Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by libraryofavirgo
Babel by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I have one word for this book: WOW! It is clear from the first page how much time, effort, and love went into this book. Kuang does a fantastic job weaving fantasy with historical fact. The world building just blew me away. And the languages! I can’t speak to the accuracy of any of them, but it seems that Kuang really did her due diligence.
The story and writing were also incredibly immersive. I was surprised by how alive this version of Oxford felt, as if I was there roaming the campus and halls myself alongside the characters. Kuang also captured the feelings of the journey through academia better than anyone else I’ve ever read. The progression of the characters brought to life the excitement of being one of a few chosen people selected as the next experts in your field, the intensity of bonding with one’s cohort, the inevitable disillusionment once the shine wears off and the workload becomes unmanageable, and the surprising feelings of loss that accompany having achieved one’s goal. I was surprised by how much I related to these characters despite our many differences.
Speaking of the characters, I loved them so much. Robin’s journey in this book was quite astounding. He was plucked from nothing, literally the edge of death, and he went on to accomplish truly incredible things. The boy at the beginning of the story was so different from the man at the end. The rest of Robin’s cohort and the other supporting characters all felt just as three-dimensional as Robin. There’s so much I’d like to talk about each of them, but I don’t want to spoil the story. So, I’ll just say that these characters allowed for the exploration of so many topics and themes, especially as it relates to group dynamics and cohesiveness of individuals from wildly different backgrounds with various amounts of privilege and clashing worldviews.
A major aspect of this book is the political commentary. It takes place in an alternate version of the Victorian era, so we see quite a bit of historically accurate classism, sexism, and racism. Babel is largely a statement on the violence of colonialism. However, while this all takes place in the 19th-century, almost all of the political commentary is relevant today, particularly in regard to academia. On one hand, the book is a love letter to Oxford, but it also contains scathing critique. And I can say that as someone within academia, all of Kuang’s criticism is fully warranted.
Ultimately, I felt a lot of things while reading this book. I was nostalgic at times. I was enraged and enlightened at others. Then there were the times I was heartbroken, so deeply sad at how unfair life can be. This book was truly a masterpiece. I cannot recommend it enough, and it has earned a spot in my favorites. It is rare that I want to read a book again immediately after finishing it, but I’m ready for a re-read. This is a novel that is going to stick with me for a very long time.
The story and writing were also incredibly immersive. I was surprised by how alive this version of Oxford felt, as if I was there roaming the campus and halls myself alongside the characters. Kuang also captured the feelings of the journey through academia better than anyone else I’ve ever read. The progression of the characters brought to life the excitement of being one of a few chosen people selected as the next experts in your field, the intensity of bonding with one’s cohort, the inevitable disillusionment once the shine wears off and the workload becomes unmanageable, and the surprising feelings of loss that accompany having achieved one’s goal. I was surprised by how much I related to these characters despite our many differences.
Speaking of the characters, I loved them so much. Robin’s journey in this book was quite astounding. He was plucked from nothing, literally the edge of death, and he went on to accomplish truly incredible things. The boy at the beginning of the story was so different from the man at the end. The rest of Robin’s cohort and the other supporting characters all felt just as three-dimensional as Robin. There’s so much I’d like to talk about each of them, but I don’t want to spoil the story. So, I’ll just say that these characters allowed for the exploration of so many topics and themes, especially as it relates to group dynamics and cohesiveness of individuals from wildly different backgrounds with various amounts of privilege and clashing worldviews.
A major aspect of this book is the political commentary. It takes place in an alternate version of the Victorian era, so we see quite a bit of historically accurate classism, sexism, and racism. Babel is largely a statement on the violence of colonialism. However, while this all takes place in the 19th-century, almost all of the political commentary is relevant today, particularly in regard to academia. On one hand, the book is a love letter to Oxford, but it also contains scathing critique. And I can say that as someone within academia, all of Kuang’s criticism is fully warranted.
Ultimately, I felt a lot of things while reading this book. I was nostalgic at times. I was enraged and enlightened at others. Then there were the times I was heartbroken, so deeply sad at how unfair life can be. This book was truly a masterpiece. I cannot recommend it enough, and it has earned a spot in my favorites. It is rare that I want to read a book again immediately after finishing it, but I’m ready for a re-read. This is a novel that is going to stick with me for a very long time.