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Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'
Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R.F. Kuang
45 reviews
midnightgremlin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War
bealmg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Let me start by saying that I had high expectations about this book based on two things: the themes (language and power? Sign me up) and the initial rave reviews. I had not read The Poppy War trilogy, but had also heard a lot about it and knew it was a beloved fantasy trilogy. So, Babel was my first encounter with RF Kuang's writing. And I have a LOT to say about Babel.
Starting with what I thought was really strong: Kuang's writing. As soon as the book started, I was transported to its setting. I loved reading her descriptions of Oxford since they are so vivid and rich. I also thoroughly enjoyed the lectures on etymology and language (I could probably read an entire book of hers solely about these things). And, despite the novel's flaws, it kept me fully engaged with it.
The story is told through the eyes of Robin Swift, the main character, a Chinese-English young man who is brought up by an Oxford professor to study at Babel, Oxford's prestigious translation institute. I liked Robin's voice, how well Kuang expressed his doubts, fears and hopes, and I thought that his ambiguitytowards violent vs non-violent action as well as his inner struggles with his mixed-raced ethnicity were really well done. As far as the other characters are concerned, I wished they were more developed, particularly Robin's friends (who at times felt very one dimensional to fulfill their assigned roles in the plot).
Speaking of plot, it lacked something. I think, for me, this is because of the magic system Kuang introduced in Babel. While the magic silver bars sounded promising at first and I was intrigued immediately, I was disappointed by the execution of this concept. As a metaphor for how language shapes the world around us, the silver bars worked. As the motor of the industrial revolution? Not really. Nothing changed in Babel's magical world vs the real world - the industrial revolution and its innovations (as well as the increased poverty and inequalities) still happened, unchanged. The only switch was that, instead of the slave trade and labour being the financial source behind the industrial revolution and the power of the British empire, it was silver bars that connected words from different languages. In the end, this magical element was not enough for me to believe in the book's plot, since its underdevelopment hindered the strength of the story and its ending.
Another thing that I didn't like was Kuang's extensive use of footnotes. While I generally don't mind footnotes if they're used ocasionally to clarify certain things, Kuang used footnotes to overexplain things, to provide characterisation and to lecture the reader. And although I believe that, sometimes, you need to shout 'racism' when something is clearly racist, this was done excessively throughout the book. It's as if Kuang doesn't trust her readers to understand her message. To add to this, there were so many characters whose only function was to say 'this is racism, this is colonialism, this is bad', which felt really repetitive and lacked the nuance and subtlety I think would've worked best in a historical fantasy novel.
Speaking of historical, the discussions about these issues used language that, I think, was far too modern for a novel set in the 1800s. Although this didn't bother me too much (except a few REALLY modern expressions and phrases), for a book that focuses on language, translation and the power behind words, it didn't make a lot of sense to have 19th century characters using 21st century words to discuss racism, colonialism and power.
All in all, despite its flaws, I think Babel accomplished what it set out to do: get people to talk about the role that language plays in colonial relations. I think Kuang's main accomplishment was to translate incredibly complex concepts about language, linguistics and power relations to a more accessible format that readers all over the world will engage with. And that is, in my opinion, quite a feat. I just wished the execution would've been better.
Starting with what I thought was really strong: Kuang's writing. As soon as the book started, I was transported to its setting. I loved reading her descriptions of Oxford since they are so vivid and rich. I also thoroughly enjoyed the lectures on etymology and language (I could probably read an entire book of hers solely about these things). And, despite the novel's flaws, it kept me fully engaged with it.
The story is told through the eyes of Robin Swift, the main character, a Chinese-English young man who is brought up by an Oxford professor to study at Babel, Oxford's prestigious translation institute. I liked Robin's voice, how well Kuang expressed his doubts, fears and hopes, and I thought that his ambiguity
Speaking of plot, it lacked something. I think, for me, this is because of the magic system Kuang introduced in Babel. While the magic silver bars sounded promising at first and I was intrigued immediately, I was disappointed by the execution of this concept. As a metaphor for how language shapes the world around us, the silver bars worked. As the motor of the industrial revolution? Not really. Nothing changed in Babel's magical world vs the real world - the industrial revolution and its innovations (as well as the increased poverty and inequalities) still happened, unchanged. The only switch was that, instead of the slave trade and labour being the financial source behind the industrial revolution and the power of the British empire, it was silver bars that connected words from different languages. In the end, this magical element was not enough for me to believe in the book's plot, since its underdevelopment hindered the strength of the story and its ending.
