Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

22 reviews

numerous_bees's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.75

This is an incredibly slow book, with approximately the first two thirds feeling like setup. It's written in a meandering, stream of consciousness, style that, while not difficult to read, is often difficult to fathom the purpose of (though that, itself, may be purposeful).
The early chapters occasionally feel like reading an episode of M*A*S*H, but I'd call it humorous or wry rather than funny. It gets significantly less so as it goes on, culminating in a harrowing final third. There is no humour there, there is no purpose to the many deaths, there is only the naked desperation of a man trying to survive a brutal, senseless bureaucracy and a brutal, bloody war. Nothing is surprising any more, no matter how ridiculous, they just become just another awful thing about an awful situation. Of course,

Milo has removed and sold the morphine from the first aid kit when Snowden needs it

. Of course,

Nately's whore (who never gets a name) appears to teleport around the country to stab Yossarian

. Why wouldn't these things happen? 
At the time of writing, 12% of people have tagged this book as "lighthearted", and frankly I hope they're okay.

This was not a fun read and, at the halfway mark, I had decided to pass the book on after I finished it, but now I have turned the last page, it's sitting with me. I think, on balance, I would recommend it but it was not enjoyable. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Suicide

haleyd's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Alcohol, Confinement, Excrement, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Trafficking

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Stalking, Terminal illness, and Vomit

A sometimes humorous, sometimes depressing classic full of paradoxes and contradictions that only prove themselves true, this take on WWII was a bit difficult for me to get through. Once I knew the writing style was to intentionally include these opposites, I became bored and would fall asleep after a few pages. It went more quickly toward the end, but then it was just so sad in some of the final pages, it was that what became the challenge for me. I'm reading this as part of a goal to get through several lists of "banned books" I've found. While I don't think any books should be truly banned, this one made me think several times, "Eek. This is part of the reason this was banned." Most of that is because it is so repulsive and very graphic. But also, things were quite different when this book was written which is evidenced by some of the behaviors wherein described. It could possibly be argued that children's minds are too vulnerable, but I would personally argue that I'd be confident letting my own teenage child read this, knowing that I've raised her well. However, I would definitely warn her that she likely wouldn't want to.

atorno's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Misogyny, War, Xenophobia, Transphobia, and Homophobia

amberinbookland's review against another edition

dark funny slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, War, Murder, Violence, and Sexual violence

impeachnixon's review against another edition

dark emotional funny tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, War, Violence, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Racism, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual violence and Rape

Minor: Antisemitism

alexhaydon's review

dark sad medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Misogyny, War, and Violence

jcdudley's review

I think it's supposed to be deliberately frustrating but I just couldn't bring myself to continue reading it much longer. The characters are wildly unlikable and I had a hard time following the plot up until the point that I put it down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual violence

emily_pemily's review against another edition

dark funny fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Rape, Murder, and Death

Minor: Child abuse and Misogyny

callielorraine's review against another edition

SO COMPLETELY MISOGYNIST! Women are sexual objects with no agency, and all they seem to want to do is have sex. Every description of a woman is about her physical form, and man after man just puts his hands all over women in the story--even nurses helping injured men. There is NO acknowledgment by the author or narrator that this is wrong. It's just the culture and totally accepted. I know this is a satire, but the way women are treated and gazed at didn't feel like satire at all--I felt disgusted and violated myself, just as a woman *listening* to it. I got about 60 percent through, and I don't recall a single woman even having a line of dialogue. It was all told through the male perspective and all about the male gaze and desire. I can't believe this is STILL seen as such a classic in the canon of American literature--a few years ago it even made PBS's Great American Read list--and I can't believe we aren't talking about how totally sexist it is and how much it glorifies sexual assault. We HAVE to change the way we glorify and talk about this book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, and Violence

lisaearley's review

adventurous dark slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence