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challenging
informative
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Murder
Minor: Sexism
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Slavery, War, Pandemic/Epidemic
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
4.64 (I must maintain my formula, but even so I gave it 5 stars because that’s what it deserves)
Quality of Writing: 10/10
Pacing: 9/10
Plot Development: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Enjoyability: 10/10
Ease of Reading: 6/10 (this book is Heavy)
Ending: 10/10
Quality of Writing: 10/10
Pacing: 9/10
Plot Development: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Enjoyability: 10/10
Ease of Reading: 6/10 (this book is Heavy)
Ending: 10/10
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s honestly kinda hard for me to rate and write a review for Babel. I gave it 3.5 stars now and my critiques are kinda similar to the ones others already have written about: The way the central themes are talked about feels a bit shallow, and the pacing is just not so good.
Babel follows Robin Swift, a Chinese boy that is taken to the UK by an Oxford professor. There, he gets prepared for studying at the language institute in Oxford which uses a kind of word magic that is used throughout the whole UK and thus also to control the British colonies. Robin needs to navigate this new life while also figuring out what he wants to stand for.
The general setting and magic system were interesting, but I think the magic could’ve been utilized more. I still liked to see how the UK looked at that time and how the magic has changed it. Another topic I enjoyed was etymology and it was so great to see the love for words and books in this novel. Classism, racism, and colonialism are all discussed, but especially the discussion of the former felt a bit shallow and too simple for me. At the same time, I had the feeling that losing your (mental) health for your work/studies was romanticized which always gives me some neoliberal vibes, if I’m honest. Still, there were some parts of the first two-thirds I liked, like when Robin killed his father and they had to hide his body, this whole section stressed me so much . The part about the opium was interesting as well and I guess I’ll read The Poppy War one day to delve deeper into this topic.
In the last third, the book got much more interesting and made give 3.5 stars instead of 3 stars. We get our classical low point with Ramy getting shot, Hermes destroyed, and Robin and Victoire locked up. It was such a great moment when Griffin saved them but of course, he had to die as well. This part of the story was so dark, and I loved it . My favorite moment of the novel happened towards the end when Robin and Victorie took over the tower. It showed that non-violence can’t be the answer if you want to change something and deals with the moral questions around political violence. After it, it was so interesting to see how the city started to fall apart and how the revolution started. Sadly, the worker revolution wasn’t talked about in depth as I wished it was . Furthermore, I really enjoyed the ending itself with the tower getting destroyed and Robin having to prepare for his death, I always love moments like these in novels lmao .
I also don’t know what to think about Kuang’s writing. She definitely has talent, but the writing was a bit too pretentious for my taste? Additionally, I wasn’t the biggest fan of some of the foreshadowing in the novel that just felt cheap, and the predominance of telling. I was so annoyed how often it was mentioned how intelligent the characters are, but we honestly didn’t see too much of it lol.
Looking at the characters, I have similar problems with them like I had with the other elements of the book. Robin was an okay-ish protagonist. I found his struggle between the two worlds he’s part of interesting, but I couldn’t always understand his behaviour, like when he helped Ramy and Victorie flee and got punished instead of them. Before, I hadn’t the feeling that he was the kind of guy to do something like this .
The side characters though were a bit flat. The other three Babel students are just as pretentious as Robin which annoyed me. He also calls them way too fast his family, we barely see the development of their relationship. Another topic I want to talk about is Letty’s character. <a href=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUdFkRdgPDU>Cindy recently said in her review of Yellowface</a> that the racist white female main character seemed to her like a low-hanging fruit, and I see a similar problem with Letty in this book. To no surprise, she turns out to be a traitor as well in the end . This feels to me like a too black and white worldview, to be honest.
All in all, there were some aspects of Babel that I really liked, like the etymologic lessons or the emotional last third of the novel. But there were many aspects that felt just mediocre to me because they weren’t discussed in much detail/nuances as I hoped they would.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, War, Pandemic/Epidemic
dark
informative
sad
medium-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
Goddamn. I hope people read this for decades to come.
Full review coming soon, even if it’s just mainly just going to be a list of quotes.