Another thing that I didn't like was Kuang's extensive use of footnotes. While I generally don't mind footnotes if they're used ocasionally to clarify certain things, Kuang used footnotes to overexplain things, to provide characterisation and to lecture the reader. And although I believe that, sometimes, you need to shout 'racism' when something is clearly racist, this was done excessively throughout the book. It's as if Kuang doesn't trust her readers to understand her message. To add to this, there were so many characters whose only function was to say 'this is racism, this is colonialism, this is bad', which felt really repetitive and lacked the nuance and subtlety I think would've worked best in a historical fantasy novel.
Speaking of historical, the discussions about these issues used language that, I think, was far too modern for a novel set in the 1800s. Although this didn't bother me too much (except a few REALLY modern expressions and phrases), for a book that focuses on language, translation and the power behind words, it didn't make a lot of sense to have 19th century characters using 21st century words to discuss racism, colonialism and power.
All in all, despite its flaws, I think Babel accomplished what it set out to do: get people to talk about the role that language plays in colonial relations. I think Kuang's main accomplishment was to translate incredibly complex concepts about language, linguistics and power relations to a more accessible format that readers all over the world will engage with. And that is, in my opinion, quite a feat. I just wished the execution would've been better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
meaghanslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I’m between a 4.25 and a 4.5.
The story is extremely interesting and the author does a wonderful job of world building.
The idea of the power of what is lost in translation tied with the power of language and its influence on colonialism is well thought out.
The reason why this book isn’t a 5 is because I felt for most of the book that it was too long. I think this book could have been several smaller books instead of one be very large book. The pacing of the story drags in the middle for me. Also I found the characters while not quite lovable or despicable, just sometimes annoying, especially Robin and Letty. That also factored in a bit to my rating.
The story is extremely interesting and the author does a wonderful job of world building.
The idea of the power of what is lost in translation tied with the power of language and its influence on colonialism is well thought out.
The reason why this book isn’t a 5 is because I felt for most of the book that it was too long. I think this book could have been several smaller books instead of one be very large book. The pacing of the story drags in the middle for me. Also I found the characters while not quite lovable or despicable, just sometimes annoying, especially Robin and Letty. That also factored in a bit to my rating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
lexihworth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and War
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Blood, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
doraevarga's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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
If you can think in more than one language, this book definitely will make you think even deeper about those languages. It can so many metaphors to today’s society and the way we think and communicate. I cannot imagine the research that went into this book! Absolutely recommend it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
wornpagesandendlesscoffey's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I’ll need to sit with this book hangover for a bit. Kuang is a phenomenal story teller who brought this world to vibrant, beautiful life and I loved every second of it. Even the ones I hated. The universal truths in this novel are heartbreaking and stripped bare for the reader, which is dramatic and necessary to the story. This should be required reading for advanced students in my humble opinion. Fiction can be such a wonderful receptacle for truth.
Note- there are a LOT of triggers. It is still well worth reading.
Note- there are a LOT of triggers. It is still well worth reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
leahisdudish's review against another edition
5.0
actual genius.
i dont have words.
i dont have words.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
nicolesbookcase's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
3.5
"'But that's precisely the devil's trick,' Robin insisted. 'This is how colonialism works. It convinces us that the fallout from resistance is entirely our fault, that the immoral choice is resistance itself rather than the circumstances that demanded it."
This is a hard one for me to rate. The content and the message, important and necessary. The way it was put together, a bit of a hard sell for me.
The first half was slow and dry, a bit hard to get through. If you enjoy lectures about the etymology of language, you're in for a treat, but otherwise, it was just a bit too much information and not enough happening. It wasn't until about 50% in that something actually happened that I was excited about. From then on, I really enjoyed the book. Very evidently, I prefer plot-driven books, and the beginning just didn't have enough plot points to pull me in.
The writing in this is fantastic. It's somehow easy to follow, but at the same time definitely not an easy read, kind of like the contradictions in this story. The way Kuang gets her meaning across is so eloquent; I'm not one to annotate books, but I actually got myself some tabs to mark certain parts because they're so evocative. The technical aspects of this are interesting, albeit a little dry, but it is a story about language and translation, so I understand the impact of why it was delved into so deeply, and I appreciate how much research went into making this as accurate as possible. And reading it through the lenses of the characters in this book, who are obviously enamored by language of any kind, made it more interesting! I could feel the awe and devotion these people have for what they're learning and what they can do!
"For how could there ever be an Adamic language? The thought now made him laugh. There was no innate, perfectly comprehensible language; there was no candidate, not English, not French, that could bully and absorb enough to become one. Language was just difference. A thousand different ways of seeing, of moving through the world. No; a thousand worlds within one. And translation - a necessary endeavor, however futile, to move between them."
