Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Island of Dr. Moreau

I won't deny that the story has its flaws, but overall I still found it interesting and entertaining.

The protagonist is almost comically incurious. Of all the wild things he witnesses, he's generally just focused on himself and doesn't think any further. It plays into the horror, that he may have seen things coming if he had just put a little more thought into the implications of what he had seen.

I felt like the story didn't give enough weight or attention to this brand new developing culture. It was seen through that old colonial British lens of "lesser" and therefore not deserving of attention. But it was consistent with the characters that they view it that way, and considering the book was in part inspired by the new (at the time) theory of evolution, I think it speaks to how people at that time saw an inherent horror in the idea of something not-yet-human. I think the horror for a modern reader is a little different, but the story still holds the power to make you quietly whisper "what the fuck"

Content Warnings

nubecato's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Content Warnings

thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Content Warnings

bookish_bry's review against another edition

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adventurous dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This was an interesting short read. It has a plot that keeps you engaged, but at the same time that plot isn't really the point of the story. This book is really just one big metaphor reflecting on humanity and what being human means. It's about what separates us from animals and what doesn't. I think the end where

Prendick starts to see the animal traits in real humans

really drives this home.

There's a lot of interesting things this book calls into question. I find myself thinking of the humanity of Doctor Moreau and Montgomery verses the

beast people and wonder which actually express more humanity. I think on that island everyone slipped back to their natural beastly ways at least a bit even the humans and especially Moreau with his horrible cruelty. Montgomery as well seemed to show this with the way he just laid down and accepted Moreau's actions, seeming to slip a bit into obedience. You could even compare the way he bent to Moreau to the way his companion M'Ling bent to him.

Overall, I'd probably give the story about a 3 star rating, but if you view it as an extended metaphor, I'd give it a more than 4 star rating.

Content Warnings

kalea_02's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-paced

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

Content Warnings

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