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drummond_6's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kanoelle's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-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
5.0
As a former English MA, there are very strong graduate school inspirations - you can almost tease out the structuralist & poststructuralist theory behind many different passages (Sassure is a strong one) but are uncitable because they were written much, much later than the setting.
To non-literati, I'd summarize this book as a "much better version of Harry Potter for adults".
To non-literati, I'd summarize this book as a "much better version of Harry Potter for adults".
picco1902's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
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
4.75
strawbbreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
genorgana's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Slavery, Child abuse, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Classism, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Violence, Murder, Sexism, and Death
uknow's review against another edition
challenging
informative
tense
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
maybe, probably, misinterpreted as dark academia (as the internet of recent years have warped the term and what it means into a facsimile of itself), babel is most gripping, most interesting, and most fascinating when it leans fully in its historical fantasy mark and the etymology and linguistic prowess at its core. while certainly divisive in what it prefers to tell rather than show, it can be argued that a book revolving around the importance of language and its variety maybe excels in spite of, and, because of its almost single-minded focus on what it tells the reader, even if sacrifices have to be made in terms of plot structure and, sometimes, character illustration.
rf kuang’s prose at an unparalleled best of hers yet, and a high-point that is only going to usher her into a new direction of writing.
rf kuang’s prose at an unparalleled best of hers yet, and a high-point that is only going to usher her into a new direction of writing.
paulalucardie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-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? No
4.0
Leuke, onverwachtse verhaallijn en mooi geschreven. Het verhaal zit goed in elkaar en de intelligentie van de schrijfster springt van de pagina’s af. Toch kwam ik er af en toe moeilijk doorheen en voelt het einde onbevredigend.
tranvnguyen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, Racism, Gun violence, Death of parent, Death, and Colonisation
szirbel's review against another edition
5.0
Oh wow! This book tackled so many issues and was amazing! I highly recommend on audio because learning the root word origins sprinkled throughout the text was interesting and thought provoking! I loved that the cast included native speakers plus historical references; a fantastic listen!