Reviews tagging 'Dementia'

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

25 reviews

stargirlmolly's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Ableism, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Animal death

Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, and Grief

tungstenmouse's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Certain sentences haven’t aged well but this was excellent. I’m very sad but also very happy I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Dementia, Racism, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Ableism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Excrement, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Incest, Homophobia, Medical content, and Misogyny

It’s an older book so expect language and character attitudes that are not okay now.

kather_doc's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Abandonment, Ableism, and Bullying

Moderate: Classism, Alcohol, Sexual content, Confinement, Child abuse, Dementia, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Medical content

luckyone's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Excrement, Abandonment, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Bullying, Classism, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Animal death

Minor: Alcohol, Classism, Confinement, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Bullying, Child abuse, Dementia, Excrement, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Terminal illness

adamjeffson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Ableism, Abandonment, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Excrement

Moderate: Dementia

jeremie's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Child abuse

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, and Physical abuse

Minor: Dementia, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Alcohol

thogek's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Mental illness

Moderate: Alcohol, Dementia, Medical content, Child abuse, Grief, and Bullying

Minor: Animal death, Blood, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Excrement

ky001113's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Abandonment, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, Cursing, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Dementia

Minor: Animal death, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Ableism, Animal cruelty, and Confinement

inkstutter's review

challenging sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Bullying

Moderate: Sexual content, Dementia, Animal death, Blood, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

purplehulk713's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

So clever and tender, both in format and in content and so heartbreaking. It was not satisfying for me at the end, but that was probably Daniel Keyes's intention. However, the relevant themes of disability, family issues, physical intimacy, and research ethics made Flowers for Algernon so tantalizing. Perhaps the most poignant scene for me was Charlie's reunion with his sister: he is finally able to understand

Spoiler

what happened in their family, even if he might not remember later.

Be aware, this is a book that will force you to recognize your own implicit biases, but I urge you to read it all the more for that very reason. To me, Fay was the most interesting character, as

Spoiler

she was the only person who saw Charlie as a person after his operation and regarded him with care and respect likewise.

But how much do we treat people like things in our society? As if they aren't worth enough that they can simply be discarded? Algernon deserves the most magnificent garden of flowers, blooming every year with the most glorious blossoms. But for now,

Spoiler

will you lay some flowers on his grave?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Child abuse, Dementia, Alcohol, Excrement, and Sexual content

Minor: Incest and Suicidal thoughts