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?
Article comments
1 - Aaman
Good report on a (forgotten?) relevant book/author
2 - SFC SKI
This book has been overlooked but the writing is strong enough to inspire, Metallica even wrote a song based on this novel.
I recommend this book to all.
3 - Aaman
Which song is that?
4 - Mat Brewster
The song is "One" and the video includes clips of the movie based on the book. It's definitely worth seeking out.
Nice review. I haven't read the book in ages, but it stayed with me a long, long time.
5 - Victor Lana
Great post! By the way, Trumbo directed the movie version of this book. I know it's pretty old (late 60s or early 70s). I saw it once on the late late late show years ago. I remember it as being extremely depressing but quite effective. Donald Sutherland and Jason Robards were in it. I forget who else.
It's worth taking a look at though.
6 - mike
man this book is amazing..the simple thought about being trapped in ones own mind with no way to ommunicate except moving your neck in morse code..this book shows the worst way to die..in suffereing
7 - mr jesper bergman
Thanks for the review, and if you don't mind me saying even the review itself was written with skill.
You should consider writing a book of your own once, it may result in fame.
Best wishes.
8 - marilynn
Thanks for the great review.
I read it years ago; it is one of the most unforgettable books I have ever read. It gave me lots to think about afterwards.
9 - Ktulu
I read this book maybe a year ago. I've been obsessed about it since I heard Metallica's "One" was based on the book. Checked out the background of the book and it was interesting. Makes you think a lot about war, life, and death.
10 - toshiba dell
i hate it i hate it i hate tjhat book
11 - blake
amazing book! a very moving book that makes you be grateful to have arms and legs and be able to communicate to the outside world. love it!
12 - jay
i think that its the dumbest book ever. i had to read it for school and hated it who wants to read about a stump laying in a hospital. and the music video has a totally different ending joe never said to kill him. but yeah the book sucks