Reviews tagging 'Death'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

889 reviews

samugranjo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, Classism, Murder, Grief, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Toxic friendship, War, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Sexism

Minor: Confinement, Alcohol, Blood, Addiction, and Genocide

julbel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense 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

4.5

A wonderfully written story about the very real struggle against empire. Seeing how the powerful manipulate and warp both their own people and those whom they oppress to think that their way is inevitable is seeped in truth, and the struggle of the oppressed to make those who benefit from the system see the truth is poignant. The slow burn of the revelation of truth allows for such a painful rejection of their willful ignorance, and makes the fracturing of the group so much more painful. The book is also filled with interesting perspectives on translation and languages, which I found deeply interesting as a bilingual individual. 

Would not recommend to read as a student going through exams because those school days sections are *real*. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Xenophobia, War, Slavery, Death of parent, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Grief, Violence, Torture, Cultural appropriation, and Racism

bookishbisexual's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

An absolutely amazing, unique, awe inspiring read. The characters are so rich in their depth, the amount of research is incredible, and the storytelling makes this hard to put down. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Death, War, and Colonisation

alexsouslesetoiles's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Merveilleux et terrible à la fois. Je ne me suis pas du tout ennuyé. C'est très bien écrit, très percutant et pertinent, avec beaucoup de réflexion politique encore d'actualité. Les personnages sont attachants et complexes. A mettre entre toutes les mains.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Torture, Child abuse, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death, Misogyny, Suicide, Emotional abuse, and Racial slurs

ajobin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book has left me a hollow shell of my former self. I can't wish this suffering on anyone and yet I desperately need everyone to experience it. This may be one of my favorite reads of all time.
The complexity of the characters felt realistic and I was incredibly attached to them all, especially Robin. I loved the world building around translation.
I will say that it's quite a slow pace, and part 5 really dragged for me. Overall though I really think it's a masterpiece.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Death, Blood, and Violence

Minor: Child abuse

sshabein's review against another edition

adventurous informative tense 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? No

5.0

YES THIS BOOK. Read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Xenophobia, Racism, and Death

Moderate: Misogyny

dua_liepard's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Grief, Misogyny, Racism, Blood, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, War, Gun violence, Sexism, and Murder

tabeablu's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.25

In terms of the plot is the book a 10/10. But to be honest, most of the time it was simply boring. Even though the writing style and especially the description of Oxford was magnificent. I’m glad I switched to the audiobook, because otherwise I probably wouldn’t have finished reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Death, Death of parent, and Murder

ka_cam's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was well written and researched as relates to translation- an exploration of identity, friendship, family and academia and critique of colonialism and empire. I was intrigued by many threads of philosophy of translation- of words, of individual minds, of cultures and backgrounds. The historical part of the fiction (translation between past and present!) fell flat for me- it felt like conversations i heard on my college campus in the late 2010s copy-pasted into the 1830s. Though contemporary movements were referenced it didn’t seem like their time, or the magical part of their world, meaningfully impacted how they understood themselves and the world. Rather than history ‘rhyming’ this felt like one of the heavily biased and explanatory translations so often criticized in the text. Though I enjoy how this premise makes you wonder about and question all translations-bringing this critique to the fore! Maybe because of this I also found the plot suspenseful but largely predictable. For me the most interesting parts were the etymology and the internal grappling/soul searching, exploration of complexities, and theorizing of robin (and occasionally other characters, whose brief interludes both validated and challenged Robin’s worldview/analysis of them).  4 stars for readability, great writing, and interesting meditations. Folks might enjoy this more if they are more familiar with/attachment to Oxford and academia/academic identity though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Bullying, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Grief, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Hate crime, Torture, Murder, Racial slurs, Addiction, Death, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Violence, and Classism

Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Pandemic/Epidemic, Slavery, and War

bilal_shumuus's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, War, Self harm, Torture, Colonisation, Death of parent, Genocide, Child abuse, Grief, Murder, Classism, Infidelity, Death, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Blood, Police brutality, Abandonment, Addiction, Islamophobia, and Pandemic/Epidemic