Reviews tagging 'War'

Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo

26 reviews

weed_babushka's review

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

maevekilcarr's review

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

An emotionally taxing read, but a necessary one. Truly a classic in the sense of remaining painfully relevant as each passing year brings more examples of war, violence, and innocent victims unjustly harmed

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Medical content, War, and Injury/Injury detail

xvicesx's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

A deeply moving descent into madness, showing human ingenuity in the face of untold adversity, though ultimately grim in the way it wraps up. I'm not sure it's the kind of book you'd read over and over again, but definitely the kind of book you want to read before you go off to war for glory.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Medical trauma, and War

Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

guinness74's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

A truly horrifying work that spells out the horrors of war. I did not care for Trumbo’s stream-of-consciousness writing, but I understand its purpose in terms of the main character. And Trumbo certainly gets his point across using Joe Bonham as his example for the terrifying reality of wars. Sure, wars have become a bit more ‘humane,’ I guess, since the WWI setting for this novel. Actually, humane isn’t the right word. Antiseptic, I suppose. But then, I can say that from my safe distance; my privilege, can’t I? Anyway, the worth of this book is compiled into the last couple of chapters. Not that you shouldn’t read it all, but the importance of it is at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail

goemonxiii's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Surprisingly clever for its seemingly narrow premise. The plot goes far beyond its premise of a man with no arms, legs, ears, nose, eyes, or mouth and excels at its purpose of being an anti-war novel. It's perfectly timeless and especially important to read considering the current political tensions in the United States and abroad.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Death of parent

not a happy ending, feels graphic and suffocating at times

eyesofcrows's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was a book to behold. My god. It was devastating. I think I cried every other chapter. I had to take breaks regularly because my emotions got too much.

Johnny’s story is so heartbreaking. It’s also an excellent use of a, somewhat, inconsistent timeline as he comes in and out of memories and consciousness. This was recommended by a friend and I can see why this book was given high praise by them. Sure, the writing style is something to get used to but I’ve read other books with similar styles so it was fairly easy to understand. I just loved it all, really. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

michaelion's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book was mentioned by one of my film professors in our class about the Hollywood blacklist era and I'm so glad I remembered it. You can see why HUAC hated his ass he was a genius!

The audiobook was performed so well but also the intro from the mom really made me emotional. Then I was like fuck this book is gonna fuck me up too isn't it? And then it did. I didn't cry but you really feel every emotion. A book that can truly be universally understood.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Slavery

add_a_little_spook's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Rape, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism

draven_deathcrush's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is now one of my favorite books of all time. It's so good, and everyone should read it!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, and War

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Death of parent

Minor: Infidelity

christmaskid's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This is a difficult read to give a numbered rating. The narrative is difficult to follow in places because it drifts in and out of dream states between past, present, reality and dream. However: a very necessary read when historical context is taken into account as well as the way the novel holds itself today - ‘you point the way and we will point the way.’ Beautiful prose forges a powerful anti war message, especially in Trumbo’s forward and his last few pages

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Blood