Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

120 reviews

rachelreads95's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Classism

danieriv's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

Long, tedious exposition that isn’t entirely necessary to the main plot of the book. Highly academic writing that you truly have to focus on to understand the book. The writing itself is very good, but this is not a leisure read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Slavery, Violence, Murder, and War

Minor: Physical abuse, Sexism, and Death of parent

Themes may be triggering to those who have suffered under imperial rule or who face the lasting effects that empires inflict upon the areas they colonize.

snowiceblackfruit77's review

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

angelsplash's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

What a ride! I cannot find the words to describe the feeling of reading this book! Not only did this book get me interested in the history of languages, but also interested in a completely different country and time period! The first half of this book is mostly happy and fun, it practically flows! And then the shadows creep in, and suddenly the whole thing is shadows and an angry type of sadness. 

I fell in love with the 4 main characters (yes even that one). It was such a journey to see all of the ways they connected and differed and how it ultimately comes together. 

My only issue, which is really quite small, is that sometimes it doesn't feel like I'm reading from the perspective of the characters and more like I'm reading the authors' thoughts instead. For example "For a country that profited so well from trading in spices, it's citizens were violently averse to actually using them." Which read as a joke I had sworn I'd seen on Tumblr but with more casual language. This happens a fair few times throughout the book and causes some characters to be talking encyclopedias. They remember exact dates and names of every relevant fact and correction. And while it makes sense, since they are scholars, it doesn't quite read like that. It doesn't quite carry their individual voices as well as I'd hoped. Again, very minor problems.

At risk of any spoilers, I will stop her, but just know that this book was just on the cusp of a perfect 5 Stars! It moved me to tears and everything came to a mostly satisfying conclusion! Highly recommend to just about everyone!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Body horror, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Toxic friendship, and War

Minor: Addiction, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

jenmayreads's review against another edition

emotional informative 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

A wonderful blend of Victorian Era historical academia adventure with mild fantasy elements woven through. Especially interesting if you love linguistics, or are interested in how colonial power structures were maintained and their effects of subjugated populations. Political, adventurous, academic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Colonisation, and Classism

thenovelstitch's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

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

5.0

holy SHIIIIIIIIIIIIT.

It's been 24 hours since I finished Babel and I'm still trying to process what the hell just happened. While this wasn’t a 'pleasant' read in the traditional sense, it was gripping, thought-provoking, and completely unflinching. Kuang doesn’t shy away from making the reader uncomfortable in all the right ways.

Babel: or the Necessity of Violence: an Arcane History of Oxford Translators’ Revolution (here after referred to simply as 'Babel') takes place mostly in Oxford during the 1830's and 40's. Robin Swift, a young Chinese boy orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to England by a Professor Lovell who promises to give Robin the worlds best education, teaching him new languages, provide him housing and food, all in exchange for him to eventually matriculate into Oxford and enter the Royal Institute of Translation, also known as Babel. Britain, and the world at large, run on silver. Little silver bars with inscriptions that help water stay clean, carriages run smooth, ships sail faster. The only people in the world who can manufacture and repair these bars are Babelers.

Isolated for most of his young life, Robin is unnerved by the constant presence and growing closeness of his new cohort, Ramy, Victoire and Letty. Like a thirst finally quenched, Robin feels accepted, wanted, chosen and at peace. Until, that is, one night when he witnesses a robbery of silver bars. Robin's life is forever altered, and with it so are the lives of his friends.

I actually tried reading Babel twice before, both with physical books, because from everything I had heard it sounded like the perfect book for me. However, I just couldn't get into it as a physical book which was really disappointing. I had almost wrote Babel off completely, but I decided to try it as an audio book and WHOA that was the perfect medium for me (and I usually hate audiobooks!). The narration was perfect and it was really wonderful to hear all of the words in different languages being pronounced correctly. This added such a richness to the story and allowed me to feel closer to Robin and his friends in a way that I would not have been able to simply reading the book. I also appreciated the footnotes being narrated by a different voice, so I could easily identify what was a footnote and what was not.  

