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misszierose's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is a dense, erudite, and dark book. I truly believe everyone who loves language and books and believes in basic human rights even if people different from you should at least attempt this book. It is so important especially in the social and political and cultural time we are currently living through. Our choices matter. People deserve respect. Knowledge is power. Who holds that power is something that can alter the whole world’s future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Slavery, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
endlessallison's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
5.0
This book is so relevant to today and captures the perspectives of both the colonizers and the colonized on such beautifully blunt painful ways I truly believe everyone should read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
This is a book of fiction that uses a slightly fantastical element of silver/magic to be a placeholder for any and all resources valuable to an empire. It deals with sexism, racism, colonization, revolution, workers revolt, strikes, rebellions, war, academia, and more. Within those topics there are really heavy pieces of content but it is handled tactfully and effectively to convey a message to look at the world today through the lens of this narrative.hanahf's review
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Drug use and Death of parent
alliyyamo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
4.5
I loved this so much. It was a bit slow to start but worth the build up. My digital copy had a few issues rendering some characters in the other languages unfortunately. I'm definitely going to get my hands on a physical copy.
If you're passionate about languages or have an interest in linguistics and history, this is a must-read. I found it to be a brilliantly researched and thoughtfully crafted work, with a world that feels alive. Personally, I've never been adept with languages, but I've always felt a sense of envy towards multilingual individuals. It’s also a source of deep sorrow for me that, due to the lasting effects of colonialism, my family and I have lost the languages of our ancestors.
It's definitely not for the faint of heart if the length daunts you. But I think it was well worth the read and I will be thinking about this one for a while.
Forever heartbroken about Ramy & Robin and what never was.
Honestly so grateful to R.F. Kuang for helping provide the history/English/literature education I never had.
If you're passionate about languages or have an interest in linguistics and history, this is a must-read. I found it to be a brilliantly researched and thoughtfully crafted work, with a world that feels alive. Personally, I've never been adept with languages, but I've always felt a sense of envy towards multilingual individuals. It’s also a source of deep sorrow for me that, due to the lasting effects of colonialism, my family and I have lost the languages of our ancestors.
It's definitely not for the faint of heart if the length daunts you. But I think it was well worth the read and I will be thinking about this one for a while.
Honestly so grateful to R.F. Kuang for helping provide the history/English/literature education I never had.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Slavery, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, and War
I honestly feel like I could put so many content warnings just because of how much context there is in this book related to colonialism, classism and racism.joey_estrada's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.5
The writing is beautiful and poetic and flows smoothly. I like how the dialogue is written.
I really liked all the literary references and just the general atmosphere of the book. Reading it made me feel smart and uneducated at the same time.
The way that colonialism, racism, slavery, etc. were talked about was very interesting and felt brutally honest, which I appreciate and think is needed when talking about this sort of thing.
Language was intertwined with and used as an example of how colonialism affects people and their identity. I thought it was done very well.
The character development for everyone but especially Robin was very interesting to see and perfectly shown.
You can see how drastically Robin's thoughts, feelings, and morals change and go back and forth. You can see his inner turmoil and contradictions so vividly.
This book did not go quite how I expected it to based on some happenings towards the beginning, but truthfully, it got so much better and more interesting than I thought it would and I already had high hopes for this book. I cried and teared up multiple times while reading for multiple different reasons.
I think everyone should read this at least once.
The feeling of being alone as a person of color, the different yet similar experiences people of color can have from each other, the devastating cruelty of how racism and colonialism work, the tragic realizations all throughout, and even more emotional, heavy, complicated, upsetting topics are somehow put into words perfectly.
(I realize that this is a very long review, but this book is so packed full with emotion and information that I feel it's only right. For all I know, I'll add more thoughts later.)
I really liked all the literary references and just the general atmosphere of the book. Reading it made me feel smart and uneducated at the same time.
The way that colonialism, racism, slavery, etc. were talked about was very interesting and felt brutally honest, which I appreciate and think is needed when talking about this sort of thing.
Language was intertwined with and used as an example of how colonialism affects people and their identity. I thought it was done very well.
The character development for everyone but especially Robin was very interesting to see and perfectly shown.
You can see how drastically Robin's thoughts, feelings, and morals change and go back and forth. You can see his inner turmoil and contradictions so vividly.
This book did not go quite how I expected it to based on some happenings towards the beginning, but truthfully, it got so much better and more interesting than I thought it would and I already had high hopes for this book. I cried and teared up multiple times while reading for multiple different reasons.
I think everyone should read this at least once.
