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Reviews tagging 'Death'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

1507 reviews

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

I like the concept, I like the writing, I like the plot.
I really enjoyed the first third, because the theory behind translation is interesting to me. (I would have liked more in depth discussions of those parts, but I realise this book is not the place for that!)

What I'm struggling with are two things:

One, the silver/magic/translation system felt not as fleshed out as I would have liked. Maybe I was looking for too much, and it isn't necessary for the story, but I was missing something concrete about it.
Secondly, I read somewhere (referring to Yellowface) that Kuang would be a phenomenal writer if she trusted her readers a bit more. There were definitely parts in Babel where I felt that; Kuang tends to spell out the points she makes to an extent that can almost feel belittling.

Babel is first and foremost about colonialism and how its horrors disproportionately affect people of colour. It made me consider aspects I hadn't thought about before, it evoked empathy and anger and frustration in me.
It did all this without explicitly saying "Colonialism is bad". And it still did say this! In almost those exact words, but no less obvious.


Still, great book, would definitely recommend.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional 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

This book inspired me to create a book blog — which I absolutely plan to start ASAP, but will take time to set up. Some things just move you too much that you have to create something for it.

Babel was one hell of a ride. I have 3,681,048,261 things to say about this book that I don't even know where to start. Suddenly I understand why some YouTubers post up to thirty-minute videos just to analyze a character or the plot of a story. Because I feel the same way about Letty and the systematic oppression theme of Babel. I could totally write essays, especially on the death of Professor Lovell. But alas, time is a beautifully painful constraint.


[❤️] This book took too many of my firsts, which are:  

— It was my first time spending 10 dollars for a book, and even then, that was on discount and I found it very expensive. Going forward, I'm probably expanding my budget for one book up to 20 dollars due to finally recognizing the value of a well-written book despite the price. *Babel* was pretty thick, so my money was worth it and it took me a while to consume it.  

— It was my first time reading a book about languages and it really validated my desire to become a polyglot. It made me realize how vast cultures are in general and why they say learning a new language unlocks a new perspective toward the world.  

— No book has ever challenged and inspired me intellectually the way this book did. *1984* was quite the read, but damn, this was on a whole new level. It was emotionally gripping and so thought-provoking at the same time. Joining Robin in his life at Oxford made me escape yet confront reality at the same time.  

— I've never wished for the death of a character I hated so much to be undone the way I did with Lovell. Don't get me wrong, he had it coming and Robin would probably tread into a fate much worse than death if he hadn't struck first, but I did wish it didn't end up that way because everything went spiraling downwards after it. But it was still beautifully written.


[🩵] These characters left their imprints on me:  

1. This book killed a lot of my favorite characters, but I'll never recover from Ramy's death. He was the best character here. Truly a joy to read and his dialogues were hilarious. I liked him the moment he appeared. The best description about him: "He knew how to make himself an object of fascination while neutralizing himself as a threat."

2. I really thought Griffin would live until the end, tf. He was interestingly written. I understood his paranoia, agreed with a lot of his beliefs, and ultimately realized why he could never fully trust Robin until the circumstances demanded it. Out of everyone, he was the most worthy to live. But I guess he lived on through Robin? And his ideas were brought to fruition, though it was a little late. Everyone should've listened to him earlier.  

3. Evie. Sweet, innocent, dear Evie — or was she? This POS haunts the plot beautifully and goddamn I wish there was an entire book just for her. She's a villain that, though doesn't have much of a presence, you can't help but respect. If she would've lived on, she would've been a true menace — even more than Playfair's numerous inventions.  

4. And then there's this woman that did nothing but piss me off 70% of the book until I got to her POV and began to appreciate the symbolism of her character. Sadly, Letty's existence is realistic, which is probably why it pisses a lot of people off so much. There was no saving her; she didn't want to be saved. The system benefitted her, so she doesn't see a need to question the status quo. It's also befitting of her to never be able to understand why Ramy never reciprocated her feelings.


[💛] The following quotes resonated with me:

"The translator dances in shackles."  

"...as if his loyalties were shackles by privilege he had not asked for and did not choose to receive."  

"He hoped. He hoped until hope became its own form of torture."  

"But they could not touch that abyss of grief. It was too early yet to give it a name, to shape and tame it with words."  

"If they're going to tell stories about you, use it to your advantage."  

"But what do we know of thought and feeling except as expressed through language?"  

"...to justify a vice with virtue."


[💜] This interaction was my highlight:

"You mean witchcraft," said Ramy. "That's not natural."

Letty snorted. "You need to meet more women."

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging emotional hopeful informative sad 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

This book presented a challenging yet enriching reading experience. I appreciated the exploration of language throughout the text, although it addressed numerous difficult topics. Many of these subjects prompted reflection on contemporary global issues. The narrative tackles themes of child abuse and racism, while also highlighting friendships among various races and presenting diverse perspectives on the same issues influenced by race.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging informative reflective sad 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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark 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

I didn't like it as much as I hoped I would. Really struggled to keep reading at times.
It's a lot of worldbuilding up front and then when the plot really kicks off there is still a lot of waiting interspersed with violence.
I thought the magic system was super cool and was interested in the themes, though. I also thought Robin had a good arc.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
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: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous emotional inspiring 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

babel is a masterpiece; it shows the ways that revolution comes about and how it crescendos into determination, sacrifice, martyrdom, and the uncertainty of the future. the magic system is very unique and interesting, i found myself thinking more on the words i choose to say and what they mean after this book. robin and ramy’s friendship was so special, and robin and victoire’s dynamic shifting into what it became at the end was so gripping and devastating. robin’s character growth through this book, from a little boy ripped from his home, to a determined and bright scholar, to scared and angry and violent, to steadfast and unrelenting in the face of danger. i’m at a loss for words after finishing this so i will leave my review here—part of me expected the ending, but the other part can’t fathom it. but in order to spark revolution, a bold move must be made. rf kuang is an amazing author who crafted a beautiful story about standing up against your oppressors, found family, and hoping for a better future. i can’t wait to read more by her!!!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

What a fascinating premise. I literally couldn’t put it down from the moment that man died

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