds of doubt in your mind is just brilliant. It’s hypnotic. Nakamura intrudes into the reader’s mind and rewrites your perception while urging you to contemplate his own convictions. The parallel between the manipulation of the reader’s perspective and that of the human mind of its characters is so impactful.
Overall, My Annihilation is a stunning exploration of the dark side of the human psyche and the power our past experiences and trauma have in our perceptions. Infused with Nakamura’s preoccupation with questions of what it means to be human and to exist in the world, this story is so utterly compelling. I love that it bridges the gap between fact and fiction with the author’s use of reference materials, making it feel authentic and, thus, even more disturbing. It’s dark and twisted and will force you into bouts of discomfort and nausea over and over again, but despite its horror, it is easily a masterpiece.
“Turn this page, and you may give up your entire life.”