Reading the book through the lens of Robin, a somewhat white-passing Chinese man, gives this story so many sides and makes the development of his character, through his struggles with coming to terms with who he is and what he believes in, so relevant and incisive. Kuang did a brilliant job in choosing Robin as the main POV of this book; his is an easy POV to empathize with. He has such conflicting opinions and has to muddle through his feelings the entire way through and decide who to be at the end of it all. "You have such a great fear of freedom, brother. It's shackling you. You've identified so hard with the colonizer, you think any threat to them is a threat to you. When are you going to realize you can't be one of them?" He struggles with the clashes between his ethnic background and growing up in Canton, but then being embroiled in the culture and language of England and Oxford and seeing those ironies in himself. "And he wondered at the contradiction: that he despised them, that he knew they could be up to no good, and that still he wanted to be respected by them enough to be included in their ranks. It was a very strange mix of emotions. He hadn't the faintest idea how to sort through them." Being able to compare all of that with Ramy, an Indian man, Victoire, a Black woman, and Letty, a white woman, really gave this story so much depth. I loved learning more about each character, their stories and experiences and flaws.
"Robin wondered then how much of Anthony's life had been spent carefully translating himself to white people, how much of his genial, affable polish was an artful construction to fit a particular idea of a Black man in white England, and to afford himself maximum access within an institution like Babel. And he wondered if there would ever be a day that came when all this was unnecessary, when white people would look at him and Anthony and simply listen, when their words would have worth and value because they were uttered, when they would not have to hide who they were, when they wouldn't have to go through endless distortions just to be understood."
The worldbuilding fell flat; there really wasn't much worldbuilding to speak of. The one aspect of fantasy didn't actually contribute much to making the world different. If not for the magic silver bars, the world would have turned out exactly the same, though perhaps a bit slower, only with actual engineering ingenuity instead of magic. Yes, the ending did depend on the magic of the silver bars, but it was very allegorical to real life. I tend to expect certain things when I am reading a fantasy book, and this did not deliver in that respect.
If you're looking for a plot-heavy, high-stakes fantasy with vast worldbuilding, this is not the book for you. Categorizing this book as fantasy is not it; it falls more within the lines of historical fiction, so if you enjoy historical fiction, you will definitely enjoy this more than if you're going into it expecting fantasy. If you enjoy the intricacies of language and think the meaning of words and translation are interesting, there is so much of that in this book! If the historical and modern significance and effects of colonialism and imperialism are something you want to read about, this is the book for you! If you want to be utterly torn apart by a friendship between four people that doesn't end well, read this book. This is ultimately a very real and uncomfortable story that deals with topics that are incredibly relevant but are hard to read about and grapple with. This is an important book. I just wish it had been crafted a little differently.
This is a hard one for me to rate. The content and the message, important and necessary. The way it was put together, a bit of a hard sell for me.
The first half was slow and dry, a bit hard to get through. If you enjoy lectures about the etymology of language, you're in for a treat, but otherwise, it was just a bit too much information and not enough happening. It wasn't until about 50% in that something actually happened that I was excited about. From then on, I really enjoyed the book. Very evidently, I prefer plot-driven books, and the beginning just didn't have enough plot points to pull me in.
The writing in this is fantastic. It's somehow easy to follow, but at the same time definitely not an easy read, kind of like the contradictions in this story. The way Kuang gets her meaning across is so eloquent; I'm not one to annotate books, but I actually got myself some tabs to mark certain parts because they're so evocative. The technical aspects of this are interesting, albeit a little dry, but it is a story about language and translation, so I understand the impact of why it was delved into so deeply, and I appreciate how much research went into making this as accurate as possible. And reading it through the lenses of the characters in this book, who are obviously enamored by language of any kind, made it more interesting! I could feel the awe and devotion these people have for what they're learning and what they can do!
"For how could there ever be an Adamic language? The thought now made him laugh. There was no innate, perfectly comprehensible language; there was no candidate, not English, not French, that could bully and absorb enough to become one. Language was just difference. A thousand different ways of seeing, of moving through the world. No; a thousand worlds within one. And translation - a necessary endeavor, however futile, to move between them."
