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“Required reading- but I wanted to read everything my older syblings were reading!”
LaHipChic L wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A soldier that serves in WWI named Joe Bonham, wakes up in a hospital after an artilery explosinon. He slowley realizes that he's lost his arms, legs, hearing, and sight, but his mind functions perfectly making him a prisoner in his own body. He tries to commit suicide by suffocating himself only to find that he's been given a tracheotomy. During the whole book he slowley drifts between fantasy and reality.
Ryan L wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Johnny Got His Gun was banned because it showed the negative aspects of the military.”
“A novel who ultimately would be banned numerous times within the US due to its strong anti war and grusome portaryals of what happened to an American World War 1 soldier, is it worth reading? YES...its a definate read and a real classic American novel.... do yourself a huge favor read the novel ”
Charlie . wrote this review Friday, November 20 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“My favorite book...read it in one night many years ago when I was laid up with a knee injury. Read it again after that, and it remains my fave.”
Ruby O wrote this review Friday, November 13 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I've seen the movie many times and finally found a used copy of the book.”
Laura D wrote this review Tuesday, November 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“K.R.
Kelli R wrote this review Wednesday, October 21 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Johnny Got His Gun was banned for two main reasons. The profanity that was used throughout the book, and the unpatriotic feeling of the book. The book was first published in 1939, right at the start of WWII. The White House felt the book would diminish the war effort, and had decided to ban the book during the war.
My personal review:
I thought that Johnny Got His Gun was a great book. Even though it started out a little confusing, after the book got going it was becoming easier and easier to understand whether Joe was dreaming, or if it was a past memory. I don't agree with the basis in the book to keep Joe alive. He is a quadruple amputee, with basically his face blown off. He is left to live inside himself, because by some miracle he has competent mind. Joe's one wish was to tour the country to show people the hazards of war. By communicating this to his nurse through Morse Code by banging his head on the pillow. Although when the nurse went to tell the government about his wishes, they turned him down on the basis that it would ruin the efforts of getting people to join the army.”
“a great book to make war real and fatal. don't try to be happy while reading this one. It was probably the seed that became my vision of war.”
Bil wrote this review Wednesday, November 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“RD,
deesquiggle wrote this review Tuesday, October 20 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Why banned?
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo was banned for two main reasons, it profanity and the pacifist tone of the novel. Published two days after the start of World War II in 1939—also 10 days after the Nazi-Soviet Pact—the book was banned from U.S. Army libraries in fear that it could lower the fighting spirit among soldiers by putting fear and insecurity of war in their minds. The book was also banned because it is unpatriotic and antiwar by questioning the need for democracy and the purpose of war. For example, so quotes from the novel are “Why is democracy so important? Why would any man give his only begotten son for democracy?” After the war ended, the book was published again, but then suppressed during the Vietnam and Korean Wars.
Johnny Got His Gun was also banned because of its vulgarity and profanity. The book is very descriptive and has some moments of inappropriate language. Here are some times that Johnny Got His Gun was banned throughout the U.S.:
1973: In Midwest for vulgarity and language
1977: Michigan fro too much profanity, gruesome details of a human beings physical condition, expressing unpatriotic and anti-American ideas and sexual passages.
1977: Wisconsin for too much profanity
1977: Texas for unpatriotic and anti-American thoughts
1977 Colorado for describing main character’s injuries
1977: California for language and description of sexual encounter
1982: Wisconsin for antiwar thoughts
1982: Vermont and Illinois for being too violent
Review:
Johnny Got His Gun overall was a good book. It started out kind of slow, when the main character Joe was reviewing memories of his past and still trying to figure out his injuries. But when Joe decided to make the most of his condition by trying to figure out time and how to speak when he has no arms, legs, no mouth, is deaf, blind, mute, and half of his face is blown off, the pace picks up and the books becomes very hard to put down. It is very suspenseful because you are always wondering whether outsiders will understand what he is trying to communicate. Joe can tell the differences between people by the vibrations of their footsteps as they enter the room and this comforts him to know that he is not alone. The book is very engaging and makes you feel pity for Joe and thereby conveying a larger message…is war worth it? This is the main point throughout the book, is democracy worth dying for and that is why the book was banned. I really like Johnny Got His Gun because the way it was written very intriguing and also because of the point of view it was written in—a man who is alive, but basically and better off dead. I would recommend this book to other people if they don’t mind a random text with no commas. At times the book is hard to follow because it switches scenes so abruptly, but overall it is a very interesting book.
””“Why banned?
Renee D wrote this review Monday, October 19 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo was banned for two main reasons, it profanity and the pacifist tone of the novel. Published two days after the start of World War II in 1939—also 10 days after the Nazi-Soviet Pact—the book was banned from U.S. Army libraries in fear that it could lower the fighting spirit among soldiers by putting fear and insecurity of war in their minds. The book was also banned because it is unpatriotic and antiwar by questioning the need for democracy and the purpose of war. For example, so quotes from the novel are “Why is democracy so important? Why would any man give his only begotten son for democracy?” After the war ended, the book was published again, but then suppressed during the Vietnam and Korean Wars.
Johnny Got His Gun was also banned because of its vulgarity and profanity. The book is very descriptive and has some moments of inappropriate language. Here are some times that Johnny Got His Gun was banned throughout the U.S.:
1973: In Midwest for vulgarity and language
1977: Michigan fro too much profanity, gruesome details of a human beings physical condition, expressing unpatriotic and anti-American ideas and sexual passages.
1977: Wisconsin for too much profanity
1977: Texas for unpatriotic and anti-American thoughts
1977 Colorado for describing main character’s injuries
1977: California for language and description of sexual encounter
1982: Wisconsin for antiwar thoughts
1982: Vermont and Illinois for being too violent
Review:
Johnny Got His Gun overall was a good book. It started out kind of slow, when the main character Joe was reviewing memories of his past and still trying to figure out his injuries. But when Joe decided to make the most of his condition by trying to figure out time and how to speak when he has no arms, legs, no mouth, is deaf, blind, mute, and half of his face is blown off, the pace picks up and the books becomes very hard to put down. It is very suspenseful because you are always wondering whether outsiders will understand what he is trying to communicate. Joe can tell the differences between people by the vibrations of their footsteps as they enter the room and this comforts him to know that he is not alone. The book is very engaging and makes you feel pity for Joe and thereby conveying a larger message…is war worth it? This is the main point throughout the book, is democracy worth dying for and that is why the book was banned. I really like Johnny Got His Gun because the way it was written very intriguing and also because of the point of view it was written in—a man who is alive, but basically and better off dead. I would recommend this book to other people if they don’t mind a random text with no commas. At times the book is hard to follow because it switches scenes so abruptly, but overall it is a very interesting book.
”
“One of the best antiwar novels written. Published two days after WW2, Johnny Got His Gun sets you up for a trip to a harsh reality. You are immediately transformed into one who has nothing left but the ability to think. ”
Tiffany R wrote this review Wednesday, October 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
