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Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'
Babel, or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R.F. Kuang
45 reviews
yajairat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I have very mixed feelings on the four main characters. I feel like they were... underdeveloped? With the exception of Robin since it was mostly told from his point of view. I felt like I didn't get a full picture of who they were and their friendship dynamic, and it seemed like the author wanted me to care about that. But I wish we got to see more of that friendship be explored and not just narrated to us. We would get time periods where they weren't getting along, but they never had actual conversations about it, it was just stated that they just got over that rough patch. I think I would have been more deeply affected by how the other characters ended up if we got some more insight into their stories. I could say the same with Griffin's character too.
Overall, it was a very solid read with great insights on a very dark period of history (that we still see the ramifications of). Had some flaws but would still recommend!
Some quotes I liked:
"Loss just meant a lack, meant something was missing, but it did not encompass the totality of this severance, this terrifying un-anchoring from all that he'd ever known"
"Betrayal. Translation means doing violence upon the original, means warping and distorting it for foreign unintended eyes... how can we conclude, except by acknowledging that an act of translation is then necessarily always an act of betrayal?"
"Robin found it incredible, how this country, whose citizens prided themselves so much on being better than the rest of the world, could not make it through an afternoon team without borrowed goods"
"It sounded so abstract -just categories of use, exchange, and value - until it wasn't; until you realized the web you lived in and the exploitations of your lifestyle demanded, until you saw looming above it all the spectre of colonial labour and colonial pain"
"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 hping someone else understands"
"Liberation was a string of coincidences, of ingenuity, resourcefulness, and luck"
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, War, Classism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia
rhi_'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: Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, Suicide, Xenophobia, Murder, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, War, Classism, Grief, Death, and Hate crime
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Toxic friendship, Blood, and Physical abuse
Minor: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Death of parent, and Drug abuse
lokes'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
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Religious bigotry, Racism, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Deportation, Death of parent, Suicide, Slavery, Genocide, Death, Child abuse, War, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Gaslighting, Blood, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, War, Abandonment, Addiction, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Cursing, Hate crime, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Alcohol, Homophobia, and Murder
aroyalpane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Death of parent, Gun violence, Racism, and Colonisation
zghutcheson01's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Violence, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Police brutality, Racism, Sexism, Death, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, and Classism
Moderate: Torture, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Misogyny, Hate crime, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Blood, and Toxic friendship
clairew97'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
4.75
Graphic: Gaslighting, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Addiction, Alcohol, Colonisation, Sexism, Death of parent, Deportation, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, War, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Police brutality, Child death, Classism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
zoevjester'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
4.0
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Sexism, Misogyny, Torture, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Death of parent, Islamophobia, Violence, Cultural appropriation, and Death
Minor: Abandonment, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Trafficking, Vomit, War, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug abuse, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment
juliaureads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
“If we push in the right spots - then we've moved things to the breaking point. The future becomes fluid, and change is possible. History isn't a premed tapestry that we've got to suffer, a closed world with no exit. We can form it. Make it. We just have to choose to make it.”
You're seeing this one all over bookstagram and for a good reason - it's a marvel. I loved every page and reading it was such a joy.
I won't go into too much detail for fear of spoilers and there are others with much more coherent reviews than I am capable of.
If you love words and how words can build magical worlds, please add this to your TBR. It was the perfect dark academia fall read. Adding to the ever-growing list of books I wish I could experience for the first time over and over again.
Graphic: Violence, Racism, Colonisation, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Toxic relationship
kaseybereading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Colonisation, Suicide, Drug use, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic relationship
laurenkimoto's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Kuang seamlessly takes her knowledge, history and blends it together to bring this world and characters to life. I wanted to join the characters at Oxford and their journeys and fights. How can she take their suffering and make a wonderful story of it????
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Cultural appropriation, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Islamophobia, Toxic relationship, Classism, Murder, Toxic friendship, and War