Reading the book through the lens of Robin, a somewhat white-passing Chinese man, gives this story so many sides and makes the development of his character, through his struggles with coming to terms with who he is and what he believes in, so relevant and incisive. Kuang did a brilliant job in choosing Robin as the main POV of this book; his is an easy POV to empathize with. He has such conflicting opinions and has to muddle through his feelings the entire way through and decide who to be at the end of it all. "You have such a great fear of freedom, brother. It's shackling you. You've identified so hard with the colonizer, you think any threat to them is a threat to you. When are you going to realize you can't be one of them?" He struggles with the clashes between his ethnic background and growing up in Canton, but then being embroiled in the culture and language of England and Oxford and seeing those ironies in himself. "And he wondered at the contradiction: that he despised them, that he knew they could be up to no good, and that still he wanted to be respected by them enough to be included in their ranks. It was a very strange mix of emotions. He hadn't the faintest idea how to sort through them." Being able to compare all of that with Ramy, an Indian man, Victoire, a Black woman, and Letty, a white woman, really gave this story so much depth. I loved learning more about each character, their stories and experiences and flaws.
"Robin wondered then how much of Anthony's life had been spent carefully translating himself to white people, how much of his genial, affable polish was an artful construction to fit a particular idea of a Black man in white England, and to afford himself maximum access within an institution like Babel. And he wondered if there would ever be a day that came when all this was unnecessary, when white people would look at him and Anthony and simply listen, when their words would have worth and value because they were uttered, when they would not have to hide who they were, when they wouldn't have to go through endless distortions just to be understood."
The worldbuilding fell flat; there really wasn't much worldbuilding to speak of. The one aspect of fantasy didn't actually contribute much to making the world different. If not for the magic silver bars, the world would have turned out exactly the same, though perhaps a bit slower, only with actual engineering ingenuity instead of magic. Yes, the ending did depend on the magic of the silver bars, but it was very allegorical to real life. I tend to expect certain things when I am reading a fantasy book, and this did not deliver in that respect.
If you're looking for a plot-heavy, high-stakes fantasy with vast worldbuilding, this is not the book for you. Categorizing this book as fantasy is not it; it falls more within the lines of historical fiction, so if you enjoy historical fiction, you will definitely enjoy this more than if you're going into it expecting fantasy. If you enjoy the intricacies of language and think the meaning of words and translation are interesting, there is so much of that in this book! If the historical and modern significance and effects of colonialism and imperialism are something you want to read about, this is the book for you! If you want to be utterly torn apart by a friendship between four people that doesn't end well, read this book. This is ultimately a very real and uncomfortable story that deals with topics that are incredibly relevant but are hard to read about and grapple with. This is an important book. I just wish it had been crafted a little differently.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
edgaranjapoe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
andra_mihaela_s's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
5.0
This is my first R.F.Kuang book and, luckily for me, her way of conveying the story meshed perfectly well with my tastes and expectations given the subject I knew she wanted to dissect.
Before I start giving a brief synopsis, CW and thoughts, I want to say this: the author is a great writer; she's technically excellent in achieving what she put her mind to. The style itself is detached, reminiscent of literary fiction novels who tend to contemplate themes than tell an action filled story.
Back to the book itself: We follow our protagonist, Robin Swift, a Chinese boy, as he is saved from a precarious situation by one mysterious Professor Richard Lovell, and taken to England to be prepared for a position in a prestigious college named Babel. From there, the story is very much learning, loneliness, separation- both cultural and physical, anxiety about who one is and what they should be; friendship; betrayal; family; the importance of identity and belonging to a group; <b>COLONIALISM</b> ; cruelty; how much evil can bigotry cause in the world; xenophobia, etc...You get the idea.>..>
I love the quote it come with on the cover...:<b><i>"Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal."</i></b>
I believe this book exemplifies how much people want to translate themselves from fear of loneliness, hate and desire to be important and acknowledged --> so in other words..how much they betray themselves and others by doing so.
CW: murder,depictions of slavery, dehumanisation, grooming, gaslighting , cultural appropiation;drug use, addiction as a weapon, xenophobia, racism, abuse towards children, exploitation of people and ideas not your own,etc
My thoughts on the <b>characters: </b> Our MC, Robin is a coward and an overworked, groomed and highly abused individual fixated on survival; fact I found moving and just right for the story Kuang wanted to tell. He is the perfect vessel to portray WHY ALL THE STRUGGLE TO BE SEEN IS IMPORTANT FOR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES we (and here I especially mean white people like me) forget with the passage of time from an era filled with exploitation and appropriation.
He struggles with connections, fact he quickly identifies as well as the cause of it; he desperately seeks companionship in Ramy, Victoire and Letty, in Mrs. Piper, in Griffin and in Babel itself, despite knowing how and why his reality (that is very much painful at times) is shaped.
As I said before, Kuang writes in a detached manner; we have a first person POV, but it's very far off Robin. We get to connect with him (or at least I did...though I need very little connections to MCs if I enjoy the project of the book..>.>...) and get to explore the personalities of several key players: mostly Lovell, Griffin and Ramy(who become extremely important to Robin).
