A review by luxton
Babel by R.F. Kuang

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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

4.5

This is an emotionally intense, dark, and long book. I had to take a break halfway to read something lighter because I felt myself starting to resent the bleakness of it all.

But I'm glad I stuck with it, and overall I felt invested throughout the story, unlike some other bleak books I've read in the past. The ending was (minor/vague spoilers)
devastating
and I'm still processing it all. It didn't feel dark just for the sake of it either, the emotional heaviness of the story was used very intentionally to reflect the past and present of the real world that we live in.

I think this will sit with me for a long time.
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