Johnny Got His Gun: A Novel

"Who is or was Dalton Trumbo you may well ask? Well, he was the writer behind some classic films including Spartacus and Papillon. He was also one of the many writers, directors and performers blacklisted by a paranoid regime in Hollywood during the 50s. He also wrote books.Johnny Got His Gun was written shortly before the Second World War and is set during the First World War. Aka The Great War; Aka The War to End All Wars. But actually this isn’t really the setting, as the entire book is set inside one man’s head. One man who wakes up confused and has to work out from data (or, more often, lack of data) that he has lost both arms, both legs, his eyes, ears, nose and mouth. The book mingles dream-like memories of his bodied life with the coming to terms of being trapped inside his own new body.It is written as a stream of (barely) consciousness, with very little punctuation to interrupt the thoughts. In fact I didn’t find a single comma in the whole 240 pages. It’s a much easier read than the lack of punctuation implies. However, the subject is NOT easy to digest.The book brilliantly explores what happens to a mind isolated from the outside world except for a sense of touch, pain and of vibration. What happens? It has no choice but to think, to latch on to every piece of information it is lucky enough to get, and to be patient. What it can’t prevent is the slow drift towards a kind of frustrated mania obsessing about every idea it has. At points it is a great amplified description of what goes on in the mind of a writer, or other person who tends towards thinking rather than doing.Johnny Got His Gun is a book against war, and even ends up being a pro-revolutionary polemic arguing for rising up against those who would send innocent young men and women off to be killed in the name of intangible ideas. But what other conclusion could the mind of a previously healthy twenty-year-old man come to, after finding that all that is left of him is his brain and his brain has almost no way to communicate with the outside world?Towards the end of the book, Joe does find a way to communicate. But he has been trapped for so many years with only himself to talk to, that he sends out the same stream of consciousness that has been his monologue for years. His early patience has been replaced by a desperation. Even he can only conclude they think he has gone mad.I loved this book. It was clever, insightful, inciteful, and gripping. A book against the terrors of war, without describing war very much. In fact most of the anecdotes about times at or near the battlefront were darkly amusing or even whimsical. The horror of war for Joe Bonham was not the actual war itself, but the terrible, isolated aftermath. And the fact that it should be allowed to happen at all.At the end, you are feeling Joe’s desperation to be heard, but instead of the opening of a communication channel being his salvation, it is something other than that. We are left with the conclusion that to the outside world he seems mad and probably not worth continuing the communication with. Or even worth keeping alive.This is an amazing book for its feat of taking you into a mind locked in that cruellest of cells – ones own practically dead body; tortured by that most evil of mental tortures – being allowed almost no sensory input and no movement; and having been put there by that most prolific dispenser of unjust punishment – War." -- Peter More

It's that time of year again!That time of year when so many of us become stressed out trying todecide what would be an appropriate gift. One gift I am giving thisyear is a book that has been a favorite of mine since I first read itas a freshman in HS. It is one of the most compelling books everwritten and its theme is very appropriate for these times. The bookis entitled "Johnny Got His Gun" by Dalton Trumbo.For those of you who have never read the book, it is a raw, riveting,gut-wrenching, anti-war novel that should be required reading foranyone advocating war with Iraq. This is an emotional book, whichputs the reader face to face with the human cost of war. It does sowithout any of the slickness which we have come to expect fromsources such as CNN, Newsweek or Time - all of which portray apossible war with Iraq in cold, detached, almost clinical terms. Therealities of war are explored in this book minus the buzzwords, whichare used today to elicit our unquestioning support for a war. Wordslike "weapons of mass destruction" "regimechange" "terrorism" "protect our way of life" areall absent fromthis book.This is the story of Joe, "average American" Bonham and howhis lifewas forever changed by the ravages of the war he was asked to go offand fight and did without question. The book is narrated by Joe andstarts with a description of his life before the war. A rich life,which was, filled with family and friends as well a girlfriend. Likewe all do, he had plans and dreams for his future. Then he wasasked to go off and fight in order to "make the world safe fordemocracy". The publisher writes:"This was no ordinary war. This was a war to make the world safefordemocracy. And if democracy was made safe, then nothing else mattered--not the millions of dead bodies, nor the thousands of ruinedlives...This is no ordinary novel. This is a novel that never takesthe easy way out: it is shocking, violent, terrifying, horrible,uncompromising, brutal, remorseless and gruesome...but so is war."How chilling that paragraph becomes when you inject today'scurrentbuzzwords into that paragraph:"This was no ordinary war. This was a war to make the world safefrom terrorists and weapons of mass destruction. And if the worldwas made safe from terrorists with their weapons of mass destruction,then nothing else mattered---not the millions of dead bodies, nor thethousands of ruined lives, not even our civil liberties."An excerpt from the book reads:"They were always fighting for something, the bastards...if theyweren't fighting for liberty they were fighting for independence ordemocracy or freedom or decency or honor or their native land orsomething else that didn't mean anything...the most important thing is your life little guys. You're worth nothing dead except for speeches. Don't let them kid you anymore. Pay no attention when theytap you on the shoulder and say come along we've got to fight forliberty or whatever their word is there's always a word."Those four sentences from this powerful book make crystal clear in away nothing else ever has, why we as citizens, have an obligation todemand from our leaders that the case for war be made clearly andhonestly. We are entitled to know, minus the buzzwords, what we arefighting for, what the desired outcome is and what the cost will be.By reading this book you will come to understand that when soldiersdie in a war they are not "thinking of democracy and freedom andliberty and honor and of the safety of home and the Stars and Stripesforever." The loss of their lives and their families are probablyfirst and foremost in their thoughts as they face death in a foreignland amongst strangers.The pages inside of this little book have the power to change thehearts and minds of people regarding war. They have the power tomake people pay closer attention to the events unfolding around usand to demand better from those who would lead us into war. Ibelieve it has the power to save lives. If it can do that, thenthis little book will be the most important gift I will ever give.Elizabeth PresleyModerator<BR

I got this book when I found out the song One by Metallica is based on it. I was intrigued. It reads in a style that makes you feel like you're there 100 years ago. It gets sad as you can imagine. But it is so mind bending that you can go on. Loved it and am so glad I read this book.

Despite the tragic premise this is a beautiful book. Johnny’s torment is crafted through layers of gradual awareness of his own situation that references the very simplest pleasures to illustrate his loss. Stunning writing and a most powerful message. I thought it would be hard to read as there is no dialogue but it flows artfully. I shall never forget this book.

Trumbo masterfully describes a horrific nightmare. The flashbacks and beautiful pictures of the main character 's life deepens the empathy towards him, and strengthens the despair he displays. 100% recommended

Sin más, es una historia retorcida, melancólica y en momentos puntuales, emotiva. Es interesante ver como la lengua inglesa ha evolucionado hasta nuestros días, y esto lo podemos notar en la redacción general. Extremadamente recomendable.

The print quality of this book is so bad, but it’s barely readable. I bought this book because I lost my first copy, and I wanted to reread it. The type of lettering was blurry, which made it almost unreadable. Don’t waste your money; look for a different copy.