Reviews with content warning for Medical trauma - Johnny Got His Gun

Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo

14 reviews

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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guinness74's review against another edition

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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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michaelion's review against another edition

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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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christmaskid's review

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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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wyabook234's review

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dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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danimacuk's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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bkmckown's review

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5.0

This book was an emotional ride! This author was well beyond his time and struck every nerve and left them raw. The writing was amazing, the story was tragic and heartbreaking and it made the reader feel such strong empathy.

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