Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

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

970 reviews

rikkegstokke's review against another edition

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

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, and Toxic friendship

mo_bookshelves's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Slavery

sabrinazj's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

"The problem is we're always living like we've lost."

Once again, R. F. Kuang writes a handbook full of retorts and counterarguments for the reader to use against those in denial of the realities of colonialism and racism. This is one for the academics, the students, and the multilinguals. Smart, witty, beyond creative, and utterly enjoyable!! Her books read fast. 

Huge character development. And one of the most DEVASTATING deaths I've ever read

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Death, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

katherine_mh's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Sexism

sunshinemoth's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Addiction, Islamophobia, and Sexual harassment

forestfloor's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

An absolute triumph.

I had high expectations after reading Yellowface, and still, I was totally blown away. Babel is an exquisite read. 

I don't even know where to start, every detail was executed brilliantly. Even the layout - the way the footnotes were used, the quotes at the beginning of chapters - it all added so much to the richness of the story. 

The characters were so real and fleshed out, their emotions so tangible, and they inspired and challenged me in turn. 

And the world building! I felt I could have stepped into the pages and known exactly how to find my way around. The concept of silver-working was so delightfully natural in world, and so incredibly well researched. I kept feeling the need to pause and appreciate the amount of work this must've taken. And yet it didn't feel like hard work to read. I was entranced. 

It was tragic - devastating, and so, so beautiful. And somehow, all this detail, this richness, the people I met on the pages, they all crystallised, and I had something hard and important in my palms.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation

Moderate: Sexism, War, and Classism

isabellat's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation

nikhocharm's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and War

boekentrol's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

Absolutely wonderful how rf Kuang makes themes like colonialism, orientalism etc accessible and understandable to an audience that would otherwise maybe not even engage with them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Classism

katlouisee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense

• 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

Meticulously researched to the point
where I wondered "how the hell would
you even BEGIN to know that?!" several
times. This book was dark, compelling.
and floored me many times. It was
quite a lot of build up that, in hindsight,
was well worth it but was challenging
to stick with ar points, and 1 feel like the
ending could have done with the same
crescendo that other points in the book
benefted from (no spoilers). That said,
it was an incredible read and a harsh
reminder of the violence of colonialism
the sacrifices that are made in pursuit
of victory, and the beauty of languages.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, and War