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headopener's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this, very interesting and different magic system, clearly from someone who loves language and it's history. Obviously very anti empire and colonialism.
ana8544's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
4.0
booksjessreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I have been putting off writing this review for some time because I am genuinely unsure how to write my feelings about it into words, or what coherent thoughts I have about this book are at this point.
This book is an absolute marvel. It is completely astonishing. The characters are so human, fully dimensional and uniquely complex. The story: devastating. But, anything that is about empire and colonialism is. Kuang has such incredible skill at interweaving themes of empire, colonialism, racism, religion, gender and so many more themes. Sometimes, I came across sentences that put the themes and topics so well that I physically could not think of a way to rephrase things. Her style is just so clever and intricate and nuanced. Simply brilliant.
This book is also incredibly emotional. There are characters in this book that felt like friends of mine and I haven't felt this close to characters in a book for a long time. They feel so real and they are written so exquisitely. Furthermore, Robin as an unreliable narrator just adds to the appeal of reading it for me. An unreliable narrator is one of my favourite things about a book, and this was executed so well.
Babel is just a complete masterpiece. I write a lot of reviews with the mindset of 'how could what I write do this book any justice'. But I mean that from the bottom of my heart writing this review. This book is essential and so cleverly crafted. One of my favourite books of all time.
This book is an absolute marvel. It is completely astonishing. The characters are so human, fully dimensional and uniquely complex. The story: devastating. But, anything that is about empire and colonialism is. Kuang has such incredible skill at interweaving themes of empire, colonialism, racism, religion, gender and so many more themes. Sometimes, I came across sentences that put the themes and topics so well that I physically could not think of a way to rephrase things. Her style is just so clever and intricate and nuanced. Simply brilliant.
This book is also incredibly emotional. There are characters in this book that felt like friends of mine and I haven't felt this close to characters in a book for a long time. They feel so real and they are written so exquisitely. Furthermore, Robin as an unreliable narrator just adds to the appeal of reading it for me. An unreliable narrator is one of my favourite things about a book, and this was executed so well.
Babel is just a complete masterpiece. I write a lot of reviews with the mindset of 'how could what I write do this book any justice'. But I mean that from the bottom of my heart writing this review. This book is essential and so cleverly crafted. One of my favourite books of all time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, Death, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Racism
Moderate: War, Child abuse, Death of parent, Slavery, Murder, and Drug use
xoviyyih's review against another edition
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.75
ahamusing's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
krjdolan's review against another edition
5.0
A gripping novel with a fascinating magic system, characters that make your heart ache, and impactful commentary on the world beyond the fantasy.
The good:
- incredibly compelling characters and plot in an enthralling world
- juicy insights into language and history all across the world
- painful commentary on colonialism, racism, sexism, intersectionality and so much more
The bad:
- no book is perfect, this is a dense read and sometimes that was off-putting.
- a few moments were predictable, but predictability isn't a crime!
The good:
- incredibly compelling characters and plot in an enthralling world
- juicy insights into language and history all across the world
- painful commentary on colonialism, racism, sexism, intersectionality and so much more
The bad:
- no book is perfect, this is a dense read and sometimes that was off-putting.
- a few moments were predictable, but predictability isn't a crime!