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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-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:
Yes
I waited too long to write this review, partially because I really wasn’t sure how I felt after finishing the book. I’m still not confident in my rating.
Overall this very much reads like a dissertation in novel form. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but it wasn’t what I usually look for or enjoy. I know that the over-explanatory aspect of the voice was intentional, but for me it detracted from the narrative. There was way too much introspection, and I felt like I was constantly being told how to feel. There was also a bit of an abrupt transition after the trip to Canton — the narrative did most of the work before this point, but it the voice became much more heavy-handed afterwards. This also coincided with what felt to me like an overly convenient plot point. The fourth-year trip suddenly being moved up to the beginning of their fourth year might have made sense if it was a trip just for Robin, but dragging the other three members of his cohort along when none of them spoke Chinese didn’t really make sense. Obviously the full cohort needed to be together for what happened next(Robin’s murder of Professor Lovell) , but that felt like the only reason to include them. I think this jarred me a bit and I wasn’t really able to immerse myself in the narrative again.
I also think the ending felt rushed, especially in terms of Robin’s character development.
Overall this very much reads like a dissertation in novel form. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but it wasn’t what I usually look for or enjoy. I know that the over-explanatory aspect of the voice was intentional, but for me it detracted from the narrative. There was way too much introspection, and I felt like I was constantly being told how to feel. There was also a bit of an abrupt transition after the trip to Canton — the narrative did most of the work before this point, but it the voice became much more heavy-handed afterwards. This also coincided with what felt to me like an overly convenient plot point. The fourth-year trip suddenly being moved up to the beginning of their fourth year might have made sense if it was a trip just for Robin, but dragging the other three members of his cohort along when none of them spoke Chinese didn’t really make sense. Obviously the full cohort needed to be together for what happened next
I also think the ending felt rushed, especially in terms of Robin’s character development.
Overall I think my main point of frustration is the fact that this isn’t *really* fantasy. The story didn’t need the magic system with silver bars to make its point.
challenging
dark
informative
tense
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
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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
Babel is fantastic and heart breaking. I was warned the ending would devastate me and it did, but only because I love all of these characters so much and because their cause is so relevant. I loved the both realistic nature of the story and how a revolution is stoked, but also the negotiations throughout the book of what revolution means to each person. I also appreciated that human life and suffering held so much weight in this story. Robin’s character arc is as satisfying as it is tragic. The unspoken queer affection he and Ramy share make their demise so much more painful. Victoire’s epilogue is hopeful while appropriately grim. I also love how she got to take up more space in the story as it went on. The intensity of Letty’s Peak White Woman Behavior got tiresome at points, though I understand why it’s there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Grief
Moderate: Gore, Misogyny, Slavery, Suicide, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry
Minor: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
slow-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:
Complicated
This is not a book I would have picked up myself, but I am glad a friend encouraged me to read it. A story about colonialism and loyalty to an identity that doesn’t necessarily fit told with a layer of fantasy. I read this book as I am teaching the historic setting (British imperialism and the Opium Wars) to high schoolers, and I found the ways in which Kuang wrote about the experience through fantasy and character to be quite helpful for finding language to teach the subject. That being said, I felt it dragged at parts and the world building could be too dense at parts. I came to dislike the footnotes because they read more as an unnecessary academic flex to reveal the credentials of the author rather than an organic part of the story.
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
tense
slow-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