seulgireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Gaslighting and Violence
Moderate: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Kidnapping, and Confinement
Minor: War, Sexual content, Gun violence, Alcoholism, and Death
riverleafing's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Police brutality, and Stalking
Moderate: Murder and Sexual content
kittygracex07's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Gaslighting, Torture, Violence, and Police brutality
Moderate: Alcoholism, Classism, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and War
Minor: Death of parent, Misogyny, and Rape
leeyongjin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Torture and Gaslighting
Moderate: Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Death and Body shaming
wvelociraptor's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Sexism, Torture, and Gaslighting
Minor: Rape and War
fayyaz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Torture, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse
sp0okysandwich's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Police brutality, Classism, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Murder, War, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Death, Cursing, Confinement, and Sexual content
sugar_fox's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars.
The only possible way to describe 1984, is disturbing.
It’s not from extreme gore or violence, though there certainly is some. It’s from the ideas that this book presents, and the way in which it was executed.
1984 was one of the original dystopias, or at least the one that first gained major worldwide attention (as far as I’ve read), and boy can I understand why.
In my opinion, you don’t read this book for the characters alone- though they are extremely intriguing, so much say I could write an essay on the psyche of Julia and Winston- you read it for it’s frankly quite frightening themes.
In the past, 1984 was seen as a possibility. A possible future for the world to take, one ruled under an iron fist, when even thinking your own thoughts become impossible. While this is a far cry from the world that we live in today, it is interesting to compare the two worlds, and see the path that the world could’ve- and could (unlikely) still- take.
The only reason this book misses out on the extra 0.5 stars, is because of the characters. When I read this book, as I stated previously, I didn’t read it for the characters, and perhaps upon a re-read that will change. I will stop becoming fixated on the world that 1984 presents and will focus enough on the characters. And while I still did care for them, I just felt like something was missing, it may even be, that in comparison to the unique masterpiece of world building that 1984 presents there was no way for the characters to compare.
If this rant somehow hasn’t convinced you to go ahead and buy or borrow 1984, this is your reminder:
Read this book.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Death, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Sexual content
phantomgecko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A book I'd recommend to everyone, but I didn't necessarily like it. Like, the ideas presented are thought provoking. I mean, there's literally two chapters of an anti-totalitarianism manifesto, which isn't thrilling reading.
All in all, it's depressing that such a bleak prediction of the future rings true today. I mean, obvs, it's not spot on, and I disagree with bits. But like...it sure feels familiar.
Moderate: Gaslighting, Confinement, War, Police brutality, Classism, and Torture
leeela's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Misogyny and Gaslighting
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Police brutality, Vomit, War, and Violence