Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

593 reviews

kylosten's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia and Racism

Moderate: Religious bigotry, War, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, and Death of parent

kenzieleevip's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Violence

Minor: War

nadia_luq's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death of parent, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, War, and Xenophobia

dezzella's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

Historical fiction with a tiny bit of magic. Heavy themes of racism and sexism and being in a society where you are a person being discriminated against. I really loved the parts where we are studying at Oxford, and the lead up to that and the end result were also exciting. Loved the narrator for the audiobook as well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Death, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Violence, and Addiction

const_elle_ations's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, War, Suicide, Colonisation, Death, Gun violence, and Racism

dragon_lord's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Violence, Child abuse, Classism, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Death, Racial slurs, and Suicide

Moderate: Colonisation, War, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery

roseleebooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

This historical fantasy set in the 1800s about a translation institute at Oxford is a profound story. It's hard to properly review this because I think it is less a book to be reviewed rather than a book to sit with and think about. 

Kuang centers it on a specific class going through the British translation institute, mostly through the eyes of Robin, a boy brought to England from China by one of the professors of Babel. Robin's experience of England going through a magical version of the industrial evolution is a way to show the reader the realities of that time and our own. How colonial expansion and exploitation were used to build wealth and power for those who already have it, how "progress" was measured by production and wealth rather than the well-being of the people not in power, and how resistance could be met with indifference by those in power.

There were so many elements and moments of this book that reflect clearly into the realities we see today. There is a lot of discussion of colonialism, imperialism, racism, and suppression. Our own refusal to acknowledge the wrongness of how our modern world was built, harming so many so that a small few can "thrive". If we do not learn and grow and seek to change, to support those who suffer concretely, what kind of world are we perpetuating?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Violence, Classism, and Child abuse

Moderate: War and Sexual harassment

kshertz's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? No

5.0

Wow this is an incredible book. It starts with colonization and we follow this small boy and there’s some magical realism. But really there’s so much more. There’s history, coming of age, revolution, the realism of change, power, and corruption. I was enthralled and couldn’t put it down. Absolutely a beast of a book but one I will be highly recommending often. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Abandonment, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Classism, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Violence, and War

hiddenstaircase's review against another edition

challenging emotional

• 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

It’s a fantasy history where translators are a literal pillar of silver in society. This raises a lot of ethical questions on how language is used and it’s affect on British imperialism. I thought the main perspective Robin was a good choice to convey the slow understanding of the dark side of this academia. He begins as a survivor, a shy people pleaser who would rather not ruffle anyone’s feathers before growing with his friends and finally taking a stance. The ending is bittersweet, change but at such a cost.

Spoiler

My poor boy Ramey :(

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Misogyny, Torture, Gaslighting, Suicide, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Physical abuse, War, Car accident, and Slavery

funcabbage's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Murder, Sexism, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Drug use and Child abuse