Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells

40 reviews

nubecato's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism and Body horror

Minor: Torture

tungstenmouse's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

This book did not age well at all. Some of the attitudes presented are appalling by today’s standards. It’s also brutal and very dark. If you are very attached to animals you may have a very hard time with this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Physical abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

stacyaj's review against another edition

dark tense medium-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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Body horror

Moderate: Gun violence

phantomgecko's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-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? No

4.0

Upsetting.

I love the premise of this story, but I'd've liked to see more horror and action, actually. The existentialism is a fun important part too, of course. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Violence, Blood, and Suicide attempt

kstericker's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Racism, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cannibalism and Fire/Fire injury

bookish_bry's review against another edition

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Death

Moderate: Body horror, Gun violence, Racism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide attempt and Fire/Fire injury

melosamatic's review against another edition

dark medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Body horror

Moderate: Ableism and Racism

heather_freshparchment's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, and Colonisation

Moderate: Racism, Slavery, Antisemitism, and Suicide attempt

starscollision's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Body horror

sofipitch's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

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

5.0

This was a great read. I think the idea of animal people doesn't seem terrifying at all, it's commonly used in fantasy and sci fi, but this book is expertly written to make you feel horrified. I think if it were written in modern day it would be through like genetic changes but making animals into ppl through surgery, while impossible in the real world, is truly horrific when you think about how painful that process must be as well. This is just expertly done body horror with a strong message on scientific ethics.

I am marking ableism and racism just bc of how some of the animal-people are described.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Minor: Ableism and Racism