Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo

I would like to think that I read this book to gain an insight into the horrors of war, and walked away with a understanding that changed my outlook on violence and how senseless it can be. Unfortunately I am far to jaded for that so at most this satisfied my schadenfreude and left me with a slight impression of "That was a fucked up story." It feels wrong to say that I enjoyed the book, however I can't think of a appropriate synonym.......maybe appreciated......oh well.

For the uninitiated this is a book about one soldier that is injured in World War I, however in the light of his injuries, the word seems to pall in comparison to the reality of what happened to the protagonist. The extent of his injuries I will let the reader explore, however it is suffice to say that it has left him cut off from the world he knew, and he now has much time and more for his thoughts. This for me was not a book about war, it was as much a book about a castaway (honestly as the story plays out castaway is a very good word for what happens to the main character.) This is a story of slow madness, and horrific realizations. If you were to go looking for this book you will find what happened right out in the description, however I believe that took some of the impact away from the realization. This is first person story so I was numbed somewhat to elements of the story as I had already known of them. If possible read this book with no prior knowledge other than the time frame, I believe it will make a better experience for you.I highly recommend it, however it may not be for the faint of heart, the concept of what happens is a shock and it is hard not to imagine what you would do in the same situation.Now that I think back on reading this book, it encouraged me to read more; in case this ever occurred to me I want a library that I can access any time.

I would recommend this for reading when the sun is out and on a beautiful day, anywhere or anytime else will just leave you in a bleak state of mind. Go get your gun, just be prepared for the bang.

Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo