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michaelion's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
i read this once in 2020 (fell asleep in the last hour of the audiobook but i retained the whole story, woke up the next day, relistened to the parts i missed), and watched the truffaut movie in one of my last film classes, but i have the book version and i thought i might as well give it the honest try now that i’m officially integrated into reading.
welp, i gave it 3 stars back when i didnt have a rating system, and 3 stars was too generous. i get what he was going for but there are so many questions and plot holes. WHY do they know how to read if books are illegal is the biggest one! WHO taught them and HOW and WHY. and honestly with that question alone I don’t even need to get into my other issues. the story isn’t good but white people have a very low bar for what they have made into classics. basically anything that happened in real life to people of color they fictionalized and went “isn't that terrible? wouldn’t that be terrible if that happened to us civilized people? and isn’t the prose fantastic? let’s make this a classic.” like there are absolutely better dystopian and censorship based books. let me stop the man’s already six feet under.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Police brutality, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Vomit, Medical content, and War
Minor: Mass/school shootings and Abortion
akvolcano's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I’m glad that I’ve read this now, I doubt I’d have the same perspective if I read it in high school. I find it quite ironic and ignorant that the author claims that “minorities” are the ones destroying literature and thoughtfulness. That THEY would be and ARE the reason information censoring exists. When in current times, it is people who look and think like him, a rich white old man, who are the main source of people who like to censor stories written by and about minorities. He also thinks that complexity can only be created, exist, maintain, in an exclusionist and harmful environment. It is a shame he does not see the beautiful endless deep complexities in inclusivity and understanding and active listening and having empathy for others. He is missing out.
As for the book itself, I wish parts of the afterword was included in the book. I also wish that this book was longer….where it left off still feels like the backstory. I do enjoy the futuristic exploration! I also agree with placing high value on letting ourselves slowing down and giving us a chance to think and to feel. I would like to write down some quotes from this book!
I also find it ironic that this book has been banned on and off. I feel like it proves part of his point that it is more of so the thoughts and actions that happen after reading a book-that is more dangerous than the book itself. The power comes from people, books help with the process of preserving and sharing those ideas.
Overall, I am glad I finally read this book myself. I wouldn’t read it again, nor would I recommend it without heavy discussion, but it does paint a good picture. Oh and also-
The idea of people memorizing books, stories, history-is not original. It comes from Indigenous people and it comes from so many other cultures. But it doesn’t surprise me that credit is not given to the source of which gave him the idea to include it in the book
As for the book itself, I wish parts of the afterword was included in the book. I also wish that this book was longer….where it left off still feels like the backstory. I do enjoy the futuristic exploration! I also agree with placing high value on letting ourselves slowing down and giving us a chance to think and to feel. I would like to write down some quotes from this book!
I also find it ironic that this book has been banned on and off. I feel like it proves part of his point that it is more of so the thoughts and actions that happen after reading a book-that is more dangerous than the book itself. The power comes from people, books help with the process of preserving and sharing those ideas.
Overall, I am glad I finally read this book myself. I wouldn’t read it again, nor would I recommend it without heavy discussion, but it does paint a good picture. Oh and also-
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Classism
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