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A review by seastheday
Babel by R.F. Kuang
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is an intricately complex dark academia that’s high fantasy and deals with colonialism. There are four main characters with diverse backgrounds, and to their own notice- should not really be friends. I say this due to the fact that they are of British (female), Creole (female), Indian (male) & Chinese (male) decent while the story takes place in the 1800’s Great Britain. They all have what naturally, would be the only job for someone of their racial profile at the time- interpreter & researcher in multiple languages. However, the twist in this story is that the use of Silver, when properly used & interpreted in multiple languages correctly can do magic-like things.
The story is reflective and is seen through our unreliable narrator, Robin Swift. His guardianaka father who pretends to not be his father only “rescued” bred and stole him away from his homeland him from his disease plagued Canton because he was able to read, think & speak in English & Cantonese/Mandarin (forgive me, I cannot remember if he knows both or know one and learned the other).
But our unreliable Robin takes us through his time and learning what it’s like to feel in society but really pushed to the edge and barely accepted. He and his friends of color are each feeling the effects of being anything but white. However, they either dont know the others are having a hard time themselves or they can’t pull themselves from their own paradigms.
The inability to look outside of their own perspective is pretty much impossible for these brilliant students. It was frustrating and heartbreaking at the same time.
Their inability to shift their paradigm’s made it impossible for them to truly get along. And impossible for white people to understand the effects of their colonialism.
Their stand at the end & the betrayals & the unexpected support was undeniably heartbreaking. But is it an R.F. Kuang book if the last fifth of the book doesn’t break you?
The story is reflective and is seen through our unreliable narrator, Robin Swift. His guardian
But our unreliable Robin takes us through his time and learning what it’s like to feel in society but really pushed to the edge and barely accepted. He and his friends of color are each feeling the effects of being anything but white. However, they either dont know the others are having a hard time themselves or they can’t pull themselves from their own paradigms.
The inability to look outside of their own perspective is pretty much impossible for these brilliant students. It was frustrating and heartbreaking at the same time.
Their inability to shift their paradigm’s made it impossible for them to truly get along. And impossible for white people to understand the effects of their colonialism.
Their stand at the end & the betrayals & the unexpected support was undeniably heartbreaking. But is it an R.F. Kuang book if the last fifth of the book doesn’t break you?