Reviews tagging 'War'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

1029 reviews

edey_books's review

dark emotional 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

This is one of the most poignant and moving books I’ve read in a long time. I loved the linguistic elements and intense research that makes of the foundation of this story, but the characters and their friendships shattered my heart. R.F. Kuang makes many confronting and deeply uncomfortable but necessary points about privilege and colonialism, and their impact on both society and individual relationships. This book was heavy and one I had to take breaks from, but absolutely 10000% worth the read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, and Colonisation

Moderate: Blood

Minor: War

asmallgremlin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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: Child abuse and Racism

Moderate: Slavery, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, and War

waitaminuteash's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

I cried so much that I smudged the ink on the pages.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Sexual harassment, and War

payeswoods's review against another edition

dark funny informative sad medium-paced

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

2.0

Overhyped. Aside from the mention of certain literary art that peaked my reading interest, I found nothing else worth retaining to memory or heart.  The anti-colonial message maintained the same mundane vitriol throughout; very redundant and uninspiring. The thesis is over explained, leaves no room for the reader to explore concepts. The magic of language and translation is brilliant, and I wish so furiously that she would’ve explored into that more. More history of the secret society would’ve made this more enjoyable. More details would’ve made it more enjoyable. Instead it was filled with facts, facts that we all already know. I had hoped that this unique magic system would be used in a more ingenious manner than the predictable, lackluster ending it received. This was far from a historical/political masterpiece for me. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

joeyvelcro's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

this book ruined my life and for that i’d like to thank it

ramy, robin, i am so, so sorry. you deserved a life together at a picnic on a hill at sunset. rest in the most peaceful peace.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, and Alcohol

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Slavery, and Islamophobia

buffalomj's review

challenging dark sad 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? Yes

4.5

I devoured this book. Kuang has written some of the best character work that I have ever seen, and I felt I knew every one of them within a few pages. I loved the simplicity of the magic system at work — it’s barely fantastical which, when combined with the PhD-level attention to linguistics, creates something entirely unique and enrapturing. I feel like the momentum was unsustainable though, and the resolution was kind of abrupt — definitely would have enjoyed more espionage in books IV and V, but I was still invested.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Moderate: War and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Deportation

botanicpanic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Child abuse, Slavery, Grief, and War

Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Islamophobia, and Death of parent

bumfinity's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.5

Long read with a very slow beginning. Wish there was more in-depth exploration on the magic system. Would have preferred more emotion in the writing style so it could be easier to connect with the MC. Kept wishing it leaned more fantasy-like.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Child abuse, Gun violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and War

emisbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

so beautifully written and so educational. only taking away a star for the long paragraphs of info dumping about languages, which i found interesting but slightly frustrating. rf kuang ur incredible 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Xenophobia, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, and War

nekoprankster218's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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

This was such an experience to read in the last two months of 2024. I had to check it out twice from the library as my reading slowed, a bit because I had to take breaks from this book (not entirely the book's fault). The first two weeks were in November, the last few days of reading in mid-December. 

This is definitely one of the books everyone should read at least once in their lives, one of the novels that should be added to English class curriculum. It's a good story on its own, but the added themes of revolution and anti-colonialism elevates it, especially in the current era. I've been utilizing my library to get through my TBR to save on money and space, but if I ever had the chance, I would purchase this book to keep forever.

My one gripe is honestly pretty nit-picky: I don't like how dialogue 'uses "punctuation" like this', "instead of 'like 'this'". It threw me off at the start and I never fully got used to it even by the end.

At first the pacing was also throwing me off, but by the time I reached the final chapters, I realized why it was like that and it's no longer a fault to me. I really enjoy how this novel feels like a progression of one type of story turning into another and then further into another; it feels realistic for the events and relates the reader even more to the main characters, who certainly wouldn't have expected their cozy academic fantasy to turn so jarringly. 

This book made me feel at least twice now an experience of "this can't actually be happening, this is not real, they're gonna pull the rug under me and reveal this as a dream sequence... NO WAIT THIS IS GENUINELY WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" and it was exhilarating. I can't think of any other story that gave me such a deep sense of... unreal shock? I can think of life events, which coincidentally happened around the time of reading this and were pretty relevant to the themes.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment