Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

9 reviews

eve_kadou's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Classism, Gaslighting, Medical content, Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Suicide

Moderate: Body horror and Death of parent

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.

blueberryelf's review

adventurous challenging dark reflective

• Loveable characters? No

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Medical content, Self harm, Suicide, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Dementia, and Racism

emersonseyeball's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Racism, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Addiction, and Violence

Moderate: Colonisation, Cursing, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Classism, Confinement, Murder, Ableism, Sexual assault, and Rape

Minor: Rape, Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Abortion

summerb's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Classism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Racism, Drug use, Grief, Misogyny, and Sexual content

Minor: Addiction, Blood, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Suicide, Vomit, Abandonment, Cursing, War, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcohol, Death, Genocide, Infertility, Self harm, Alcoholism, Violence, Abortion, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, and Terminal illness

devin_raquel's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Read this book because my Brit. Lit. professor said I’d like it, and I was not disappointed. A novel that was written WAY before it’s time, I was completely captivated by the utopian/dystopian (depending on how you look at it) society created by Huxley. I think that this novel shows the pros and cons that are to occur if every inconvenience was erased from the world, and people were “conditioned” from birth to fit in with the whole; individuality having been eradicated fully. Huxley created the most extreme and effective brain washing method I’ve ever seen. The author chooses to write the dialogue randomly and give rolling descriptions, so that the readers experience the same sense of disconnection that the characters feel throughout this book. A society absent of pain, grief, and anger is a society that can’t contain true happiness or fulfillment. It means Huxley has created a society devoid of compassion and empathy, where the emphasis is placed on fleeting pleasures instead of lasting accomplishments. 

The reason this book gets 4.75 instead of 5 stars is because of the ending. While I feel as though Huxley couldn’t have ended his novel any other way, I was left feeling unsatisfied; though I have a sneaking suspicion that was what Aldous Huxley wanted his readers to feel.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Suicide

miaaa_lenaaa's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

3.0

Hmmm, hmmmm, im not sure i can communicate my feelings, perhaps an interpretive dance would be better

<<SPOILERS>>

No wait i wish we had some from iceland after he gets sent there?? Oh and also i hate it when books reference Shakespeare, it high key makes me quale with anger and idk why xx

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Ableism, Abortion, Acephobia/Arophobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, and Xenophobia

worm_book's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Really thought-provoking, and spookily close to the way society is going. I am glad I didn't miss this classic!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, and Suicide

madmilliner's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense 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? Yes

0.25

This book is gross. It is meant to be a warning against excess, and the pursuit of happiness above all else,  but, is so unnerving and bizarre that it just feels campy, and emotionally manipulative. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit