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A review by weavingmythos
Babel by R.F. Kuang
5.0
my fav book of 2022 ngl
TLDR:
Mixes historical accuracy with fantasy elements
focuses on real world problems
beautiful characters
amazing prose
I’m astounded by this book. Blown away even. I think it’s a contender for my favourite book of the year. I don’t even know where to begin with reviewing it, so apologies in advance for how messy this review is.
Babel, or the necessity of violence is both a heartbreaking and a soul soothing book. The focus on language, specifically Chinese (Both Mandarin and Cantonese, of which I am learning Mandarin) made me so happy. Seeing how words were crafted in another language, what made them up, and then also how we created words in English. Where they came from, was so invigoratingly interesting. Every aspect of the languages involved in this were beautiful.
But it was heartbreaking too. How could it not be? A book focused on the turmoil England created. The pain that it created by constantly infiltrating and attacking other nations all in the vain name of ‘bettering’ them. There’s nothing pretty about that. There shouldn’t be either.
This book held no punches. From showing how characters were forced to assimilate to white culture, to how many racist microaggressions people are forced to endure, all the way to how an institution that can bring you happiness; can also be something so dark, and deceitful too. I was constantly jumping from loving a scene, to being disgusted either by the characters or the world. And sadly, while this is a fiction book, it is very much rooted in reality. Kuang expertly ties in actual events and timelines to show just what it was like for people (and still is) while giving it an air of magic thanks to the silver working.
There isn’t anything I don’t love about this book. The characters were either amazing, or despicable in a way that made you truly feel. You couldn’t help but love or hate each of them. The writing too was enchanting, the prose flowed off the page in the best way possible. And the ending. I won’t spoil anything, but you will be heart broken. This stand alone fantasy pulls no punches and leaves you looking at the world a little differently. And I think it’s an insanely amazing thing that one book can do that. I know this will be a book I return to reread in the future, and I look forward to going back to it and seeing all my previous tabs and highlights, and to making more.
I would recommend this book if you:
love historical fiction and high fantasy
loved her other works
enjoy books with a focus on language and culture
TLDR:
Mixes historical accuracy with fantasy elements
focuses on real world problems
beautiful characters
amazing prose
I’m astounded by this book. Blown away even. I think it’s a contender for my favourite book of the year. I don’t even know where to begin with reviewing it, so apologies in advance for how messy this review is.
Spoiler
Babel, or the necessity of violence is both a heartbreaking and a soul soothing book. The focus on language, specifically Chinese (Both Mandarin and Cantonese, of which I am learning Mandarin) made me so happy. Seeing how words were crafted in another language, what made them up, and then also how we created words in English. Where they came from, was so invigoratingly interesting. Every aspect of the languages involved in this were beautiful.
But it was heartbreaking too. How could it not be? A book focused on the turmoil England created. The pain that it created by constantly infiltrating and attacking other nations all in the vain name of ‘bettering’ them. There’s nothing pretty about that. There shouldn’t be either.
This book held no punches. From showing how characters were forced to assimilate to white culture, to how many racist microaggressions people are forced to endure, all the way to how an institution that can bring you happiness; can also be something so dark, and deceitful too. I was constantly jumping from loving a scene, to being disgusted either by the characters or the world. And sadly, while this is a fiction book, it is very much rooted in reality. Kuang expertly ties in actual events and timelines to show just what it was like for people (and still is) while giving it an air of magic thanks to the silver working.
There isn’t anything I don’t love about this book. The characters were either amazing, or despicable in a way that made you truly feel. You couldn’t help but love or hate each of them. The writing too was enchanting, the prose flowed off the page in the best way possible. And the ending. I won’t spoil anything, but you will be heart broken. This stand alone fantasy pulls no punches and leaves you looking at the world a little differently. And I think it’s an insanely amazing thing that one book can do that. I know this will be a book I return to reread in the future, and I look forward to going back to it and seeing all my previous tabs and highlights, and to making more.
I would recommend this book if you:
love historical fiction and high fantasy
loved her other works
enjoy books with a focus on language and culture