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A review by amandajwampler
Babel by R.F. Kuang
5.0
There is not much to say about this book that hasn’t already been said. It is an incredible “dark academia” (if you like that term) book with themes of colonialism, race, nationality, and, finally, resistance. You know what you are in for within the first chapter, but that doesn’t lessen the journey to the end. Each character struggles in their own way with the culture at Oxford/Babel, and each character has a unique journey to their final stance.
It was a generally well paced book and the characters were so enjoyable to read about. The major themes of the book were written in a very matter-of-fact manner, but that feels suitable for discussions around colonialism. This way, readers cannot gloss over these themes or focus wholly on other aspects of the novel.
I would say this is probably a 4.5-4.75 rounded up, just because I had a hard time at the beginning staying invested. But, once I was in, I was in. Genuinely incredible and kept me engaged especially through the latter half. I really appreciated the character progression of Robin, as his arc really brought home many of the major themes Kuang was getting at. Wish I could upload a photo so I could post me crying for the last two chapters.
It was a generally well paced book and the characters were so enjoyable to read about. The major themes of the book were written in a very matter-of-fact manner, but that feels suitable for discussions around colonialism. This way, readers cannot gloss over these themes or focus wholly on other aspects of the novel.
I would say this is probably a 4.5-4.75 rounded up, just because I had a hard time at the beginning staying invested. But, once I was in, I was in. Genuinely incredible and kept me engaged especially through the latter half. I really appreciated the character progression of Robin, as his arc really brought home many of the major themes Kuang was getting at. Wish I could upload a photo so I could post me crying for the last two chapters.