Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

762 reviews

teawitchontravel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Slavery, Death of parent, and Deportation

Minor: Vomit, Antisemitism, Car accident, and Alcohol

bedtimesnack's review

inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

4.25

If you were a fan of Harry Potter as a kid, reading Babel might scratch the itch for some magic/dark academia vibes. I was engaged with the plot the whole time, and the magic system was unique and well thought through. I would say the book's biggest fault is that it serves answers and interpretation a bit too readily. Themes of colonialism and racism are handled more openly as part of the plot and dialogue, so there's not a whole lot of poetic subtly going on. If you like to decipher meaning and plot yourself, you might not find what you're looking for with this book. 

That being said, R.F. Kuang does handle the themes well, and portrays several viewpoints on assimilation, resistance, microaggressions, and class consciousness from multiple characters of color. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Toxic friendship, War, and Classism

mo_bookshelves's review

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

bookb1itch's review against another edition

challenging informative 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

4.5

I had heard such a lot of good things about how powerful this book was, but hadn't managed to read it.  Was very lucky to pick it up in a free Library whilst on holidays in Alice Springs - this feels even more unlikely now that I have read it.  Although I enjoyed the book immensely, especially its messages about colonisation and the self-importance of Britain, it was very much NOT a holiday read, so it has taken me quite a while to finish.  (eg it was not something I could read on the train, bus or plane, as it requires one's full attention.  Therefore, I have read other lighter things alongside this.). There was an event about 200 pages from the end, where I almost cheered aloud and the ending was as satisfying as it was unavoidable.  R F Kuang is a literary force to be reckoned with, leaving me with many questions about my heritage.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Racism, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Slavery and Blood

Minor: Drug use, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

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

lolelolelolotte's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Sexism, Slavery, Cultural appropriation, and Classism

Minor: Suicide, Torture, Toxic friendship, and War

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

the_bookwormhole_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Child death, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, and Alcohol

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

rachelfayreads's review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, War, and Classism