Full review coming soon, even if it’s just mainly just going to be a list of quotes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, War
Minor: Child death, Rape
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was intrigued by the idea of translation magic. The author obviously did lots of research and it was an interesting read, but the characters and the plot didn't feel that believable. There was a lot of telling and not that much showing for such a long book. It made good points about colonialism and racism, but they were made over and over again in a way that was repetitive and didn't add to the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Xenophobia, Murder, Colonisation
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
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:
No
- lovely world building
- believable endearing characters
- convincing and interesting magic system
-covers intense topics in a great way(racism, sexism,abuse)
-don't be a letty
-satisfying ending
- interesting historical fiction
- last few chapters were a bit boring
- believable endearing characters
- convincing and interesting magic system
-covers intense topics in a great way
-
-
- interesting historical fiction
- last few chapters were a bit boring
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia
truly loved this book for so many reasons. now one of my all time favorites!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
lives up to every ounce of the hype; kuang has a gift for lending profound sincerity to a story that could easily feel forced or contrived. this book is a slog for those of us who hate the british but if you can get past the suffocating (however necessary) anglicism of the first few chapters you will be rewarded hundredfold 😍👯
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism
dark
emotional
hopeful
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:
Complicated
Set in 19th century England, we follow the story of Robin and his cohort (Ramy, Victorie and Letty) in the highly renowed instituion of Bable. Through the lens of these characters we see them grow and suffer the effects of dark academia in all its senses. The way in which grades, work, obsession can hurt physically and mentally the students. The competitive atmosphere... But also, how deeply rooted colonialism is in every aspect of academia.
Thus, the novel explores and discusses topics such as systemic racism, colorism, slavery, colonialism and the ways in which the latter works to increase the power of the Empire. These are characters who have been extracted from their homelands and treated as assets (Robin-Canton, Ramy-Calcutta, Victoire-Haiti; Letty is the only white British woman in their group). They are the language they speak because that is valuable for the Crown, but they are nothing more than devices, another instance of colonizers exploiting colonized people and taking away their languages, culture, etc...
Some reviews complain about timelines (the author stated at the beginning that it was a piece of fiction and some changes were made to accomodate the plot) and the use of anacronisms like "whiteness" as we understand it today, but I like them. After all, this text speaks to a modern audience, us, and even though at that time they didn't have a word for this thing, now that we do, we should use it.
The novel reads in some parts much like an academic paper, as it deals in depth with etymology, linguistics, history, a little bit of literature, philosophy and politics. So, as a language nerd who could recognize from my degree studies and further research, many of the authors, concepts, explanations and dilemmas discussed, I was elated. Like a cat smelling catnip or their favourite treat. Nevertheless, that didn't make it a dense book for me, in fact, it just sparkled my interest in languages even more.
Other people feel like it was a bit too-much-on-your-nose or handholding the reader through the book. They argue that it feels patronizing, as if we wouldn't be able to recognize the problems, the racist comments they receive, without the characters pointing it out. For people well versed in these topics and who have lived through all of these experiences, it's normal to think it was too much. Nonetheless, I think it was still useful, it will be useful for people who are starting to deconstructe themselves. Furthermore, I kind of love how she hammered into every paragraph thousands of critiques, moral dilemmas about justice, rightness, exploitatin, betrayal, belonging, grief, privilege, class, race and gender differences. Because I love angry characters full of spite and vengeful thoughts. As with Rin in The Poppy Wars, I was all in with Robin and the necessity of violence to occur for an Empire or an entire system to fall. And I am also fond of lots of descriptions :D
Moreover, the intricate relationship between translation and betrayal, translation and commodification, translation and colonization, translation and identity... It was exquisite and a very beautiful defense on why preserving every single language in the world is such an important task, as it is not just about the language, but also, culture, history, identity, a whole world behind that cannot be replaced or reconstructed. A richness that must be preserved.
