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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
Didn’t finish this one because the story pacing was incredibly slow and the author had the tendency to tell rather than show.
hopeful
informative
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:
Complicated
You get submerged into an intricate web of adventures that result into a deep critique of colonialism and the rol languages, words, and translation itself plays into our collective understanding of cultures, dynamics and people themselves. This was such a captivating read that the hours I spent reading it seemed insufficient.
~4.5~
Llegit en anglès. M’ha encantat. La història barrejada amb els elements de la traducció, les frases, el món fantàstic, la crítica, els personatges…
M’ha agradat molt la part acadèmica del llibre, crec que és molt interessant i fa que aquest llibre tingui una manera de destacar. Les reflexions que l’autora fa trobo que són molt importants per posar-nos en perspectiva social. Les relacions entre els personatges transporten la trama.
PD: Aviso que el final és totalment gut wrenching.
Llegit en anglès. M’ha encantat. La història barrejada amb els elements de la traducció, les frases, el món fantàstic, la crítica, els personatges…
M’ha agradat molt la part acadèmica del llibre, crec que és molt interessant i fa que aquest llibre tingui una manera de destacar. Les reflexions que l’autora fa trobo que són molt importants per posar-nos en perspectiva social. Les relacions entre els personatges transporten la trama.
PD: Aviso que el final és totalment gut wrenching.
Amazing. Loved this book, and how scarily relevant the story is to today’s situation with student encampments. Really liked the combination of historical facts and a little bit of magic!
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
It's difficult to put into words how much this book scared me with how relatable it was, how I came out feeling like someone finally gets how it's like to be Chinese. I think Babel does really well with tackling the difficult topics of colonialism, the forced assimilation of non-white people and the conveniently-ignored sacrifices and blood tributes that go into fueling the imperialist machine. Kuang does not shy away--and indeed, makes wonderful use of annotations to point out just how fucked up the British Empire was, and how that romantic façade ultimately hid something truly ugly and rotten beneath it.
Babel is very much an 'explore concepts' kind of book, and because of that the characters could come off less as self-actualized characters, and more like a way to convey the themes of the story... but I never really felt that way, because everything that happens to them, is something I've experienced as a person of color. I certainly think having lived experience enriches the engagement and catharsis you'd get out of this book.
The magic system was also something I liked. Magic here is known as silver-working, and is conducted via silver bars and a 'match-pair' of two words from different languages, with the untranslatable gap in-between forming the desired magical effect; essentially, creative use of concepts and languages are key. It's reminiscent of how andats in the Long Price Quartet are bound--via novel, original concepts--and it's fascinating to see how this spins out very differently in Babel. Where the former uses it as an allusion to creativity and plagiarism, here it's an etymological symbol for the lifeblood of colonialism, taken through subjugating and plundering other cultures. Silver-working effectively functions as a magical metaphor for Babel's overarching theme, and I quite enjoyed how this played out, although I do wish we had a better look at how it all worked.
Any issues I have with this book is really with the final third. Without going too deeply into spoilers, after a major event the narrative just spins into a trauma conga line, which further informs Robin's character arc and development. It's a fine arc, and ended as I thought it would, but I wish there'd been more time in between each major incident. As it stood, it almost felt like black comedy, in that you go 'it can't get any worse for him righ-' and then it does.
Overall, regardless of ethnicity, regardless of where you're from--I recommend reading this. It's not an easy read, and it's not one that necessarily leaves you feeling hopeful. But it's the sort of book that will leave you thinking about it after, and isn't that why we all read to begin with?
Babel is very much an 'explore concepts' kind of book, and because of that the characters could come off less as self-actualized characters, and more like a way to convey the themes of the story... but I never really felt that way, because everything that happens to them, is something I've experienced as a person of color. I certainly think having lived experience enriches the engagement and catharsis you'd get out of this book.
The magic system was also something I liked. Magic here is known as silver-working, and is conducted via silver bars and a 'match-pair' of two words from different languages, with the untranslatable gap in-between forming the desired magical effect; essentially, creative use of concepts and languages are key. It's reminiscent of how andats in the Long Price Quartet are bound--via novel, original concepts--and it's fascinating to see how this spins out very differently in Babel. Where the former uses it as an allusion to creativity and plagiarism, here it's an etymological symbol for the lifeblood of colonialism, taken through subjugating and plundering other cultures. Silver-working effectively functions as a magical metaphor for Babel's overarching theme, and I quite enjoyed how this played out, although I do wish we had a better look at how it all worked.
Any issues I have with this book is really with the final third. Without going too deeply into spoilers, after a major event the narrative just spins into a trauma conga line, which further informs Robin's character arc and development. It's a fine arc, and ended as I thought it would, but I wish there'd been more time in between each major incident. As it stood, it almost felt like black comedy, in that you go 'it can't get any worse for him righ-' and then it does.
Overall, regardless of ethnicity, regardless of where you're from--I recommend reading this. It's not an easy read, and it's not one that necessarily leaves you feeling hopeful. But it's the sort of book that will leave you thinking about it after, and isn't that why we all read to begin with?
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
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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:
No
What an incredible read! This book is NOT for the casual reader looking for something interesting to pass the time. You have to be mentally and emotionally ready to read this book. The story takes place in an alternate reality where Oxford College of linguistics is responsible for the magic that runs the world. This book honestly dissects colonization and its effects on the world. It begs you to ask yourself how much is your comfort worth to you? How long will you ignore the suffering of others so you can live as you do?
The writing is phenomenal, but complex. At times I felt like I was a student there myself and having to learn all the nuances of language. It drags a bit in the middle, but even then I refused to skip a single sentence. I would recommend this book for those that are ready to question their understanding of the world they live in.
The writing is phenomenal, but complex. At times I felt like I was a student there myself and having to learn all the nuances of language. It drags a bit in the middle, but even then I refused to skip a single sentence. I would recommend this book for those that are ready to question their understanding of the world they live in.