R.F. Kuang explores themes like racism, classism, misogyny, colonization, capitalism, politics, power, love, and shame that is nuanced, uncompromising and resolute. I found Letty's character to be rage inducing and also so well written. As a white woman, listening to Letty's part had me reflecting on my own relationship with complicity, big and small. I wished we had more Victoire. I would have loved for Victoire to have had more page time, it felt like we really only got to see here during the last 30% of the book. I keep finding myself thinking of the last interaction between Victoire and Anthony and honestly, I want a book just about them. 

All in all, I think this book had the intended effect because I can't stop thinking about it. Highly recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Gaslighting

jitter's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad 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

5.0

Holy shiiiiiiiiit. I'm shaking. I'm ashamed of being white (even though I'm not the "correct" de of white) and I felt so many things while reading this book that I couldn't even gather myself. The linguistics porn was an excellent bonus but the political issues discussed were just 👌👌👌👌

I'm seeing a lot of low rating reviews and I'm sure that's because this book made people uncomfortable. Maybe they're too comfortable or too young to read this. I absolutely loved it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Drug abuse and Alcohol

Minor: Child death and Sexual assault

ljtidwell's review

This book explores the downfalls of imperialism in history with a fantastical twist. It started fairly neutral and tried to see both sides of the history. However, it started to appear that it was leading down a path to blaming a complicated history on white man's racism, free trade, and the closed mindedness of Christianity. In the end of my reading a child murders their parent and it appeared that it was semi-justifiable given the circumstances. I wasn't willing to stick around to see if it was going to continue to blame Western values. It's a complicated history between two very different cultures that are pretty much obsolete today, due to modernity and a constantly changing world. I don't think we can give blame to the societal mistakes of the past, just learn from them and strive not to repeat it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Murder

Moderate: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment

nikki_flowers's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

This book was brilliant in so many ways that I cannot even begin to adequately put into words. 

This is a book to help you decolonize your mind. The story itself is beautiful and the message is powerful. Fiction like this is so important. People need to see, these stories, to read these stories. Decolonial fiction like this gives us insight and hope and community and so much more. 

As I reflect back on my journey reading this masterpiece I cannot help but think of the events that were unfolding in the world at the same time. 

As I very slowly (for thoroughness sake, not a lack of interest) made my way through the book, I watched the world justify the genocide of Palestinians and the further colonization of Palestine. I watched so so many people, white girls and women in particular, obsess over this book but refuse to put the message into practice. If felt like a fetishization or infantilization of the book and its decolonial efforts. How many read this book and took what they wanted from it for their own selfish reasons and then watch Palestine burn and called Hamas terrorists or stayed completely silent. A completely colonizer move to take what you want from the book and leave the rest to burn regardless of the harm caused.

And yet, how many others read this work and felt its message in their bones. How many saw themselves on the page for the first time. How many people were awakened to liberations struggles. How many felt and cried and turned it into action. How many had hard and necessary conversations with themselves and/ or others because of this book.

That is the legacy of this book. The change it brought about to so many. The perverse colonizer response is not its legacy but rather further example of exactly why we need books like this. 

May this book live on in the hearts of those who have read it and may it fuel our souls in the liberation/mutual aid/revolution/abolition work we do.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mass/school shootings, and Alcohol

themoostconfused's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

"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 hoping someone else understands." (pg. 535)

I don't even know where to begin. R. F. Kuang has done it again. She has rattled me, shaken me to my core and I thank her for it. Going into it - having read the entire Poppy War series - I knew I was not bound for a happy, carefree book. Coming from an anthropology background, the extent of human destruction and hatred of "the other" it not news to me but it continues to move me every time. 

I can already sense that I will return to this book over and over again in the future and will recommend it to everyone I come across, although not without warning. 

The book's alternate title "The Necessity of Violence" captures the journey this book takes one on while reading quite succinctly, althought the extent of this might not seem obvious upon first glance.

In the process I have learned a great deal about linguistics and am planning on dealving into that further. But first I am going to have to digest what I have become witness to by reading this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation