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redheadorganist's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Trafficking, Death of parent, Racism, Suicide, Death, Racial slurs, Grief, Colonisation, Slavery, and Torture
Moderate: Blood, Gore, Drug use, and War
Minor: Sexual harassment and Fire/Fire injury
harmonyfaery's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Colonisation, and Racism
idabwells's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Manages to capture the devastating scope of colonial genocide while also portraying the courage and brilliance of those around the world struggling to survive and triumph over it.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Violence, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Trafficking, Suicide, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Addiction, Murder, Police brutality, Sexism, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Torture, Misogyny, Racism, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mass/school shootings, and Kidnapping
Minor: Hate crime, Religious bigotry, War, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Rape, Slavery, and Injury/Injury detail
leonineliterature's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Murder, Death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Blood, Gore, Xenophobia, Violence, Toxic friendship, Sexism, and Racism
trashbinfluencer's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Moderate: Torture, Blood, Confinement, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, War, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, Classism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Abandonment, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Drug use, Xenophobia, Suicide, Sexism, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, and Slavery
thelibraryskeeper's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
I first tried to read Babel in physical format and found I was struggling and getting rather caught up in the finer details. I switched to the audiobook and was golden. Chris Lew Kum Hoi is an outstanding narrator.
Babel is what I would call a dark academia themed book. The story is told predominantly from the viewpoint of Robin Swift. He has been orphaned and brought to London to begin learning classical languages. He is told by his guardian that he will enroll into Oxford Univeristys Royal Imstitute of Translation. This is where knowledge is power and this power is translated literally into silver bars which the British Empire uses to essentially make life easier and more pleasant.
It is at Babel that Robin begins to see the British effects of Colonialism, racism, violence, and loss of identity all at once. As he starts to see more and more of this, Robin is introduced to the Hermes Society which is in direct opposition of all that is being taught at Babel.
Kuang does a fantastic job fleshing out the characters and many themes throughout the novel and there is great plot and character development. This book is full of DEEP themes and Kuang doesn't shy away from anything.
"But that's the beauty of learning a new language. It should feel like an enormous undertaking. It ought to intimidate you. It makes you appreciate the complexity of the ones you know already"
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Colonisation
Moderate: Sexism, War, and Slavery
Minor: Death of parent
fionamclary's review against another edition
- 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
As a huge language nerd, I was absolutely delighted with the magic system. It's clear that Kuang is also a language lover and has put a lot of research and passion into all the many languages that play a part in Babel. It's not a complicated magic system by any means, but it doesn't have to be when the intricacies are SO fascinating (at least to me).
Also, as a current physics grad student, the descriptions of Robin and his classmates' first few years at Babel were all too familiar and at times painfully relatable. The intense workload, the way it makes you a bit crazy, the closeness it can bring about when shared with others. The first third of the book set up the perfect premise for dark academia: golden summer days of picnics with your best friends, long nights in the library, and many hints that all is not right within the institution. And Kuang certainly delivered on that premise, escalating matters all the way.
I'm aware that this book made several white women quite angry. As a white woman, I can see why. Through one particular character, Kuang delivers an unflattering portrait of how white women can harm their friends of color simply by inaction and ignorance, and how they can fail when presented with the opportunity to commit to liberation. Although in some ways simplified for the purposes of fitting within the story and conveying the author's point, this portrait is not exactly wrong. I think there's some validity to criticism that the book does not do enough to address Robin and Ramy's internalized sexism, which hurts both Victoire and Letty. I think the fact that only Robin and to a somewhat lesser extent Ramy are fully fleshed-out for about the first half of the book does hamper some of the book's messages. But to say that this book indicts white women or even white people is ridiculous. The climax involves an immense show of solidarity across class and racial lines. Professor
Speaking of which, the climax of this book was beautiful and destructive. I cried for fully the last 20 pages, which never happens. In the end, I don't think I fully agree with Robin. I'm not sure if Kuang does, either. I don't think we're meant to feel one way or the other -- just consider his choices and his beliefs, and hopefully we understand how he came there, having grown up with him, as it were, and seen him through all the events that led up to his decisions in the last chapters of the book.
Highly recommend for language lovers, academics who feel complicated about their funding sources, and first-world leftists trying to understand their place in the world and their role in a frightening future.
Graphic: Child abuse, Xenophobia, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Colonisation, Death, Murder, War, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Racial slurs, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Hate crime, Blood, Sexism, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Misogyny, and Suicide
Minor: Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Addiction, Islamophobia, Slavery, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Pandemic/Epidemic
dripdrop's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexism, Death, Torture, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Racism, War, Gun violence, Violence, Physical abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Domestic abuse
naisdayz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
While Babel took me quite long to get through, I really enjoyed it. I really loved the cohort, though I would have wished for their relationships to be a little more fleshed out here and there. I could believe that Robin would die for Ramy no doubt - but the boys didn't seem as close to the girls and vice versa.
Kuang is really good at writing morally grey characters. Letty will do all those horrible things and then her intermission comes and you're like... Oh. That's why. And it doesn't excuse her shooting one of her friends or being the way she is, but it makes you understand and somewhat emphasize with her.
I found the footnotes that explain things that are relevant to the story, both fictional and (mainly) real to be pretty cool - it allows you to understand the story and what was happening on an even deeper level.
Babel is a very important book, in my opinion, that should be read by everyone (especially white people). It's so much more than a dark academia book, or a fantasy book.
Graphic: Murder, Xenophobia, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Sexism, Racism, Misogyny, Gun violence, Grief, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, Classism, Child abuse, Blood, and Physical abuse
Minor: War
beetree's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Colonisation and Racial slurs
Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, and Death of parent