Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

81 reviews

alliyyamo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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? No

4.5

I loved this so much. It was a bit slow to start but worth the build up. My digital copy had a few issues rendering some characters in the other languages unfortunately. I'm definitely going to get my hands on a physical copy.

If you're passionate about languages or have an interest in linguistics and history, this is a must-read. I found it to be a brilliantly researched and thoughtfully crafted work, with a world that feels alive. Personally, I've never been adept with languages, but I've always felt a sense of envy towards multilingual individuals. It’s also a source of deep sorrow for me that, due to the lasting effects of colonialism, my family and I have lost the languages of our ancestors.

It's definitely not for the faint of heart if the length daunts you. But I think it was well worth the read and I will be thinking about this one for a while.

Forever heartbroken about Ramy & Robin and what never was.

Honestly so grateful to R.F. Kuang for helping provide the history/English/literature education I never had.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Slavery, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, and War

I honestly feel like I could put so many content warnings just because of how much context there is in this book related to colonialism, classism and racism.

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

sara_in_iceland's review

dark reflective 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? N/A

4.75

wow what a read, A MUST

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Colonisation

misschop's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

Some pacing issues towards the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, and War

readandchill23's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This is an amazing medium burn for me and I enjoyed every ounce and nod to world history and linguistics through the eyes of craving justice, understanding and equity.
I kept thinking... Joanne could NEVER.
Also, side note: We all know a Letty. We should all shun our Lettys.
A few favorite quotes: 
"Colonialism is not a machine capable of thinking; a body endowed with reason. it is naked violence and only gives in when confronted with greater violence."
"Empire needed extraction. Violence shocked the system because the system cannot cannibalize itself and survive. The hands of the Empire were tied because it could not raise that from which it profited. And like those sugar fields, like those markets, like those bodies of unwilling labor, Babel was an asset."
"Strikers in this country never won broad public support. For the public merely wanted all of the conveniences of modern life without the guilt of knowing how those conveniences were procured."
"Violence was the only thing that brought the colonizer to the table."

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Genocide, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Grief, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism

eldervampire83's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective 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

Phenomenal narration. It made an already brilliant story all the more gripping, with individual voices for each character portrayed by Chris Lew Kum Hoi. He captures all of the emotions and even the inflections of each quote. An excellent touch, as well, to have a separate reader narrate the footnotes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Cultural appropriation, and War

praaliine's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

why does she always do this? anyhow, this is the most profound piece of writing i’ve read till date i think.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Misogyny, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Death

Minor: Drug use, Violence, and War

kri_29's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Colonisation

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism

bengibbreid's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

A beautiful journey of a book. Hit me extremely hard, whilst also being immersive and fascinating at every turn. I highly commend it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism

soniajoy98's review

challenging emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Body horror, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Slavery, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Cultural appropriation, and Deportation