Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

88 reviews

donatio's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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: No

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I had some minor difficulties with the book, namely that action took its time, that action scenes felt somehow slow and that none of the characters ever considered changing their position. At first I adored the slow writing because it was a great introduction into fairy-tale Oxford but when action was called for I would have wished for less lingering. 
But that doesn't get in the way of the message: That colonialism, racism, classism and all the other problems mentioned have to be resolved, not only then but in our time and world too. 
Therefor I would say some little changes in the style would have made it a bit better but it still is a very important book and touches on topics not many fantasy stories touch upon. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

dixiecarroll's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad 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: Yes

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Rebecca is a sadist and I am a willing participant. Babel is stunning. It’s uncomfortable. It’s upsetting. It’s magical. This is d e n s e so make sure you’ve got your literature hat on when venturing in. The footnotes are so small but they are so funny. It’s really so so incredible and I think I learned more about the world than I ever did in school… and this was fiction… please read this!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

gusarapii's review against another edition

5.0

challenging 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism

ripxreads's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Death of parent, Murder

Minor: Addiction, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment

lokes's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Classism, Deportation

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail

sakisreads's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional 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

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Babel was an absolutely astounding read. I adored Robin so much and found myself rooting for him and his friends until the very end 🥺

Ramy, Robin and Victoire were my absolute favourites, I appreciated the way in which R.F. Kuang captured Ramy and Robin’s love as well as Anthony and Victoire’s love 😫

I was unsure what to think of this book at first. I’d read the reviews, seen the BookToks etc etc. but it took me some time to get into it thoroughly. However, once we got to Book III, I was invested. I was all in. Kuang writes in a way that is elegant, eloquent and utterly heartbreaking.

Even in the grotesque scenes, for example when Robin kills Professor Lovell, I couldn’t stop reading and visualising how it panned out.

I want to shout about this book from the rooftops (but am scared that someone like that woman on BookTok will come for me 😭)! Truly incredible 👏🏼 I’m so incredibly happy to have read this, but so sad I won’t ever be able to experience it for the first time again ❤️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Grief, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Classism

ynkinnie's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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: Complicated

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This book broke me down at a subatomic level and put me back together. I will never recover from this book in the best way possible. This book is my metanoia, I can never forget the story within the pages. Despite being a book about translation, I can never translate the emotions it made me feel. R.F. Kuang is both my downfall and savior.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Colonisation

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, War, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Slavery, Islamophobia, Death of parent

chaoticnostalgia's review against another edition

3.75

dark tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Vomit, Car accident, Alcohol

zoevjester's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging emotional informative mysterious reflective 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

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Set in 1830's Oxford, with insight to silver trades, opium, translators' guild, and told with full, in-depth characters who shine through the story, and told through a modern lens. Beautifully written, though bitter-sweet in its ending, it is open-ended with the potential for follow-up if wanted. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Xenophobia, Murder, Colonisation, Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

Minor: Alcoholism, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail

jfield351's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious relaxing 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: Yes

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It was a very compelling and easy to read book but the ending seemed cut off midway. does this mean there’s a sequel? it was a great read though, very dark academia. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, War

Moderate: Death, Gore, Death of parent, Colonisation, Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Deportation