The feeling of being alone as a person of color, the different yet similar experiences people of color can have from each other, the devastating cruelty of how racism and colonialism work, the tragic realizations all throughout, and even more emotional, heavy, complicated, upsetting topics are somehow put into words perfectly.
(I realize that this is a very long review, but this book is so packed full with emotion and information that I feel it's only right. For all I know, I'll add more thoughts later.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Islamophobia, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Slavery, and Death of parent
danieriv's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Long, tedious exposition that isn’t entirely necessary to the main plot of the book. Highly academic writing that you truly have to focus on to understand the book. The writing itself is very good, but this is not a leisure read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Racism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Slavery, Violence, Murder, and War
Minor: Physical abuse, Sexism, and Death of parent
Themes may be triggering to those who have suffered under imperial rule or who face the lasting effects that empires inflict upon the areas they colonize.koolaberg's review
challenging
dark
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
4.75
Loved the audio book. The linguistic aspects were much better hearing multiple accents and native speakers.
Most of the book was quite slow, particularly the beginning. But it was also quite charming and pleasant to become wrapped up in the world of Oxford in the 1830s. As an academic, it was endearing to experience another POV reflecting the love/hate relationship I feel with “the academy.” The last 1/4 of the book is quite a different pace and almost an entirely different book. I found the eventual conclusion quite heartbreaking but also satisfying given the current political climate of the US. The idea that foreign scholars could be in solidarity with the working classes gave me hope.I found myself feeling so angry and cursing Letty for her betrayal. And the deaths of several key characters (Lovell, Remy, Griffin) made the stakes feel authentic. It’s quite poetic and tragic that we never learn Robin’s name in Cantonese.
The book was a bit long compared to my usual books, and perhaps could have been a duology. But I appreciated that the publisher doesn’t make the readers buy two books unnecessarily. This book felt like an excellent companion after Les Miserables.
Most of the book was quite slow, particularly the beginning. But it was also quite charming and pleasant to become wrapped up in the world of Oxford in the 1830s. As an academic, it was endearing to experience another POV reflecting the love/hate relationship I feel with “the academy.” The last 1/4 of the book is quite a different pace and almost an entirely different book. I found the eventual conclusion quite heartbreaking but also satisfying given the current political climate of the US. The idea that foreign scholars could be in solidarity with the working classes gave me hope.
The book was a bit long compared to my usual books, and perhaps could have been a duology. But I appreciated that the publisher doesn’t make the readers buy two books unnecessarily. This book felt like an excellent companion after Les Miserables.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexism, Grief, and Colonisation
Moderate: Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Toxic friendship, and War
Minor: Blood and Death of parent
amyradak's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book was very well written, and I appreciated the very important points made about the horrors of colonialism as well as the xenophobia, racism, sexism etc. of the very insular academic world of 1830s England. These themes and others made for a very rich book club discussion. I also LOVED the Oxford setting, and found myself happily sinking into the campus environment as Robin, Ramy, Victoire, and Letty advanced through their education at Babel college.
That said, by the end of the book I realized that I did not enjoy the reading experience . Beginning at about the 70% mark whenRobin murders professor Lovell the book did a complete 180 from the a compelling, well-told dark academia novel to a chaotic, frenetic series of murder cover-ups, mental deterioration, and terrorism plots. We learned next to nothing about Hermes until the last 30% of the book, at which time we became fully immersed in Hermes underworld and their life-or-death game of trying to remain hidden while bringing colonialism down from within the walls of Babel. Everything began to move so fast that key pieces of the plot were not fully fleshed out and required quite a bit of suspension of disbelief. By the end, people were outright murdering each other out of hatred and mania. Robin changed from a meek, mild-mannered student - not into a dedicated, rational champion of the anti-colonialism cause, but into a bloodthirsty homicidal maniac. I understand that the point of the novel was to make the reader consider whether violence is necessary to take down insidious institutions like colonialism, slavery, and imperialism. And I'm not saying it isn't necessary. I'm simply saying I didn't enjoy reading about it, and I also didn't enjoy that by the end of the book almost everyone had so much blood on their hands that I couldn't in good conscience root for them. I think I identified most with the mindset of Victoire who couldn't stand to see the casualties being wrought on civilians by Robin's actions, and who simply wanted to live too much to go down in flames with Babel itself . I did get very emotional at the end when everyone in the tower at Babel had to choose whether to run or stay inside Babel while Robin brought it down on them , and it was very hard to watch Robin go through with his plan. Overall, the last third of the book was a too bleak, violent, and chaotic for me to consider this an enjoyable reading experience.
Quotes I bookmarked
Ch. 1: "He understood the necessity of gratitude. Of deference. One did not spite ones saviors."
Ch. 7: "They argued endlessly, the way bright young people with well-fed egos and too many opinions do."
Ch. 8: "I don't think you two quite understand how hard it is to be a woman here," said Victoire. "They're liberal on paper, certainly, but they think so very little of us...Every weakness we display is a testament to the worst theories about us, which is that we're fragile, we're hysterical, and we're too naturally weak-minded to hand the kind of work we're set to do."
Ch. 9: "We hold the secrets, and we can set whatever terms we like. That's the beauty of being cleverer than everyone else. "
Ch. 9: "...for he had never been happier than he was now, stretched thin, too preoccupied with the next thing before him to pay any attention to how it all fitted together."
Ch. 12: "It was actually easy to put up with any degree of social unrest, as long as one got used to looking away."
Ch. 17: “These trade networks were carved in stone. Nothing was pushing this arrangement off its course; there were too many private interests, too much money at stake. They could see where it was going, but the people who had the power to do anything about it had been placed in positions where they would profit, and the people who suffered most had no power at all.”
That said, by the end of the book I realized that I did not enjoy the reading experience . Beginning at about the 70% mark when
Quotes I bookmarked
Ch. 1: "He understood the necessity of gratitude. Of deference. One did not spite ones saviors."
Ch. 7: "They argued endlessly, the way bright young people with well-fed egos and too many opinions do."
Ch. 8: "I don't think you two quite understand how hard it is to be a woman here," said Victoire. "They're liberal on paper, certainly, but they think so very little of us...Every weakness we display is a testament to the worst theories about us, which is that we're fragile, we're hysterical, and we're too naturally weak-minded to hand the kind of work we're set to do."
Ch. 9: "We hold the secrets, and we can set whatever terms we like. That's the beauty of being cleverer than everyone else. "
Ch. 9: "...for he had never been happier than he was now, stretched thin, too preoccupied with the next thing before him to pay any attention to how it all fitted together."
Ch. 12: "It was actually easy to put up with any degree of social unrest, as long as one got used to looking away."
Ch. 17: “These trade networks were carved in stone. Nothing was pushing this arrangement off its course; there were too many private interests, too much money at stake. They could see where it was going, but the people who had the power to do anything about it had been placed in positions where they would profit, and the people who suffered most had no power at all.”
Ch. 19: "It was relaxing in a way, to imagine the very worst that could happen, since it took the terror out of the unknown."
Ch. 20: "But you think the thing is martyrdom. You think if you suffer enough, for whatever sins you've committed, then you're absolved." "...Every time you come up against something difficult, you just want to make it go away. And you think the way to do that is with self-flagellation. You're obsessed with punishment."
Ch. 20: "It would seem a great paradox, the fact that after everything they had told Lettie, all the pain they had shared, she was the one who needed comforting."
Ch. 23: " abolition happened because white people found reasons to care, whether those be economic or religious. You just have to make them think they came up with the idea themselves. You can't appeal to their inner goodness. I have never met an Englishman I've trusted to do the right thing out of sympathy."
Ch. 24: "They both thought this was a matter of individual fortunes, instead of systematic oppression. And neither could see outside the perspective of people who looked and spoke just like them."
Ch. 25: "Power did not lie in the tip of a pen. Power did not work against it's own interests. Power could only be brought to heel by acts of defiance it could not ignore. With brute, unflinching force. With violence"
Interlude: "They'd beaten the system. Why in God's name did they want to break it as well?"
Ch. 20: "But you think the thing is martyrdom. You think if you suffer enough, for whatever sins you've committed, then you're absolved." "...Every time you come up against something difficult, you just want to make it go away. And you think the way to do that is with self-flagellation. You're obsessed with punishment."
Ch. 20: "It would seem a great paradox, the fact that after everything they had told Lettie, all the pain they had shared, she was the one who needed comforting."
Ch. 23: " abolition happened because white people found reasons to care, whether those be economic or religious. You just have to make them think they came up with the idea themselves. You can't appeal to their inner goodness. I have never met an Englishman I've trusted to do the right thing out of sympathy."
Ch. 24: "They both thought this was a matter of individual fortunes, instead of systematic oppression. And neither could see outside the perspective of people who looked and spoke just like them."
Ch. 25: "Power did not lie in the tip of a pen. Power did not work against it's own interests. Power could only be brought to heel by acts of defiance it could not ignore. With brute, unflinching force. With violence"
Interlude: "They'd beaten the system. Why in God's name did they want to break it as well?"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, and Xenophobia
Minor: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
snowiceblackfruit77's review
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
theglossreview's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Sexual assault, Slavery, and Torture
Minor: Excrement and Vomit