Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Brave New World: A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation by Aldous Huxley

20 reviews

witchhenrietta's review against another edition

dark 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? No

1.0

The most problematic book I‘ve read, probably ever. I know it‘s dystopian and when it was written, but that doesn‘t make it okay. Still promoting this as a classic is ridiculous.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Biphobia, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Classism

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

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.

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

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

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

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

jenna_justi2004's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative 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? Yes

2.0

I hate my life but at least I finished that awful book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

qqjj's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

milenasbooknook's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• 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, Sexual content, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Suicide and Violence

Minor: Body shaming, Abortion, and Death of parent

hurricaneflora's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Slavery, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization

rosinawrites7's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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? Yes

4.0

In the common 1984 Vs Brave New World competition, Brave New World definitely wins for me! It's a much more engaging read and is more similar to current society. Huxley's imagination is incredible. Would definitely recommend - once you get your head around the first chapter or two, the story gets more gripping and I enjoyed the read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, and Terminal illness

rosalind's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

Pinched this quote from Neil Postman (with thanks to another reviewer who shared it here first!) - am copying it here for the purposes of my own reading journal. ‘What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny "failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions." In 1984, Huxley added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us.’ I certainly find the world Huxley so daringly and presciently imagined in the 1930s to be chillingly plausible, even recognisable. With that knowledge, I’m now going to go sit and stare blankly at a wall for a while and wonder whether I should rethink my decision to have kids. Fun book lol would recommend to fellow sadists lmfao xoxo

laurendenton's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-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: Drug use

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, and Violence

Minor: Animal death, Death, Infertility, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment