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A review by jeremynelson0899
Babel by R.F. Kuang
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It had moments of beautifully written prose and felt well-researched on topics such as language, colonialism, and trade. The premise was interesting, and I was so excited to get into this.
But it felt...somewhat flat in the end.
At various points, I thought 'please, get to it'.
It seemed to repeat the same few scenes;
Someone being horribly discriminating, a language/translation lecture, Griffin called Robin over, then the cohort getting along/not getting along. It was all important, yes, but the repetition felt noticeable and not once did I feel connected to the characters throughout the book.
(SPOILER: something happened to one of the characters, and I felt absolutely nothing because this character was a self-righteous twat to everyone he deigned to speak to.)
Somebody said it better than I could; this book is an essay in novel form, but falls flat at its attempts of being a novel.
But it felt...somewhat flat in the end.
At various points, I thought 'please, get to it'.
It seemed to repeat the same few scenes;
Someone being horribly discriminating, a language/translation lecture, Griffin called Robin over, then the cohort getting along/not getting along. It was all important, yes, but the repetition felt noticeable and not once did I feel connected to the characters throughout the book.
(SPOILER: something happened to one of the characters, and I felt absolutely nothing because this character was a self-righteous twat to everyone he deigned to speak to.)
Somebody said it better than I could; this book is an essay in novel form, but falls flat at its attempts of being a novel.