Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

2490 reviews

glorifiedloveletters's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous 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: No

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YES THIS BOOK. Read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Xenophobia, Colonisation

Moderate: Misogyny

dua_liepard's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War

tabeablu's review against another edition

4.25

dark mysterious 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

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In terms of the plot is the book a 10/10. But to be honest, most of the time it was simply boring. Even though the writing style and especially the description of Oxford was magnificent. I’m glad I switched to the audiobook, because otherwise I probably wouldn’t have finished reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Murder

ka_cam's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark informative reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This was well written and researched as relates to translation- an exploration of identity, friendship, family and academia and critique of colonialism and empire. I was intrigued by many threads of philosophy of translation- of words, of individual minds, of cultures and backgrounds. The historical part of the fiction (translation between past and present!) fell flat for me- it felt like conversations i heard on my college campus in the late 2010s copy-pasted into the 1830s. Though contemporary movements were referenced it didn’t seem like their time, or the magical part of their world, meaningfully impacted how they understood themselves and the world. Rather than history ‘rhyming’ this felt like one of the heavily biased and explanatory translations so often criticized in the text. Though I enjoy how this premise makes you wonder about and question all translations-bringing this critique to the fore! Maybe because of this I also found the plot suspenseful but largely predictable. For me the most interesting parts were the etymology and the internal grappling/soul searching, exploration of complexities, and theorizing of robin (and occasionally other characters, whose brief interludes both validated and challenged Robin’s worldview/analysis of them).  4 stars for readability, great writing, and interesting meditations. Folks might enjoy this more if they are more familiar with/attachment to Oxford and academia/academic identity though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Classism

Moderate: Slavery, Cultural appropriation, War, Pandemic/Epidemic

ramizrafimirza's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring 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: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War

bookishfabledfiction's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark informative 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: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, War

emlibe's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional informative medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Colonisation

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

bilal_shumuus's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Pandemic/Epidemic

mirandyli's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional 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: Complicated

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Amazing book, especially if you like magical realism and linguistics. Anti-colonialist in a historically realistic way. This was the best book I've read this year. It made me really think about my own simultaneous oppressions and privileges, and how violence is necessary for anti-colonialist, anti-capitalist revolution. This book destroyed me in the best way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

lizzym126's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism