A review by sahanac
Babel by R.F. Kuang

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

i was not expecting to love this as much as i did. partially because the book is a brick and partially because every other person on tiktok recommended it and ive learned to be wary. but GOD. did i devour this book. the concepts of language, linguistics, and translation are incredibly detailed and intricate so u have to be into that to like it, and the debate on how to fight colonialism is cleverly woven into the story, and rf kuang gives us hints as to what her own personal belief is. ultimately, babel asks whether we can dismantle colonialism through our work and through collective action or if we must resort to violence to disrupt the world. the debate is not solved, but paused. kuang's use of the four friends at the center of the novel, also, with robin at the center, is intentionally done, especially considering the placement of each interlude. ramy, letty, and victoire. by the time the end came around, i knew it couldn't have been any other way. still, my heart aches. i want to be buried back in this world for yet a while longer.