Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

1203 reviews

squishmallow161's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Child abuse, Racial slurs, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Genocide, Police brutality, War, and Misogyny

jbfletcher's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Racism, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, and War

flo_sg's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death, and Colonisation

Moderate: Slavery

d6ni_3la's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This book is about the might and beauty of different languages. About identity crisis, human relationships, sacrifices and morals.
If you love languages, their structure, their history, their characteristics, then you'll love this one. Later in the book, you'll also see Robin, a boy who was teared away from his hometown Canton and brought to England, struggling with his identity. Is he now Chinese or English? 
Also the friendship between the four students is worth reading.
Beautiful, beautiful book.
Loved it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Hate crime, Death, Death of parent, Racism, and Injury/Injury detail

lectoranovel's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring reflective sad fast-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Racism, Suicide, Slavery, Colonisation, and Xenophobia

Minor: Sexism and Toxic friendship

jwells's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad

This book resets the standard for "dark academia." Something like The Secret History, by contrast, might be set in what's supposed to be the real world, but is so obviously a cartoon version (see my cranky review) that it's just a fun thriller. Babel is set in the real world, but constantly reminds us that it's about the real world, in all the important ways. It really leans into the love for the academic world: the picturesque campus, the cozy libraries, the dedicated search for knowledge, a sense of found family with your cohort, reading books with cups of tea by the fireside, late into the night... and then it forces us to acknowledge that that lovely world is built on top of exploitation and injustice. Once we've felt that sense of betrayal right alongside Robin, we get to consider whether the subtitle of the book is correct: Is violence necessary, to start the world along a different path? If not, what is the answer?

An exceptional book. I found it very hard to put it down every night, but it's just too long to gulp down at one sitting. Incidentally, it has a remarkably beautiful magic system based on pairs of words in two different languages that mean almost - but not - the same thing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Colonisation, Death of parent, Death, Gun violence, and Racism

not_asha01's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, War, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Blood, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Medical content, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Abandonment, Vomit, Alcohol, Drug use, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia

Minor: Addiction

book_voyager's review against another edition

3.75

3 quarters of these book reminded a bit about Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. Academic students becoming friends, secret societies, things they have to keep hidden… Just add on politics and more speculative fiction.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this book, like I enjoy Tartt’s book. I find academia related stories interesting, especially when they are related to languages. However, sometimes this books academics were heavy and I admit skipping footnotes more than once. I don’t think everything needs to be explained.

This is not a happy book. It’s still a good one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Torture, Blood, Child abuse, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Death, Racial slurs, and Violence

Moderate: Slavery

emsavors's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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: Alcohol, Blood, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide, Confinement, Gaslighting, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Violence, War, Child death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Xenophobia, Genocide, Grief, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Hate crime, Torture, and Toxic friendship

shauna_grenead's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

This is a book for those of us who love words and understand the power they can exact when used with intention. It’s a book for someone who is willing to keep their academic mind awake while also appreciating the world building of a fantasy+historical fiction novel. Babel is my first experience with this author. It will not be my last. I appreciate the strength of a narrative that compels me to reflect on my own culture, time, and privilege while also taking me on a journey that encourages me to maintain an awareness of how different life can be for so many others. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death, and Colonisation

Moderate: War, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Violence