Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

46 reviews

andra_mihaela_s's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

This is my first R.F.Kuang book and, luckily for me, her way of conveying the story meshed perfectly well with my tastes and expectations given the subject I knew she wanted to dissect.

Before I start giving a brief synopsis, CW and thoughts, I want to say this: the author is a great writer; she's technically excellent in achieving what she put her mind to. The style itself is detached, reminiscent of literary fiction novels who tend to contemplate themes than tell an action filled story.

Back to the book itself: We follow our protagonist, Robin Swift, a Chinese boy, as he is saved from a precarious situation by one mysterious Professor Richard Lovell, and taken to England to be prepared for a position in a prestigious college named Babel. From there, the story is very much learning, loneliness, separation- both cultural and physical,  anxiety about who one is and what they should be; friendship; betrayal; family; the importance of identity and belonging to a group; <b>COLONIALISM</b> ; cruelty; how much evil can bigotry cause in the world; xenophobia, etc...You get the idea.>..>

I love the quote it come with on the cover...:<b><i>"Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal."</i></b>

I believe this book exemplifies how much people want to translate themselves from fear of loneliness, hate and desire to be important and acknowledged --> so in other words..how much they betray themselves and others by doing so.

 CW: murder,depictions of slavery, dehumanisation, grooming, gaslighting , cultural appropiation;drug use, addiction as a weapon, xenophobia, racism, abuse towards children, exploitation of people and ideas not your own,etc

My thoughts on the <b>characters: </b> Our MC, Robin is a coward and an overworked, groomed and highly abused individual fixated on survival; fact I found moving and just right for the story Kuang wanted to tell. He is the perfect vessel to portray WHY ALL THE STRUGGLE TO BE SEEN IS IMPORTANT FOR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES we (and here I especially mean white people like me) forget with the passage of time from an era filled with exploitation and appropriation.
He struggles with connections, fact he quickly identifies as well as the cause of it; he desperately seeks companionship in Ramy, Victoire and Letty, in Mrs. Piper, in Griffin and in Babel itself, despite knowing how and why his reality (that is very much painful at times) is shaped.
As I said before, Kuang writes in a detached manner; we have a first person POV, but it's very far off  Robin. We get to connect with him (or at least I did...though I need very little connections to MCs if I enjoy the project of the book..>.>...) and get to explore the personalities of several key players: mostly Lovell, Griffin and Ramy(who become extremely important to Robin). 

All this being said, character work is ok to good.

<b>Atmosphere: </b>THIS IS IT! an academic setting full of language discussions and debates; interpretations and uses for it and for the object of it's interpretation....<b>great if you're in the mood to philosophize about meanings to very abstract things</b>... like light, speed, etc. >..>

<b>World building:</b> Due to this being an alternative to our world, the author solidly created the silver-driven society needed for language to be important and powerful. I really enjoyed the aspects regarding the trade of silver and the political implications added on top of the racism and xenophobia.
<b>10/10 points for Babel's usage and meaning for every character in this book; also 11/10 for the usage of silver....the magic in this novel is well thought-off.</b>

<b>Plot:</b> R.F.Kuang took me by surprise when it came to character choices and outcomes! ^^ I really enjoyed that! We have loses both of lives and of relationships; we have acts born of different beliefs and impulses; we have a large underground society; we have opposing parties; we have world-level political machinations; we have egos and survival; we have the shielded, the elevated and cosy vs the unfortunate and "barbaric"; we have history and the here and now.
In the end, the plot is not shocking or unexpected, but I think you miss the point if that's all that matters to you...

Overall, I highly recommend you give this book a try if the synopsis sounds interesting; you might love it or not, but you'll definitely respect it. 

Enjoy

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and War

Minor: Addiction, Bullying, and Genocide

yajairat's review against another edition

dark emotional informative tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Had a very slow start, but picked up towards the middle and then just flew by at the end. I expected a grim story, but I didn't think it was going to be THIS sad. It touches on pretty much every horror and flaw in British society during imperialism. It was a tough read sometimes with the constant racism, sexism, abuse, etc., but it's meant to make you feel uncomfortable. Really really enjoyed the period where the characters were on strike, it gave us a more in-depth look at issues that they encountered while on strike (access to food, clashing personalities, and the resulting tense environment). I thought it was super well-researched and thought out. And overall, it really honed in the point that empires are very fragile, and when united, the people have much more power to topple them than they think. 

I have very mixed feelings on the four main characters. I feel like they were... underdeveloped? With the exception of Robin since it was mostly told from his point of view. I felt like I didn't get a full picture of who they were and their friendship dynamic, and it seemed like the author wanted me to care about that. But I wish we got to see more of that friendship be explored and not just narrated to us. We would get time periods where they weren't getting along, but they never had actual conversations about it, it was just stated that they just got over that rough patch. I think I would have been more deeply affected by how the other characters ended up if we got some more insight into their stories. I could say the same with Griffin's character too. 

Overall, it was a very solid read with great insights on a very dark period of history (that we still see the ramifications of). Had some flaws but would still recommend! 

Some quotes I liked:

"Loss just meant a lack, meant something was missing, but it did not encompass the totality of this severance, this terrifying un-anchoring from all that he'd ever known"

"Betrayal. Translation means doing violence upon the original, means warping and distorting it for foreign unintended eyes... how can we conclude, except by acknowledging that an act of translation is then necessarily always an act of betrayal?"

"Robin found it incredible, how this country, whose citizens prided themselves so much on being better than the rest of the world, could not make it through an afternoon team without borrowed goods"

"It sounded so abstract -just categories of use, exchange, and value - until it wasn't; until you realized the web you lived in and the exploitations of your lifestyle demanded, until you saw looming above it all the spectre of colonial labour and colonial pain"

"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 hping someone else understands"

"Liberation was a string of coincidences, of ingenuity, resourcefulness, and luck"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

rhi_'s review

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Car accident, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

lokes's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Deportation

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

aroyalpane's review against another edition

challenging dark informative medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

zghutcheson01's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad slow-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

This book was absolutely amazing. It was incredibly reflective and Kuang managed to intellectually and eloquently write about the intersection of race, class, and gender without glossing over all the joy that oppressed people made for themselves, even in times of extreme strife. I understand people’s criticism of flat characters and I would love to get more of the rest of the cast but I think this book is mainly about Robin and his emotions. This book is fueled mainly on themes and the introspection of a single character and I understand people not loving that, especially since I tend not to like books like that either. But I think Kiang’s choice to focus on young characters and their friendships early on in the book makes it more personal and emotional. It also straddles a weird line with fantasy and historical fiction since the only magic is in silver but I honestly don’t think it’s an issue with the book but with descriptions of it. I genuinely think this book is a masterpiece and everyone who can should read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Hate crime, Misogyny, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

clairew97's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

zoevjester's review

adventurous challenging emotional informative mysterious 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

4.0

Set in 1830's Oxford, with insight to silver trades, opium, translators' guild, and told with full, in-depth characters who shine through the story, and told through a modern lens. Beautifully written, though bitter-sweet in its ending, it is open-ended with the potential for follow-up if wanted. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Xenophobia, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Alcoholism, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

juliaureads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

REVIEW: Babel, or The Necessity of Violence by RF Kuang⁠

“If we push in the right spots - then we've moved things to the breaking point. The future becomes fluid, and change is possible. History isn't a premed tapestry that we've got to suffer, a closed world with no exit. We can form it. Make it. We just have to choose to make it.”⁠
⁠
You're seeing this one all over bookstagram and for a good reason - it's a marvel. I loved every page and reading it was such a joy. ⁠
I won't go into too much detail for fear of spoilers and there are others with much more coherent reviews than I am capable of. ⁠
⁠
If you love words and how words can build magical worlds, please add this to your TBR. It was the perfect dark academia fall read. Adding to the ever-growing list of books I wish I could experience for the first time over and over again.⁠

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, and Colonisation

Moderate: Toxic relationship

kaseybereading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation