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leahb88's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-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
I was really engaged with this story and read it all in one day. The structure of the book as progress reports and use of spelling/punctuation/language was really well done. I enjoy a good unreliable narrator and I like how we know things have been left out of the reports. As Charlie became less trustful of the researchers, what did he keep to himself? I love how the author created the unbalance between emotional and intellectual growth. This book definitely made me think about what we value in people and what truly matters for a full life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
katsusho_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, and Medical trauma
pandemonicbaby's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
There are a few things I'd like to point at regarding this book.
First of all, I do really like the concept. The story is intriguing: what if an intelectually disabled person had their intelligence enhanced by science? How would they turn out? How would the change their behaviour? Their interaction with the world around them? And most importantly, what would they find out about themselves in the process?
There are many questions this book brings about. I do think it did its job in answering them. It shows us the changes in the life of Charlie, after he goes through a scientific procedure to artifically augmentate his intellect, and how he reacted to them as he started to notice things that he hadn't before. My favourite part of the book is exactly that: the fact that - even though it was published in 1959 - it focuses on Charlie's trauma and him realizing the mistreatment that he used to suffer from people whom he thought were his friends; actions that, before the procedure, he didn't notice were ill-intentioned. It was a really innovative book that brought to light the struggles of the disabled community, - especially the *intelectually* disabled community - that often go overlooked. I feel like this could've been touched upon even more, but considering the time period, it was still enormously groundbreaking.
Anyhow, as Charlie notices during the development of the story, many people who seem to be good, intelligent and sophisticated do not hesitate in making fun of or using a disabled man for their own personal satisfactions. This is very important as it shows how anyone can contribute to ableism, even if they consider themselves to be a person of high moral standards.
However. I do feel that the writing itself lacked a bit of nuance - sometimes, it relied to much in tell, not show instead of the opposite. Some passages were very good at showing what Charlie was going through without outright saying it, but some lacked on that department and seemed to repeat an idea over and over, throwing it at the reader's face so that they'd get it.
Some of the conflict also seemed to be solved very quickly when it seemed like it would need a longer time to be processed, but even though it was rushed it didn't present itself as much of a detriment to the overall enjoyment of the book.
My biggest issue with the book, however, is that many times it seems obviously written by a man (you know what I mean), and sometimes the author seemed to write some things just to make the main character seem "cooler" as his intelligence progressed which kind of broke the immersion a bit. This as in, sometimes it seemed like Charlie was written to be an ideal "Cool Smart Guy" that didn't really fit the overall character.
Also, I was surprised to notice how long it took Charlie to realize he had been treating people with intelligence lower than his own as inferior, just like people had done to him before. I got irritated as I noticed he was being unreasonable with everyone else, even those who tried to help him, because he started to see that they couldn't get on their level. But it does make sense for him to act that way: first of all, his emotional growth didn't follow the same rhythm as his intellectional growth; and second, it seems only normal for someone who started to feel distanced once more from the people around him to have a hard time understanding others. It is a lonely journey diverging from the norm, either way. I don't blame Charlie for acting that way, he was confused with all the sudden changes in perception that were coming to him. One moment, you think the people around you are put upon untouchable pedestals, and in the next, they can't even catch uo to what you're saying.
The ending really hooked me, I should say. The feeling of him slowly losing his memory and his abilities every day, bringing him closer to despair, really resonated with me. It reminds me of my experiences with lost loved ones who would struggle with their memory and grow more irritable and apathetic bevause of their condition. The ending is very sad, but real. It hurts, but it is inevitable.
It really makes you think that the best we can do, as humans, is cherish the love that we have while we still have it.
TL;DR: Although for me, personally, it could've been executed better, the concept of the story itself *is* intriguing and I believe this was a step forward regarding the understanding of disability and ableism by the general population.
First of all, I do really like the concept. The story is intriguing: what if an intelectually disabled person had their intelligence enhanced by science? How would they turn out? How would the change their behaviour? Their interaction with the world around them? And most importantly, what would they find out about themselves in the process?
