Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Babel: Ou a necessidade de violência by R.F. Kuang

158 reviews

sashajwolf's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is a jewel of a book, so well crafted that you don't even realise it until it sneaks up on you and floors you with a single well timed and perfectly executed blow. 

Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in the history of empire and decolonisation, philosophy, linguistics and/or translation. It's also extremely evocative of Oxbridge academia, but if you aren't prepared to see that atmosphere problematised... well, it's all the more important that you read this, but approach with the caution you'd show an unexploded bomb.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Classism

Minor: Confinement, Gun violence, Infidelity, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation

moonbasket's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative reflective tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book was extremely good. I found the overall exploration of language and the exploitation of British colonialism extremely well done within the context of the novel. It was also extremely well researched and the footnotes made it feel like a non-fiction book in a way that really fit the theme.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Colonisation, Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infidelity, Slavery, Vomit, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Pandemic/Epidemic

Child abuse is in chapter 2 and not telegraphed. The blood and violence is pretty well telegraphed by the narrative. The racism is part and parcel for the time period, but still upsetting.

aidamaria_reads's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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This is a literary middle finger to colonialism, capitalism, racism, classism, sexism and all the other -isms, basically. I admire the way the author came up with the magic system (as a former translation student, it was truly amazing) and how it plays into the historical setting. The writing was wonderful. I wonder how long we’ve got until some government(s) bans this book.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Classism

alicatreadsstuff's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Colonisation, Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War

crusoe's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Can't give this the full 5 stars because I could not connect well to the characters but in every other regard I adore this book! From the slow world-building to a fantastic climactic end; everything lines up. Every character has their own motivations, even the sidecharacters and that breathes real life into the story. It feels like there is much under the surface that can be revealed at a second read. 

As someone who was once ensnared in the claws of academia, the way this story weaves theory with history and critique of the institution was quite nice. 

Can't wait to read more in the dark academia subgenre of 'WTF RICHARD?!'

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Classism

Moderate: Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Alcohol

ellanarose's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional hopeful inspiring slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Classism, Deportation

maresuju's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Racism, Colonisation

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Xenophobia, Murder, War

Minor: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Death of parent

carla20's review against another edition

3.75

dark emotional informative sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Colonisation, War, Classism

asm15's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Car accident

nikki_flowers's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book was brilliant in so many ways that I cannot even begin to adequately put into words. 

This is a book to help you decolonize your mind. The story itself is beautiful and the message is powerful. Fiction like this is so important. People need to see, these stories, to read these stories. Decolonial fiction like this gives us insight and hope and community and so much more. 

As I reflect back on my journey reading this masterpiece I cannot help but think of the events that were unfolding in the world at the same time. 

As I very slowly (for thoroughness sake, not a lack of interest) made my way through the book, I watched the world justify the genocide of Palestinians and the further colonization of Palestine. I watched so so many people, white girls and women in particular, obsess over this book but refuse to put the message into practice. If felt like a fetishization or infantilization of the book and its decolonial efforts. How many read this book and took what they wanted from it for their own selfish reasons and then watch Palestine burn and called Hamas terrorists or stayed completely silent. A completely colonizer move to take what you want from the book and leave the rest to burn regardless of the harm caused.

And yet, how many others read this work and felt its message in their bones. How many saw themselves on the page for the first time. How many people were awakened to liberations struggles. How many felt and cried and turned it into action. How many had hard and necessary conversations with themselves and/ or others because of this book.

That is the legacy of this book. The change it brought about to so many. The perverse colonizer response is not its legacy but rather further example of exactly why we need books like this. 

May this book live on in the hearts of those who have read it and may it fuel our souls in the liberation/mutual aid/revolution/abolition work we do.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol