Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo

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Title: Johnny Got His Gun

Author: Dalton Trumbo

Genre: War Fiction

Length: 309 pages

Published: 2007 (version I read)

Publisher: Citadel

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) This was no ordinary war. This was a war to make the world safe for democracy. And if democracy was made safe, then nothing else mattered--not the millions of dead bodies, nor the thousands of ruined lives...This is no ordinary novel. This is a novel that never takes the easy way out: it is shocking, violent, terrifying, horrible, uncompromising, brutal, remorseless and gruesome...but so is war.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

This is a pretty brutal story. It's written from the point of view of an American soldier who was grievously injured during WWI. First is his horrifying discovery that his left arm is missing...and then he keeps discovering the rest of the truth of his condition. Through flashbacks as he lays trapped in his condition, you learn the sort of guy Joe is, and about his family and friends. Eventually he manages to convey to military officials that he wants to travel the world so people can see what war is really like. 

Just reading each time he discovers something new about himself after he was shot was like a punch to the throat. I definitely felt a sense of pity for this man, who was conscious and aware, yet could not make the nurses and doctors aware that he was still mentally there. This is definitely a great anti-war novel and worth the read.

You can purchase Johnny Got His Gun through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Johnny Got His Gun? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.