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Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Colonisation
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Genocide, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Islamophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Blood, Classism
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Deportation
It is not without flaws. At times the handling of its themes is very heavy-ended, everything is spelled out for the reader and you can see the author's hand very cleary, so much so that you feel a bit pulled out of the narrative. The portrayal of some characters could use some more depth and exploration, in places it felt a little surface-level and stilted.
The ending is maybe a bit too open-ended for my liking.
That being said, the book is still a marvellous feat of the dark academia genre. I loved the reading experience, it was fascinating and gripping, it kept me on the edge of my seat with its twists and turns and put me on a roller coaster of emotions. Just, why did you have to crush my heart like that, R. F. Kuang? My poor boys.
Language was just difference. A thousand different ways of seeing, of moving through the world. No; a thousand worlds within one. And translation - a necessary endeavour, however futile, to move between them.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, War, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Addiction, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Deportation, Pandemic/Epidemic
Babel is immersive, passionate and critical as expected of R. F. Kuang's incredible writing.
I felt like I was transported to Oxford in the past with sprinkles of magic. You could tell how much research goes into this book and it was so heart-warming reading about the friendship and found family of Robin, Rami, Victoire and Letty.
This is my 3rd book of Rebecca Kuang and I can’t wait to read Yellowface soon 💛
Graphic: Drug use, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, War, Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Slavery, War, Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, War, Pandemic/Epidemic