bold_badger's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Abandonment, War, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Genocide
bearystarry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: War, Medical trauma, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Torture, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Hate crime, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Colonisation, Alcohol, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Murder, Cursing, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Classism, Blood, and Biphobia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual content
redheadorganist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Mental illness, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Lesbophobia and Homophobia
yaboiellis's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Bullying, Classism, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Blood, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Body horror, Death of parent, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: War, Alcohol, Trafficking, Alcoholism, Torture, Xenophobia, and Violence
Minor: Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual violence
linblythe_pub22's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Murder, Classism, Torture, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Homophobia, and Hate crime
satansluckycigarette'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
3.5
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Torture, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Genocide
steveatwaywords'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? It's complicated
2.75
First, though, I have to praise the novel for its politics and references, far more complicated and layered than anything seen in the McTeigue film scripted by the Wachowskis. Moore's world--a mix of 1930s noir and post-apocalyptic totalitarian fantasy--is fairly thick in its home-front power relationships. This is really enjoyable for a dark immersion, if at times a bit bewildering. And while Portman made a fair Evey in the film, she is little like the much-challenged Evey of this work.
Where the story grew ever weaker for me was in the growing omniscience and omnipotence of the title character. Without spoilers, V has more control over these complex comings and goings than seems possible. He is ever-present at the right moments, ever-predicting the choices others will make, and somehow prepared for it all with an arsenal of resources. This is, unfortunately, too quickly explained away through a conspiratorial cliche. Ah, well. In this area, the scripting by the Wachowskis made a more satisfying tension of story, an improvement through film I rarely admit to.
Moore, as he was writing, confessed he was inspired by a bevy of classic writers, from Orwell to Bradbury to and from Harlan Ellison to Shakespeare. A worthy undertaking. But what each of these other writers accomplishes, along with their oppressive power structures resisted by citizenry, is the fallibility, the internal conflicts which center the drama around the characters themselves. Moore's symbolism for V--often clever and widely connected to history--is, unfortunately, too abstract for us to connect to in these ways. Evey, then, is a likely substitute for our empathy, and she works in this way, though she appears far too seldom to be as effective as she might be.
"V for Vendetta" is a great introduction to themes of resistance and totalitarianism for readers unfamiliar with other literature. But I've seen other graphic works accomplish far more in less space. Likely--though I haven't yet read them--Moore develops into a stronger writer in his later works. If anyone has a suggestion what I might read next, let me know.
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, and Torture
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexism
While one might expect violence and brutality from a totalitarian state based on 1930s noir, the sexist tropes in the work have aged particularly badly.xenia_li's review
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Police brutality, Violence, Torture, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Genocide
Moderate: Mental illness, Infidelity, Rape, War, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Murder, Gun violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Incest, Medical trauma, Antisemitism, Drug abuse, Violence, Grief, and Religious bigotry
melodyseestrees's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Torture, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Racism and Lesbophobia
emilo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Torture, Sexism, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Antisemitism, Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Rape, Hate crime, Genocide, Confinement, War, Physical abuse, Murder, Death, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Deportation and Racial slurs