Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

470 reviews

leweylibrary's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

I have to come back to this later because it's freaking 5am, but I just wanted to leave this bit so I know where the heck to start with this review later. But I just want to start by saying that this book has WRECKED me. Devastated. Shredded me to bits. I really do not know how I just go about my life now?? My brain is throbbing and feeling irrevocably changed. This book hit me so hard in so many ways. I have THREE NOTES WORTH of quotes like what?? How?? How is any one person THAT gifted with words. Kuang is just... I ironically just don't have the words for her brilliance, but it's undeniable. I am pretty sure I have never ever wept reading a book simplt because of how beautiful passages were, but I did at least three times reading this book. This needs to be studied and analyzed in classes not just for its brilliance but for its contents. I know not everyone will, but everyone should read this book. It is just spot on about so many things and can open so many eyes to vital aspects about our society and our own humanity. Everything about how we communicate and interact, the power of words and languages, the bonds we form and the bonds that break, EVERYTHING about academia (the good, the bad, the UGLY), obviously colonialism and racism, just SO MANY powerful and important topics are covered in this book and it has BROKEN my brain. Just shattered to smithereens. I will not sleep another peaceful night now because this book is now my new Roman Empire. I will be on my deathbed and sit up just to be like "okay but I'm just now realizing, there's this one part in Babel where..." 

So yeah. Read this book. LISTEN to this book. Internalize it. But don't do so lightly because yes; it will break you. And you will be grateful for it. It'll hurt like hell in a multitude of ways, ways you didn't even know you could be broken, but you'll be grateful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Child abuse, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Gaslighting, Murder, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Colonisation, Racism, Grief, Death, Religious bigotry, Classism, War, Xenophobia, Violence, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Bullying, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual harassment, and Drug use

readingdragon's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Sexism, War, Violence, Blood, Torture, Death, Child abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Classism, and Trafficking

Minor: Addiction, Drug use, and Alcoholism

subgeminal's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Misogyny

Moderate: Child abuse and Sexism

rrio'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

5.0

r. f kuang i am in your walls 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Colonisation, Racism, Classism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Medical content, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Murder, Death, and War

ronysbooks's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Murder, Death, Colonisation, Misogyny, and Racism

celinbean's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad 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

4.0

well i finally did it lol only took me over a year to finish 

it was slow and took awhile to built up and get to the actually juicy part but in true rf kuang fashion the ending packed a punch and made me cry 🥲

i might write more later 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Classism, Suicide, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Child abuse

Moderate: Murder, Torture, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Slavery

Minor: Addiction

fox_at_the_circus's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

i adore this book. its messages about colonialism, industrialisation and solidarity came across so well and so personal. and while the book is set in 19th century, they are just so current and important.
i love how much time it takes in the beginning to set up the cohort and their friendship in their "easy" lives in Oxford. it takes the time to really explore their characters and relationships, which really drives later points home so much better and makes later happenings so much more devastating. and Robin is such a good main character. seeing his character grow from childhood, seeing his mistakes, excuses, tries to make it right; it makes him very relatable.
i also really enjoyed the academia aspect of this book. all the language and translation theory was really interesting.
the use of footnotes in this novel was perfection. i always love getting extra information and the footnotes gave us so much of that. plus Kuang used it to comment on the shit some of the characters did, and also gave us closure for some things.
the names in this book are also so special to me. Robin and Griffin as birds, symbolising their want for freedom, and that we never find out their real names. Ramy calling Robin Birdie and how that nickname gets used throughout the book and by different characters. Victoires name being derived from Victory. its all very heartbreaking for me.
there are so many other great things about the book: how it all comes back to Robin's mom, how the quotes disappear suddenly, when all goes to shit, the intermissions, the last scene at Babel with its cinematic feel, the freedom of research

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Sexism, Police brutality, Violence, Racism, Colonisation, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Death, Grief, Child abuse, Gun violence, Murder, War, Toxic friendship, Blood, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, and Slavery

dia_ls's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Child abuse, and Sexism

Moderate: Torture and War

kaib55's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Child abuse, Sexism, Racism, Colonisation, and Death

thepermageek's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective tense slow-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

Do you like your fantasy imbued with both undertones & overtones of class war, anti-colonialism & anti-imperialism? Then this book about “translation as magic” will take your breath away. 

Be warned though, this is not a feel good book. Expect heavy doses of racism, violence, questionable ethics/morality & loneliness. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Racism, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Violence, and Child abuse