Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

436 reviews

tifftastic87's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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

5.0

This is a strong recommendation for complex world building, deep characters, analysis of colonialism, racism and sexism and their inherent ties to academia and the British Empire. It was brutal in its evisceration of both academia and the British Empire, but beautifully written and thoroughly researched. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Child abuse, Classism, Grief, Racial slurs, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Slavery, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Medical content, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Hate crime, Blood, and War

aristarcodisamo's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Death of parent, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, Classism, Racism, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Blood, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Death, and Gaslighting

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Cultural appropriation, Police brutality, Slavery, and Religious bigotry

hayley98's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexism, Racism, Blood, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Classism, Suicide, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, War, and Slavery

Minor: Addiction and Alcohol

flick_w's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Death, Death of parent, and Suicide

rhogosch's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring 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

3.25

Selten war ich mir so unsicher im Bezug auf die Bewertung eines Buches.
Kuang schafft in diesem Buch ein unfassbar gutes Worldbuilding. Die Idee der Silbermagie ist super und sie schafft es diese so natürlich wie möglich in die Zeit eines industrialisierten Englands einzubauen. Ja es ist Fantasy, aber es fühlt sich zu keiner Sekunde abstrakt an, sondern einfach nur passend. Die Charaktere sind gut durchdacht und authentisch. 
Jede Ausführung zum Übersetzten war spannen, begeisternd und hat meinen Horizont erweitert und um viele kleine Anekdoten bereichert. 
Das alles tröstet jedoch nicht darüber hinweg das ich mich über weite Teile des Buchs gequält habe. War die anfängliche Begeisterung über die Erkundung der Welt, der Figuren und ihrer Spielregeln erstmal verflogen, lass es sich lange Zeit wie ein Erlebnisbericht. Und auch die vielen kleinen vorrausdeutenden Anspielungen konnten keinen wirklichen Spannungsbogen aufbauen. Es tat nicht weh das Buch ohne Probleme für Tage beiseite zu legen. Zwar kam zum Ende nochmal Fahrt auf und das Buch schließt mit einem absolut würdigen und gutem Ende, aber das lässt mich die 500 Seiten zuvor nicht verzeihen. 

Ist dieses Buch schlecht, Nein. Es zeichnet eine wunderschöne Welt die nur so vor Liebe zum Detail strotzt und wenig Platz für Kritik lässt. Und hat man einmal den Mittelteil überwunden wächst das Buch nochmal über sich hinaus. Aber bis dahin hieß es, zumindest für mich, Durchhalten.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Murder, and Slavery

sohva's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

4.25

This book is approximately as subtle as a brick about its themes. Apart from the main character, the characters are rather one-dimensional and work to provide the message of the story. Despite taking place in a world where languages are the source of magic, the world is built like there are only about 10 languages in the world, and the effects the existence of the other languages would presumably have in the world, its economy and politics appears to be ignored.

All the flaws aside, I really enjoyed the book. Robin's internal struggles and conflicts were a constant source of tension, and I was interested in seeing how they would be resolved. I loved the magical system built on languages, and enjoyed the tangents on translation and descriptions on what was lost in translation. The atmosphere of the university was immersive too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicide, Colonisation, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Torture, Slavery, Death of parent, Death, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, War, and Addiction

beccaaa's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Classism, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Death, Racial slurs, Colonisation, War, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Toxic friendship, Torture, Physical abuse, Murder, Genocide, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Cultural appropriation

tildagustafsson's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia and Racism

Moderate: Drug use, Death, Murder, and Death of parent

Minor: Suicide

paulinelluise's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, and Death

uhm_kai's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative 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

Had to hold my tears in while I was in the coffee shop so...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death of parent, Grief, Racism, and Suicide

Moderate: War, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, and Violence