Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

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

345 reviews

bookshelfmonkey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• 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

4.75

 Oh god R.F. Kuang's broken my heart again.

Having read the Poppy War trilogy and sobbed for 30 minutes straight after finishing it, I should have been at least somewhat prepared for this, but R.F. Kuang broke down my emotional walls, got me attached to these characters and invested in their lives and futures and relationships and made me fall a little bit in love with this magical, corrupted, broken world, and then did... that.
 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Racism, and Sexism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcohol, Blood, War, Fire/Fire injury, Trafficking, Torture, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, and Child death

nandakandabooks's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Torture, Racism, Murder, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Grief, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: War, Misogyny, Violence, Drug abuse, and Police brutality

Based on the topics are very important books. Also interesting for language learners and translators. Unfortunately I was not interested in thecharacters and point's of interest for me have not been only glanced upon.

lottie1803's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Racism, Colonisation, Classism, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Murder, and Misogyny

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Police brutality

scruffie's review against another edition

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

• 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

5.0

I think this is one my favorite books of all time. Also, I'm in love with Kuang's writing.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Grief, Gaslighting, Torture, Racism, Colonisation, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Racial slurs

bobaduckie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, War, Sexism, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Xenophobia, Torture, Colonisation, Hate crime, Gore, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Blood, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, and Slavery

Minor: Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Islamophobia, and Cultural appropriation

Spoilers ahead: Betrayal because

Letty shoots Ramy and turns Hermes in

indigo_ewenicorn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

5.0

Babel is a thought provoking historical fantasy set at Oxford in the 1830's.
We follow the story of a Chinese born boy names Robin Swift, who by his guardian is raised to become a scholar at the Oxford Language Institute to learn how to create the magical silver bars of this world.
Through the eyes of Robin we experience what it is like to live in England during this time having been foreign born. The conflict of having the privlege of being raised in comfort and getting a free education in exchange for giving up your values and ignoring the injustices created by colonization.
Babel grants us a riveting story with a view into complex historic times.
I greatly enjoyed reading about the history and origin of words and languages. i find the study of etymology and linguistics fascinating. I did sometimes struggle with main text vs. subtitle reading (brain gets distracted).
I love this book!
The ending doesn't wrap up the story fully and the things that do get wrapped up I wish had ended differently. However, I think that was intentionally to keep the reader thinking.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Racism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Slavery, and War

lilly24's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

A beautiful book, in and out. Loved it. Let you staring at the wall

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Death, Slavery, Racial slurs, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Gaslighting, Racism, Misogyny, Classism, Hate crime, Abandonment, Colonisation, Islamophobia, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Violence, Murder, and Xenophobia

daniellelouise's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense slow-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Cultural appropriation, Murder, Suicide, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, and Racism

leweylibrary's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

5.0

I have to come back to this later because it's freaking 5am, but I just wanted to leave this bit so I know where the heck to start with this review later. But I just want to start by saying that this book has WRECKED me. Devastated. Shredded me to bits. I really do not know how I just go about my life now?? My brain is throbbing and feeling irrevocably changed. This book hit me so hard in so many ways. I have THREE NOTES WORTH of quotes like what?? How?? How is any one person THAT gifted with words. Kuang is just... I ironically just don't have the words for her brilliance, but it's undeniable. I am pretty sure I have never ever wept reading a book simplt because of how beautiful passages were, but I did at least three times reading this book. This needs to be studied and analyzed in classes not just for its brilliance but for its contents. I know not everyone will, but everyone should read this book. It is just spot on about so many things and can open so many eyes to vital aspects about our society and our own humanity. Everything about how we communicate and interact, the power of words and languages, the bonds we form and the bonds that break, EVERYTHING about academia (the good, the bad, the UGLY), obviously colonialism and racism, just SO MANY powerful and important topics are covered in this book and it has BROKEN my brain. Just shattered to smithereens. I will not sleep another peaceful night now because this book is now my new Roman Empire. I will be on my deathbed and sit up just to be like "okay but I'm just now realizing, there's this one part in Babel where..." 

So yeah. Read this book. LISTEN to this book. Internalize it. But don't do so lightly because yes; it will break you. And you will be grateful for it. It'll hurt like hell in a multitude of ways, ways you didn't even know you could be broken, but you'll be grateful. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Child abuse, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Gaslighting, Murder, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Colonisation, Racism, Grief, Death, Religious bigotry, Classism, War, Xenophobia, Violence, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Bullying, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual harassment, and Drug use

mirroaoror's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Violence

Moderate: Slavery, War, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Drug use, and Hate crime

Minor: Sexual harassment