Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

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

40 reviews

kalea_02's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Torture, and Murder

Minor: Body horror, Blood, and Alcohol

strabbyfieldz's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

0.5

This book had some really evocative images and ideas, but you can find these ideas in a book that is significantly less socially darwinistic / flat out racist and ableist. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, and Racism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, and Alcohol

Minor: Religious bigotry

anastasiamakes's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, and Cannibalism

Minor: Alcoholism, Infertility, Sexual assault, Slavery, Antisemitism, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

grey_jayne's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.0

This is a problematic book. I first experienced Wells' racism in The Invisible Man but it's also pretty bad here. Here's the proof:

Dr Moreau creates a "negroid" beast person by mutilating a gorilla.

As a document of foundational sci-fi, it is important.  The transformations don't make a lot of sense but what this story brings with it in buckets is...body horror. Moreau's "science" is gory torture and later events, which I won't spoil, bring more body horror. I was surprised how gruesome this book was.

For HG Wells, I'd recommend Food of the Gods, War of the Worlds and The Time Machine over this one. This is still worth a look for where Wells started.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Racial slurs, and Racism

rachelditty's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

RIP Dog-man

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Murder

jowmy4's review against another edition

dark 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, and Suicide attempt

charlottekm's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, and Medical trauma

Minor: Antisemitism

jmmoml's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Aunque supongo que el terror de la isla no me abandonará nunca, a veces se oculta en lo más recóndito de mi mente: una nube lejana, un recuerdo, una leve desconfianza; pero hay momentos en que la nubecilla se extiende y oscurece el cielo por completo. Entonces miro a la gente que me rodea y el miedo se apodera de mí. Veo unos rostros resplandecientes y animados, otros sombríos o peligrosos, otros inseguros, insinceros; ninguno que tenga la reposada autoridad de un alma sensata. Siento que el animal se está apoderando de ellos, que en cualquier momento la degradación de los isleños va a reproducirse a gran escala. Sé que todo es una ilusión, que esos hombres y mujeres son seres perfectamente normales, llenos de sentimientos humanos y de ternura, libres del instinto, en lugar de esclavos de una fantástica Ley: seres diametralmente opuestos a los Monstruos. Sin embargo, me asusta su presencia, sus miradas curiosas, sus preguntas y su insistencia, y ansío estar a solas, lejos de ellos.

   Me gusta como se toma la idea del hombre salvaje para darle un cambio completo. Se ve a el animal humanizado, transformado, arrebatado de sus instintos naturales para darle algo completamente distinto. 
   El Dr. Moreau tortura a los animales, modifica su cerebro y miembros para hacerlos más humanos. Lo peor es que no tiene una causa, no tiene una excusa para hacer lo que hace. Simplemente humaniza a animales y los mezcla, dejándolos libres y sometidos a su mando en una isla.
   Luego de toda esa experiencia horrorosa, en la mente de Edward Prendick permanece un trauma que lo persigue y siente que nunca va a superar. Siempre que mire a la gente va a ver su lado salvaje y primitivo, en el fondo de su mente va a quedarse con la idea de que son animales humanizados. Va a querer escapar de eso, va a querer paz.
   Y eso es lo que hace al final del libro, encontrar la paz.

El brillo de las estrellas me produce, aunque no sepa cómo ni por qué, una sensación de paz y seguridad infinitas. Creo que es allí, en las vastas y eternas leyes de la materia, y no en las preocupaciones, en los pecados y en los problemas cotidianos de los hombres, donde lo que en nosotros pueda haber de superior al animal debe buscar el sosiego y la esperanza.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, and Gore

rachelunabridged's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, and Violence

Moderate: Confinement and Death

beccaand's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, and Medical content

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Blood