Reviews tagging 'Death'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

1507 reviews

nightsparks's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark informative inspiring reflective 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: Complicated

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Wow. What a fantastic read. An absolute masterpiece. A masterclass in weaving historical fiction, history, language, colonialism, capitalism, revolution, and academia. A modern Greek tragedy of hubris.
The highest honour I can bestow upon it: I will be purchasing a physical copy of this book.
Ps, the long title is a tier: the Necessity of Violence: an Arcane History of Oxford Translators’ Revolution

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Genocide, Torture, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, War, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infidelity, Blood, Trafficking, Abandonment, Deportation

Truly recommend looking these up

adrilynn21's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective 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: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Violence, Grief, Classism

Minor: Drug use

amandasbookclub's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Stellar read. I savored it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Murder

islas_bookshelf16's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Colonisation

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Classism

Minor: Drug use, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment

qt_thedraconiclibrarian's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation

lizschultz24's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark reflective sad tense

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Xenophobia

Moderate: War

whirl's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous emotional 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: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Colonisation, Deportation

Moderate: Addiction, Suicide, Torture, War

Minor: Drug use, Death of parent

lindseyhall44's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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We have to die to get their pity. We have to die for them to find us noble. Our deaths are thus great acts of rebellion, a wretched lament that highlights their inhumanity. Our deaths become their battle cry. But I don’t want to die, Robin.” Oh how I I love them. Robin, Rami, Victorie. My heart hurts

“

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Colonisation, War

bellebookstitch666's review against another edition

4.25

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

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This was a challenging book to read because of the topic and the length. It's well-written and the story draws you in. The only downside was that the first half was slow (it picks up halfway through). Overall, I would recommend the audiobook for anyone interested.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Xenophobia, Colonisation

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence

Minor: Slavery, Death of parent, War

meag_mcb's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring 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: No

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Incredible, smart, entertaining, informative. Set 200 years ago the themes still ring true. 
One main theme is racism, the micro and macro aggressions faced by the characters is in almost every interaction they have and at the core of every decision made. Sexism is also there, but since it’s narrated from a man’s perspective it’s not talked about/noticed until the girls say something, which I think was well done but could be annoying for someone triggered by that. 
Physical abuse happens once but it’s a graphic scene. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexism, Classism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Slavery, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent