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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I won't say that Babel was perfect. I know before reading it I was aware of a lot of discourse that wasn't always positive, and I can definitely see where people might have criticisms. However, I can't help being moved by this novel. The characters and their relationships are so honest. The unspoken love story and the found family both pulled at my heart. I think this book is also sad because it reminds me of how little our world has changed. Even though some of this book felt a bit pretentious at times, I loved the exploration of language, but even more all the philosophical questions it brings up. And ultimately I can't tell 100% where the author lies when it comes to the best way to fight against oppression, which I think leaves room for us to form our own opinions. Glad I read it, and is another reminder of why I love reading.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
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
a book where the author shoves her opinion at you quite patronizingly at every chance and not let you think and form your own opinions on the characters or what is happening
Toda traducción conlleva a la pérdida de parte del significado original. En Babel, la labor más importante de los traductores es recoger aquello que queda en el aire y plasmarlo en barras de plata, herramientas empleadas por el Imperio británico.
Robin es arrancado de los brazos de la muerte para pasar a formar parte de esta institución, donde no podrá evitar el sentimiento de no pertenecer a Oxford, de haber sido arrancado de sus raíces chinas.
Un libro denso pero increíble, con un trabajo de investigación detrás que no puedo llegar a imaginar siquiera. En lo personal, me ha supuesto un poco de flasbacks de la guerra, pues estudié filología clásica, y eso ha hecho que no termine de disfrutar la primera parte del libro.
Robin es arrancado de los brazos de la muerte para pasar a formar parte de esta institución, donde no podrá evitar el sentimiento de no pertenecer a Oxford, de haber sido arrancado de sus raíces chinas.
Un libro denso pero increíble, con un trabajo de investigación detrás que no puedo llegar a imaginar siquiera. En lo personal, me ha supuesto un poco de flasbacks de la guerra, pues estudié filología clásica, y eso ha hecho que no termine de disfrutar la primera parte del libro.
challenging
dark
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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fascinating premise but I didn’t love the writing or the characters. Parts of it meandered or felt repetitive while other parts felt sparse. I wanted to love it.
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Wow, what an incredibly well done book. Silver-working was such a brilliant set up to make comparisons to our world. It can be a bit heavy handed, but honestly, it feels necessary given how little most people actually explore colonialism, racism, classism, sexism, and their impacts. I am heartbroken and I will not see the world around me the same.
“'But that's the great contradiction of colonialism.' Cathy uttered this like a simple matter of fact. 'It's built to destroy that which it prizes most.' “
“Robin wondered then how much of Anthony’s life had been spent carefully translating himself to white people, how much of his genial, affable polish was an artful construction to fit a particular idea of a Black man in white England and to afford himself maximum access within an institution like Babel. And he wondered if there would ever be a day that came when all this was unnecessary, when white people would look at him and Anthony and simply listen, when their words would have worth and value because they were uttered, when they would not have to hide who they were, when they wouldn’t have to go through endless distortions just to be understood.”
“'But that's the great contradiction of colonialism.' Cathy uttered this like a simple matter of fact. 'It's built to destroy that which it prizes most.' “
“Robin wondered then how much of Anthony’s life had been spent carefully translating himself to white people, how much of his genial, affable polish was an artful construction to fit a particular idea of a Black man in white England and to afford himself maximum access within an institution like Babel. And he wondered if there would ever be a day that came when all this was unnecessary, when white people would look at him and Anthony and simply listen, when their words would have worth and value because they were uttered, when they would not have to hide who they were, when they wouldn’t have to go through endless distortions just to be understood.”
challenging
dark
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
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes