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dee_dee_dee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
niacinamides's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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? Yes
I couldn’t figure out a way to possibly rate this in stars. I loved this book, but I don’t know if I particularly liked it. I’m very glad I read it, but I don’t know if I could read it again. It’s an unbelievably well crafted book but I couldn’t fully see that until I was nearly 3/4 of the way through. I’ll think about the last quarter or so of this book for a long, long time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, and War
corvuscorax's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
A fost o carte destul de greoaie, poate pentru că nu eram neapărat în starea potrivită ca să o citesc sau pentru că nu am trăit experiențe care să mă aducă mai aproape de subiect. Pe alături mi s-a părut o imitație ieftină a lui Kafka, dar alteori stilul lui Heller, înțesat de enumerări adjectivale ca un robinet din care curg ritmic picături, m-a vrăjit și mi s-a părut incredibil de dinamic. În a doua jumătate a cărții au fost cam 100 de pagini care mi s-au părut aproape intolerabile, dar finalul a fost excelent. Pare că o construcție pe alocuri îndoielnică se leagă în cele din urmă ca să ne dea un final care rezumă perfect cartea: sardonic, absurd, deplorabil.
Parcă aș fi vrut ceva mai multă perseverență de la Heller și pe parcursul cărții - a fost genul de roman pentru care e nevoie de multă, multă răbdare, care este însă, în cele din urmă, răsplătită.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and War
Moderate: Rape
ronanmcd's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Ok, first off, this book is hugely problematic in its depictions of women. They are there for relief and using. They aren't allowed feelings of expression.
Aarfy's coerced rape back home, then rape/murder in Rome, and Yossarian's sexual assaults on Nurse Duckett maybe date the book, or were maybe always shocking. These are not comic actions by sympathetic heroes, as they seem to be presented, with the exception of the violence in Rome which is intended to shock.
Apart from that, and it took some doing to read the book with those concerns aside, the book is spot on with its lampooning of war and business. Ostensibly about the military complex in WW2, it hits much harder when read in the post WW2 era of globalised commerce, undeclared wars and covert operations, and the relentless and unquestioning pursuit of prosperity. Anything is ok, as long as you are in the clique and making profit.
Milo Minderbender is the perfect character. Anything is allowed, even treasonous acts, as he pursues personal gain, painting his profit as beneficial for all. It doesn't take a genius to see this in our world of billionaires, voters fooled in voting against their best interests, and politicians aided to the top by foreign enemies. The creation of his character may seem prescient, but it's more likely these things were always there, but just not as exaggerated as now.
Likewise the military police disappearing people, questioning them on unknown charges, finding the evidence tells the opposite of the truth, and ruling they are right anyway because they say they are. In a world that has seen Guantanamo, this no longer feels like satire.
Aarfy's coerced rape back home, then rape/murder in Rome, and Yossarian's sexual assaults on Nurse Duckett maybe date the book, or were maybe always shocking. These are not comic actions by sympathetic heroes, as they seem to be presented, with the exception of the violence in Rome which is intended to shock.
Apart from that, and it took some doing to read the book with those concerns aside, the book is spot on with its lampooning of war and business. Ostensibly about the military complex in WW2, it hits much harder when read in the post WW2 era of globalised commerce, undeclared wars and covert operations, and the relentless and unquestioning pursuit of prosperity. Anything is ok, as long as you are in the clique and making profit.
Milo Minderbender is the perfect character. Anything is allowed, even treasonous acts, as he pursues personal gain, painting his profit as beneficial for all. It doesn't take a genius to see this in our world of billionaires, voters fooled in voting against their best interests, and politicians aided to the top by foreign enemies. The creation of his character may seem prescient, but it's more likely these things were always there, but just not as exaggerated as now.
Likewise the military police disappearing people, questioning them on unknown charges, finding the evidence tells the opposite of the truth, and ruling they are right anyway because they say they are. In a world that has seen Guantanamo, this no longer feels like satire.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual violence, Violence, and War
littlefish's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
4.5
It took me about 100 pages of being confused before I got properly into this but very much worth it in the end. Great study on pointless bureaucracy and power-seeking rich guys, it really made me angry at points!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, and War
Moderate: Sexual violence
obczytane's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Blood, Murder, and War
lynxalot26's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Rape
imaginefishes's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Was difficult to read at times because of the repetitions between chapters and non-consecutive storylines, but it had its funny and ironic moments which make you consider if the structures which hold us down (even in civil society) exist at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Stalking, and Alcohol
Minor: Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, and Gaslighting
madzie's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
medium-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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape and Grief
jujubeans's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
slow-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
3.75
Ok imagine the speed and subject of the plot like this: completely straight and consistent line for about the first 85%, then a quick drop in tone and weirdly enough, style, then a crazy steep climb at the very end. It is incredibly crass, vulgar, violent, gory, confusing, and humorous in the way “Who’s on first“ would be humorous if the characters were depressed, lonely, terrified, and traumatized to a great extent.
I don’t know how I feel about it to be honest.
I don’t know how I feel about it to be honest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
This is not a book for light reading. It will disgust you and horrify you. The sexual violence was most disturbing to me. I’m gonna say that again for good measure: repeated, horrifying, insane degrees of sexual violence all throughout the book.