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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
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
challenging
dark
informative
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
Babel was a fantastic read. The magic system RF Kuang invented for this book is so interesting, unique, and blends so seamlessly with the alternative historical setting. She touches on so many important and relevant topics, such as racism and colonialism, in impactful and poignant ways. The subject matter can be uncomfortable at times, but it’s well worth it.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Some people love R F Kuang. Others think she is pretentious or too in your face. I am of the first category. Every book I have read by her has had minor (imo) flaws but the ideas behind them are powerful. This book takes on dark academia and gives it the lens of colonialism/deconstruction. Its powerful and the cast of 4 Oxford students are individuals and yet she keeps them at a arms length. I think this is purposeful as the whole book is framed as an old fashioned Victorian tome with footnotes and a distant feel. We never learn the MC birth name...also a deliberate choice. This makes it for me even more delicious when the very structure of the book fits the time period or hits upon the ideas meant to be conveyed.
Highly recommend to high schoolers esp who might need a course in colonialism 101 before the tackle other works. Would definitely shift their world view and I think that makes a book important. Reminds me of Rivers Solomon in its feel.
I bought a hard copy of the book which I almost never do.
Highly recommend to high schoolers esp who might need a course in colonialism 101 before the tackle other works. Would definitely shift their world view and I think that makes a book important. Reminds me of Rivers Solomon in its feel.
I bought a hard copy of the book which I almost never do.
Ok, not my regular kind of read, but this book was interesting in a different way, really enjoy the setting and all the references to try to keep it accurate. Totally will recommend if you are into history and political books, definitely not my taste, got thru it but not crazy about it . I feel it extends too much on background for my taste , but well overall is well written.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
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:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
slow-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
yelling into the void... God bless you Robin Swift
one of the things that agonises me even after finishing this book is the fact that robin will never know what's written in griffin's letter. also letty they could never make me like you
This was intriguing bc I was so into it and then I was bored and then I was into it and then I was bored aND THEN THE ENDING like there was no other way to end it for sure but OH MAN... I think when I was bored was just bc it was too deep for my lil brain
challenging
dark
emotional
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