Reviews - Babel | The StoryGraph

65k reviews for:

Babel

R.F. Kuang

4.34 AVERAGE

banalnadas's review against another edition

5.0

help

lenna's review against another edition

5.0

dark inspiring 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: No

ellabratcher's review against another edition

5.0

emotional reflective 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

aliciadenton's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

dora_k's review against another edition

2.5

Others have expounded about the pitfalls of this book far better than I can, but I have to reiterate that I cannot move past how Kuang decided that her readers have no critical thinking capabilities, or the ability to read into a text and form their own thoughts.
There is no complexity, no nuance, and no chances for the characters to make their own choices, or for Robin to reach his own conclusions. They are simply stand ins for Kuang to endlessly tell us that colonialism is bad, that racism is bad. And then do the same thing in the footnotes.
It is also incredible that in 1830s Victorian England, the characters spoke to each other in tumblr-twitter speak. I fully expected the characters to start speaking about intersectionality and social justice to each other. Astounding.
2.5 begrudging stars for the last few chapters.