There are many questions this book brings about. I do think it did its job in answering them. It shows us the changes in the life of Charlie, after he goes through a scientific procedure to artifically augmentate his intellect, and how he reacted to them as he started to notice things that he hadn't before. My favourite part of the book is exactly that: the fact that - even though it was published in 1959 - it focuses on Charlie's trauma and him realizing the mistreatment that he used to suffer from people whom he thought were his friends; actions that, before the procedure, he didn't notice were ill-intentioned. It was a really innovative book that brought to light the struggles of the disabled community, - especially the *intelectually* disabled community - that often go overlooked. I feel like this could've been touched upon even more, but considering the time period, it was still enormously groundbreaking.
Anyhow, as Charlie notices during the development of the story, many people who seem to be good, intelligent and sophisticated do not hesitate in making fun of or using a disabled man for their own personal satisfactions. This is very important as it shows how anyone can contribute to ableism, even if they consider themselves to be a person of high moral standards.
However. I do feel that the writing itself lacked a bit of nuance - sometimes, it relied to much in tell, not show instead of the opposite. Some passages were very good at showing what Charlie was going through without outright saying it, but some lacked on that department and seemed to repeat an idea over and over, throwing it at the reader's face so that they'd get it.
Some of the conflict also seemed to be solved very quickly when it seemed like it would need a longer time to be processed, but even though it was rushed it didn't present itself as much of a detriment to the overall enjoyment of the book.
My biggest issue with the book, however, is that many times it seems obviously written by a man (you know what I mean), and sometimes the author seemed to write some things just to make the main character seem "cooler" as his intelligence progressed which kind of broke the immersion a bit. This as in, sometimes it seemed like Charlie was written to be an ideal "Cool Smart Guy" that didn't really fit the overall character.
It really makes you think that the best we can do, as humans, is cherish the love that we have while we still have it.
TL;DR: Although for me, personally, it could've been executed better, the concept of the story itself *is* intriguing and I believe this was a step forward regarding the understanding of disability and ableism by the general population.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Excrement, Dementia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy
Minor: Incest, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Stalking
krystalgaia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Very reflective, introspective, and I very much enjoyed it. I have filled this book with a lot of paper flags -- that's my own way of knowing that I enjoyed a book.
I loved the writing style: how, regardless of where Charlie was on the intellectual spectrum, it remained true to itself, always straightforward and undecorated, which provokes thought in a way that words packaged in an excess of metaphors can never do. I also loved how everything looped back to how things were in the beginning — but somehow, simultaneously, worse.
It reminds me of a passage in A Little Life, which goes, "x will always be equal to x, no matter what he does." It's just amazing that these two novels, written more than fifty years apart, were able to reflect on the human experience in almost the same way, as if proving that the only other thing constant in the world aside from change is our humanity.
I couldn't give this a full five stars, because some parts were slow and repetitive that I was tempted to put this down for another book. But after the midpoint mark, things were well-paced again and the tension was handled with great care, but it was also after the midpoint mark that I saw how poorly portrayed Alice and Fay were. It was either a goddess or a manic pixie dream girl. Rose and Norma are debatable, though; their strengths and flaws are beyond the confines of gender.
I would've given this 4.9 stars, so I'll just leave the highest rating I can give on this site.
I loved the writing style: how, regardless of where Charlie was on the intellectual spectrum, it remained true to itself, always straightforward and undecorated, which provokes thought in a way that words packaged in an excess of metaphors can never do. I also loved how everything looped back to how things were in the beginning — but somehow, simultaneously, worse.
It reminds me of a passage in A Little Life, which goes, "x will always be equal to x, no matter what he does." It's just amazing that these two novels, written more than fifty years apart, were able to reflect on the human experience in almost the same way, as if proving that the only other thing constant in the world aside from change is our humanity.
I couldn't give this a full five stars, because some parts were slow and repetitive that I was tempted to put this down for another book. But after the midpoint mark, things were well-paced again and the tension was handled with great care, but it was also after the midpoint mark that I saw how poorly portrayed Alice and Fay were. It was either a goddess or a manic pixie dream girl. Rose and Norma are debatable, though; their strengths and flaws are beyond the confines of gender.
I would've given this 4.9 stars, so I'll just leave the highest rating I can give on this site.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Excrement, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
Minor: Homophobia and Suicidal thoughts
dilara2912w's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
lsmith36's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was expecting to be more emotional after reading this book. I think if I had read it when I was younger it would have been more impactful to me, but generally I think this story raises interesting questions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, and Child abuse
Minor: Medical content and Medical trauma
spookily's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, and Excrement
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Dementia
draconia's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Dementia
rainbow_colored_glasses's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
"It's easy to have friends if you let people laugh at you. I'm going to have a lot of friends where I go."
❇ It's incredible how the writing it's done in a way we can gradually see Charlie changing. That was a fundamental touch following the main plot;
-
❇ The audiobook (narrated by Jeff Woodman) was perfect, you could see the difference in the writing and FEEL them through his voice;
-
❇ One thing that pushed me back pushed was the ableism in this book; Charlie's own parents were terrible to him. His mother in denial that his son wasn't "normal", his father being neglectful and the doctors themselves were terrible too.;
-
❇ In approximately 2/3 of the book it was SO tiring and monotonous that I had to stop but mostly it was really well done, the beginning and the end;
-
Basically this books finished me and brought me so much pain just by thinking about it. It felt like something that could really happen. On a less serious note: there's an overdose of white people in it (the kind of think you expect for a book written in 1959).
❇ The parallels Charlie makes between what's happening in his life and his memories of his past, not to mention the dreams and the reality of them. art.;
-
❇ It's truly devastating to see he navigate his life with open eyes and realize how people around him who he before hold dearly were actually AWFUL;
-
❇ It's unclear but it felt like all the trauma he went through made him forgot most of his childhood and even his parents names and faces. Along with the memories that after the surgery reappear in his head.
-
❇ It made me so sad to see Charlie growing and dismissing what before was his goals and becoming someone else entirely-
-
❇ Guorino is a freaking scam want money and gave unnecessary trauma from unknowing people
-
❇ It felt so realistic (?) the whole ideia of doing-a-surgery-to-be-smart coming from ✨trauma✨
-
❇ I have SO MANY problems with his mom, for starters: she shouldn't even have kids, she just started treating her kid *even worse* when she found out she could have other children without mental disorders and before that she was terrible to him, always talking shit about him in the very room he was in and then pretending he wasn't listening and if he were that wouldn't matter too because 'he wouldn't understand anyway'
-
❇ his sister's development WAS FANTASTIC but I was a little pissed because we all knew her as terrible for later she actually grow into a proper person?
-
❇ His regression was so hard to read, that hurt so much, working at the bakery again and the bullying again, the workers at the bakery being his "friends" again after he became like he was before-
- Quotes:
"Charlie, you amaze me. In some ways you're so advance and yet, when it comes to making a decision you're still a child. I can't decide for you, Charlie. The answer can't be found in books or be solved by bringing it to other people, not unless you want to remain a child all your life. You've got to find the answer inside you, feel the right thing to do. Charlie, you've got to learn to trust yourself."
"There is no question about it now. I'm in love. "
"It's easy to have friends if you let people laugh at you. I'm going to have a lot of friends where I go.
PS: please if you get a chance put some flowers on Algernon's grave in the backyard"
"If you ever reed this Miss Kinnian dont be sorry for me Im glad I got
a second chanse to be smart becaus I lerned a lot of things that I never even
new were in this world and Im grateful that I saw it all for a litte! bit."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism and Medical trauma
marisabenn's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.75
This book gutted me. I was so sad for at least a week after reading it. A brilliant story. I loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Dementia