Finally, Victorie, my love. You are so strong and one of my favourite characters. Ramy, you were the best of them all, since your first appearance I knew you would be my favourite. Robin, oh Robin and his constant dilemmas, feeling as if he was living two lives, as if he was never complete. I loved his character development. And Letty... Fuck you! I knew she wouldn't get it (and I say this being a white person) and I wanted to punch her so bad. She was so disrespecftul, racist, classist, self-centered, selfish, self-victimicizing, arrogant, ignorant... She could have listened, but she didn't want to see the truth because it was ugly and it proved she was part of the problem. She was a coward and a terrible friend. She never loved them as they loved her. She never made the effort to go beyond her prejudices, she never put herself on their shoes. She enraged me so much. AND SHE FUCKING KILLED RAMY IN COLD BLOOD, HER SUPPOSED FRIEND ON WHOM SHE HAD A CRUSH ON, JUST BECAUSE HE REJECTED HER AND IT HURT HER WHITE EGO ???? JAIL TIME, GO TO HELL And she represents so many white people who turn a blind eye to these kind of situations, because it doesn't affect them, because it is inconvenient, shows the venom in the system, and because it shows their lack of compromise, love, morality and humanity in regards to others. In contrast, that teacher (I think Mrs Craft) at the end proved to be at least decent among the white characters.
Final thought, did anyone else read some intense feelings between Robin and Ramy or was it just me? Romantic or really really platonic that go beyond their friendship in the group, like soulmates kinda. specially given Robin's reaction and fixation on Ramy's death among all of the Hermes Society's members and his memory of him on that first day before Robin dies, which is so idyllic and queer coded in my opinion
Thus, the novel explores and discusses topics such as systemic racism, colorism, slavery, colonialism and the ways in which the latter works to increase the power of the Empire. These are characters who have been extracted from their homelands and treated as assets (Robin-Canton, Ramy-Calcutta, Victoire-Haiti; Letty is the only white British woman in their group). They are the language they speak because that is valuable for the Crown, but they are nothing more than devices, another instance of colonizers exploiting colonized people and taking away their languages, culture, etc...
Some reviews complain about timelines (the author stated at the beginning that it was a piece of fiction and some changes were made to accomodate the plot) and the use of anacronisms like "whiteness" as we understand it today, but I like them. After all, this text speaks to a modern audience, us, and even though at that time they didn't have a word for this thing, now that we do, we should use it.
The novel reads in some parts much like an academic paper, as it deals in depth with etymology, linguistics, history, a little bit of literature, philosophy and politics. So, as a language nerd who could recognize from my degree studies and further research, many of the authors, concepts, explanations and dilemmas discussed, I was elated. Like a cat smelling catnip or their favourite treat. Nevertheless, that didn't make it a dense book for me, in fact, it just sparkled my interest in languages even more.
Other people feel like it was a bit too-much-on-your-nose or handholding the reader through the book. They argue that it feels patronizing, as if we wouldn't be able to recognize the problems, the racist comments they receive, without the characters pointing it out. For people well versed in these topics and who have lived through all of these experiences, it's normal to think it was too much. Nonetheless, I think it was still useful, it will be useful for people who are starting to deconstructe themselves. Furthermore, I kind of love how she hammered into every paragraph thousands of critiques, moral dilemmas about justice, rightness, exploitatin, betrayal, belonging, grief, privilege, class, race and gender differences. Because I love angry characters full of spite and vengeful thoughts. As with Rin in The Poppy Wars, I was all in with Robin and the necessity of violence to occur for an Empire or an entire system to fall. And I am also fond of lots of descriptions :D
Moreover, the intricate relationship between translation and betrayal, translation and commodification, translation and colonization, translation and identity... It was exquisite and a very beautiful defense on why preserving every single language in the world is such an important task, as it is not just about the language, but also, culture, history, identity, a whole world behind that cannot be replaced or reconstructed. A richness that must be preserved.
Finally, Victorie, my love. You are so strong and one of my favourite characters. Ramy, you were the best of them all, since your first appearance I knew you would be my favourite. Robin, oh Robin and his constant dilemmas, feeling as if he was living two lives, as if he was never complete. I loved his character development. And Letty... Fuck you!
Final thought, did anyone else read some intense feelings between Robin and Ramy or was it just me? Romantic or really really platonic that go beyond their friendship in the group, like soulmates kinda.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Classism