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neonskylite's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, and War
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
melodyseestrees's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
There are several characters that I wish had been explored more
It also would have been interesting to see the effects Britain was having on other places in addition to China, which may have helped cement each of our four main characters' motivations a bit better. We know explicitly that Robin and Ramy want to help their homelands but Victoire is a little unclear and Letty is Letty.
There is a really great quote about Letty and how her upbringing shapes her world:
The ending was unsatisfactory because of the epilogue.
Graphic: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Colonisation
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Death, Gun violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
We see body horror-esque violence precisely in one scene. There is a lot of blood-related description from that scene on.jess_polishedcomma's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Islamophobia, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
wordywashington's review against another edition
- 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
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, and Classism
Moderate: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
shreyapandey13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
📜 Kuang writes a fantastical reimagination of the 19th century, when British colonial rule was attaining new heights. Language has always played an important role in aiding the imperial agenda. Language can cannibalize, can overpower and destroy cultures. Language can be violent.
✨ It is this violence the author transforms into literal magic; translators are not just wielder of words but are wizards. And just as language has played a pivotal role in spreading colonial rule, their magic becomes no less than a weapon.
✒️ Author R. F. Kuang has a degree in History and is a scholar of Chinese Language and Literature and IT SHOWS. The meticulous detail and research that has gone into writing this book will seriously impress you.
🍁 A gripping narrative interwoven with serious themes like the immigrant experience, imperial violence, and the dangers of political ambivalence this book will make you think and entertain you, leaving you with a fury of emotions.
🪶 I highly recommend this book, especially to those in academia. And people who have a major in language, literature or linguistics—you can't skip this!
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
chemeducator's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Sexism and Xenophobia
sneakymerendinaninja's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Racism and Colonisation
Moderate: Sexism and Slavery
johannaplatt's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Torture, and Violence
mereas's review against another edition
- 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
Besides the foundation to this historical fantasy, the found-family trope touched my soul. I am a sucker for the most of unlikely friends to become a group of four. Between the lines, there are undertones of queer sentiments that also resonated with me, though they do not go further than just that. This, I did not mind because the characters are constantly in survival mode whether physically or emotionally. The reality underneath Rebecca F. Kuang's words is like a goldfish peaking above the water's surface--the social arguments always felt natural and fluid, which hurt the most.
Language holds so much power, yet it can just as easily be lost.
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On a side note, I love to find authors' favorite diction. Rebecca F. Kuang is biased to: teeter, tranquility, translation.
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"'Because you're a good translator.' Ramy leaned back on his elbows. 'That's just what translation is, I think. That's all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your own biases to glimpse what they're trying to say. Showing yourself to the world, and hoping someone else understands'" (535).
"Oxford relied on silver, how without the constant labour of its translation corps, of the talent it attracted from abroad, it immediately fell apart. It revealed more than the power of translation. It revealed the sheer dependence of the British, who, astonishingly, could not manage to do basic things like bake bread or get safely from one place to another without words stolen from other countries" (471). This, made me question what else can stand in for silver. Oil. Petroleum. Fast fashion. And, at what cost?
Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
grievous_glory's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism