pigeonpersona's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Body horror, Kidnapping, Violence, Gaslighting, and Confinement
clarabooksit'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? No
3.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Injury/injury detail, Death, Infidelity, Grief, and Police brutality
Minor: Sexual assault
emikowos's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.75
Minor: Sexual assault, Torture, and Kidnapping
samarakroeger's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
Anyways, this book deals with themes of loss, memory, confinement, and censorship, just like many well known and loved dystopias. There were clearly many interpretations/allusions to a wide variety of real-life issues, which managed to be both vague and pretty obvious. It’s giving Anne Frank. It’s giving Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative diseases. It’s even giving abusive relationship. Obviously, it’s giving police state — that’s literally what this is.
It’s like someone took Ishiguro’s favorite themes (memory, time, loss) but forgot the nuance and subtlety.
Don’t get me wrong, I still liked the book despite my qualms. I don’t think it’s anything particularly special and only time will tell if it has had a true effect on me. While it felt kind of slow and repetitive at times, I did listen to it in two sittings over the course of 24 hours. And I’ve been in a reading slump. I’d call it a success.
Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Police brutality
saenz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
interesting plot, disturbing to read, with an extremely vague ending
Graphic: Kidnapping
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
some of the content warnings only apply to the fictional story within the storySpoiler
rape, sexual assult and kidnappingmae55's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, and Kidnapping
lindseyhall44's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.0
“Men who start by burning books end by burning other men.”
The Memory Police is a grim dystopic novel, exploring an island dominated by the memory police, a government entity working to destroy historical objects and their recollection in humankind. Defying the memory police can mean death, but our narrator does so, in order to protect her editor-a man who does not forget-from the memory police.
As someone who read 1984 for high school English, I believe this novel would have made an amazing substitute. Both books hold a similar eerie and almost bleak mood, and the corrupt government organization is shared as well. The Memory Police stands out, however, through the utilization of the novel as a form. Also, not to mention that the women in 1989 are written with many stereotypes.
Overall, I would highly recommend for any dystopia fans, and I look forward to picking up The Housekeeper and the Professor in the future.
As always please check trigger warnings before reading!
Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Police brutality, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting
Minor: Animal death
junheechuu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence
gillbethkinder's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Confinement and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Grief, and Injury/injury detail
Minor: Eating disorder and Blood
emmalouisereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Once I just gave up on my assumptions it became a much more mysterious and enjoyable read - enjoyable in the sense I struggled to put it down.
This is an intensely haunting and sad story. It’ll stay with me for a while.
Read for a book club.
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Kidnapping, Rape, and Sexual assault