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R.F. Kuang is an artist in portraying the humanity of each of her characters. In my years of reading, I'd developed a habit of blindly accepting the perspective in which the story was delivered - excusing character flaws and mistakes for the sake of the plot. Kuang doesn't give the reader the opportunity to take anything at face value. She challenges you to grapple with the harsh consequences and moral debate that follows even the smallest decisions her characters make. I love her for it.
This is no mere story - but a lesson in learning to see people. An exercise in setting aside one's innate biases to appreciate other walks of life they previously felt no right to consider a connection to.
"Language was just difference. A thousand different ways of seeing, of moving through the world. No; a thousand worlds in one. And translation - a necessary endeavor, however futile, to move between them."
Moderate: Child abuse, Torture, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, Classism
Minor: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization
I don't think I've considered a book this much of a must-read in at least a decade. I'll elaborate further once I get my thoughts and emotions in order, but right now, I struggle to think of a more relevant and poignant fiction book to read in the current state of the world. Just...wow. Please read Babel.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Death of parent, War
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Vomit, Islamophobia, Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, War, Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation
Graphic: Death, Racism, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Classism
I love how symbolic the book is, and how soon the events are foreshadowed. This is an incredibly literary book. This book is about language and the nuances between languages and it challenges the space between language so masterfully. This book tackles the art of writing, translation, and the life beneath what is seen. And we haven't even got to the actual plot and story contents.
Each character felt fully fleshed out and incredibly real. Oh my boy Ramy, poor Ramy. Robin, the main character, makes so many mistakes in all the best ways. I love how he overanalyzes every opportunity he's given, weighing the pros and cons only to uncharacteristically act on emotion and impulse, the very thing he's been taught not to do. In a book where words are everything, Robin tends to give himself away in his mind, yet never quite says the words that give away what he truly means. Victoire and Ramy probably had the best setup to be the best revolutionaries. They had their brains and wits about them, and the ability to rally the crowd, but Robin was the best choice they could've made. Robin was the one with the most and least self-control, and they bet on that. Victoire is the moral compass of the group and they all respect that. Ramy a fearless leader. Letty was the unfortunate sacrifice they needed to make. The one who couldn't hear what the world truly looked like, what didn't confirm what she knew about her world. Robin described her best, if she couldn't have the world, no one could have it. To be loved is to be heard, and she was deaf to their pleas.
As for the story, it's very neatly organized and linear, there were the climaxes that have you on the edge of your seat mixed with the wonderful lulls of normality. I felt like I was with them with the way Kuang described their second and third years. It reminded me starkly of my third and fourth years respectively (and the fallout that occurred around that time as well), it's good to know that it's a common experience (minus revolution of course).
My only qualm thus far is that all the villains are white people. We could've realistically had some brown people turn their backs on their own like what happens in real life, and given how realistically based this story is, I'm surprised there were no brown traitors. I guess you could say that Robin filled that role actually, but he came back so?
The Dark Academia I was looking for to satisfy the itch fr.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
I have enjoyed it so far, with a couple parts in particular sticking out to me, especially [spoiler cw:
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Deportation
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Islamophobia, Death of parent, Colonisation, Classism
Minor: Slavery, Trafficking