Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R.F. Kuang

116 reviews

softselkie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: War

laurareads87's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Babel follows a cohort of students at the Royal Institute of Translation – Babel – where they undertake an intensive curriculum of study in order to eventually be able to work in any number of fields: legal, literature, interpretation, or, most prestigiously, silver-working (here a science wherein the gaps in meaning between translations are captured in silver bars and utilized for all manner of purposes ranging from industrial to military to everyday). Over the course of the novel, the students come to grapple with Babel’s role in British colonial violence, including in the students’ own home countries, and when confronted with the immensity of this role must make a choice. 

Babel grapples with a lot of themes. As the subtitle ‘The Necessity of Violence’ suggests, a core theme is the possibility (or not) of dismantling oppressive systems like colonialism without resorting to violent resistance. The book also addresses the relationship of language with unequal power dynamics, the possibility of language both constraining and enabling change, and the question of whether creating change from the inside of oppressive institutions is possible. Internalized oppression, solidarity and coalition-building across difference, and class dynamics are also important to the story. The critiques here are not always subtle, but critiques of the devastating violence of empire shouldn’t be subtle. Somehow, Babel addresses all of these themes (and more) thoughtfully while also being very readable as fiction – absolutely excellent, absolutely recommend. I want to go read everything R.F. Kuang has written. 

Content warnings: racism, racial slurs, xenophobia, colonialism, death, murder, violence, war, grief, physical abuse, emotional abuse, child abuse, sexism, misogyny, torture, slavery, forcible confinement, mention of blood & injury detail 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Blood and Injury/Injury detail

sarahjanehayes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

I can appreciate the depth of research put into writing this book and the many complexities of each character... but this book was TOUGH to trudge through, almost DNF multiple times

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Grief

Minor: Confinement, Violence, and War

internationalreads's review against another edition

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

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

5.0

R. F. Kuang is the smartest author I’ve ever read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

henriediosa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Vomit, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Confinement, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

amelianotthepilot's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

What a beautifully written book ugh. 
A dark academia fantasy set in Oxford. It's quite long and a bit dense and heavy but so worth it. The author has done a lot of intense research for this so it's quite scholarly and even has footnotes. (which i thought was fun and nerdy) I also felt like I learned a lot about language and etymology. It also has this beautiful way of addressing issues of class and racism in really subtle ways and varied characters. I love the really nuanced ways she had her diverse cast of characters experience racism and micro aggressions in every day life from different ways. It was really comprehensive and I feel like everyone should read this book. But also honestly just a downright fun dark academia adventure fantasy.
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

tumbly_weed's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Grief, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Hate crime, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Islamophobia, Sexual harassment, and War

some_froggish_lad's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

Absolutely, completely based on personal feelings but FUCK THIS BOOK. And thank you i love you so much if I were to compare you to music I'd call it metal

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War

abbyreadsbigbooks123's review against another edition

5.0

Ugh this was really good 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism