Reviews tagging 'Death'

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

37 reviews

livimack's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny informative reflective sad medium-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

4.75

Firstly, Sally Rooney could definitely write this. Secondly, I can see why some places banned this book. And finally, I severely underestimated this book. The blurb also seriously underestimated it, too. And not gonna lie, I could probably analyse this for weeks and still have material to chat about. Good book. Philosophy in action innit. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Sexism, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, and Violence

bookish_bry's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-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

3.5

It's hard to rate this book because I feel like I've seen a bit too much of dystopian media of this type. That isn't really the book's fault because it was written far before most of those stories, but it felt a bit boring and predictable. 

In addition, all of the perspective characters seemed dry to me. I found it hard to sympathize with any of them on a deeper level. That being said, from a structural standpoint I do like the character architypes we had narrating. I like that

Spoiler

Bernard ended up not being the revolutionary character and ended up being seduced by society for a bit before being spurned once again. I also like that John wasn't a perfectly correct character and that he didn't succeed in finding freedom at the end. That was kind of refreshing. I just wish... I cared about him a bit more as a person before that end.

I think to truly appreciate this book, I need to find some sources that put it into perspective a bit more. I think I'd get more invested with a bit more knowledge of the context in which it was written and its impact on the literary world.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Suicide, Death, Slavery, Death of parent, Racism, and Self harm

As a dystopian novel, there is much talk about manipulating and brainwashing a population as well as genetically modifying people.

alreinwarth's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Violence, Classism, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Racism, Murder, Misogyny, Medical content, Physical abuse, Fatphobia, Death, Colonisation, Ableism, Suicide, Pregnancy, Infertility, Grief, Drug use, and Drug abuse

Minor: Abortion, Antisemitism, and Vomit

kwichris's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• 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? Yes

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, and Racism

Moderate: Suicide, Death, and Sexual content

Minor: Abortion

lemonlord_of_the_south's review against another edition

reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I had to read it for school so my view of it is a bit skewed. Certain parts of the commentary about consumerism and authoritarianism were interesting but nothing I couldn't find somewhere else and I just don't understand the sex stuff. They show no purpose, maybe if it was encouraged to increase production of people like products it would make more sense but it's just kinda there. Maybe it's about being distracted by temptation instead of seeing the flaws in their society but it really isn't shown clearly. (Maybe he was just afraid of promiscuity??) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Colonisation, Death of parent, Classism, Death, and Genocide

Moderate: Racial slurs

gabriella_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense 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

4.0

Spoiler

That was when science first began to be controlled—after the Nine Years’ War. People were ready to have even their appetites controlled then. Anything for a quiet life. We’ve gone on controlling ever since. It hasn’t been very good for truth, of course. But it’s been very good for happiness. One can’t have something for nothing. Happiness has got to be paid for. You’re paying for it, Mr. Watson—paying because you happen to be too much interested in beauty. I was too much interested in truth; I paid too.

What an interesting read. Thematically, there’s a lot to dissect but I don’t really have the energy to get into it. The final two chapters were a mindfuck. This is burdened by knowledge: the book.

Spoiler

There was a silence. In spite of their sadness—because of it, even; for their sadness was the symptom of their love for one another—the three young men were happy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Body shaming, Addiction, Death, Violence, Suicide, Rape, Mental illness, Grief, Deportation, Colonisation, Confinement, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Cursing, Cultural appropriation, Bullying, Body horror, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Blood, and Ableism

coincidentally_k's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Sexual content, Body shaming, and Death

Minor: Vomit

hsemily's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia and Racism

Moderate: Death

fogla's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

recriminator's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Death, and Suicide

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abortion