All this being said, character work is ok to good.
<b>Atmosphere: </b>THIS IS IT! an academic setting full of language discussions and debates; interpretations and uses for it and for the object of it's interpretation....<b>great if you're in the mood to philosophize about meanings to very abstract things</b>... like light, speed, etc. >..>
<b>World building:</b> Due to this being an alternative to our world, the author solidly created the silver-driven society needed for language to be important and powerful. I really enjoyed the aspects regarding the trade of silver and the political implications added on top of the racism and xenophobia.
<b>10/10 points for Babel's usage and meaning for every character in this book; also 11/10 for the usage of silver....the magic in this novel is well thought-off.</b>
<b>Plot:</b> R.F.Kuang took me by surprise when it came to character choices and outcomes! ^^ I really enjoyed that! We have loses both of lives and of relationships; we have acts born of different beliefs and impulses; we have a large underground society; we have opposing parties; we have world-level political machinations; we have egos and survival; we have the shielded, the elevated and cosy vs the unfortunate and "barbaric"; we have history and the here and now.
In the end, the plot is not shocking or unexpected, but I think you miss the point if that's all that matters to you...
Overall, I highly recommend you give this book a try if the synopsis sounds interesting; you might love it or not, but you'll definitely respect it.
Enjoy
Before I start giving a brief synopsis, CW and thoughts, I want to say this: the author is a great writer; she's technically excellent in achieving what she put her mind to. The style itself is detached, reminiscent of literary fiction novels who tend to contemplate themes than tell an action filled story.
Back to the book itself: We follow our protagonist, Robin Swift, a Chinese boy, as he is saved from a precarious situation by one mysterious Professor Richard Lovell, and taken to England to be prepared for a position in a prestigious college named Babel. From there, the story is very much learning, loneliness, separation- both cultural and physical, anxiety about who one is and what they should be; friendship; betrayal; family; the importance of identity and belonging to a group; <b>COLONIALISM</b> ; cruelty; how much evil can bigotry cause in the world; xenophobia, etc...You get the idea.>..>
I love the quote it come with on the cover...:<b><i>"Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal."</i></b>
I believe this book exemplifies how much people want to translate themselves from fear of loneliness, hate and desire to be important and acknowledged --> so in other words..how much they betray themselves and others by doing so.
CW: murder,depictions of slavery, dehumanisation, grooming, gaslighting , cultural appropiation;drug use, addiction as a weapon, xenophobia, racism, abuse towards children, exploitation of people and ideas not your own,etc
My thoughts on the <b>characters: </b> Our MC, Robin is a coward and an overworked, groomed and highly abused individual fixated on survival; fact I found moving and just right for the story Kuang wanted to tell. He is the perfect vessel to portray WHY ALL THE STRUGGLE TO BE SEEN IS IMPORTANT FOR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES we (and here I especially mean white people like me) forget with the passage of time from an era filled with exploitation and appropriation.
He struggles with connections, fact he quickly identifies as well as the cause of it; he desperately seeks companionship in Ramy, Victoire and Letty, in Mrs. Piper, in Griffin and in Babel itself, despite knowing how and why his reality (that is very much painful at times) is shaped.
As I said before, Kuang writes in a detached manner; we have a first person POV, but it's very far off Robin. We get to connect with him (or at least I did...though I need very little connections to MCs if I enjoy the project of the book..>.>...) and get to explore the personalities of several key players: mostly Lovell, Griffin and Ramy(who become extremely important to Robin).
All this being said, character work is ok to good.
<b>Atmosphere: </b>THIS IS IT! an academic setting full of language discussions and debates; interpretations and uses for it and for the object of it's interpretation....<b>great if you're in the mood to philosophize about meanings to very abstract things</b>... like light, speed, etc. >..>
<b>World building:</b> Due to this being an alternative to our world, the author solidly created the silver-driven society needed for language to be important and powerful. I really enjoyed the aspects regarding the trade of silver and the political implications added on top of the racism and xenophobia.
<b>10/10 points for Babel's usage and meaning for every character in this book; also 11/10 for the usage of silver....the magic in this novel is well thought-off.</b>
<b>Plot:</b> R.F.Kuang took me by surprise when it came to character choices and outcomes! ^^ I really enjoyed that! We have loses both of lives and of relationships; we have acts born of different beliefs and impulses; we have a large underground society; we have opposing parties; we have world-level political machinations; we have egos and survival; we have the shielded, the elevated and cosy vs the unfortunate and "barbaric"; we have history and the here and now.
In the end, the plot is not shocking or unexpected, but I think you miss the point if that's all that matters to you...
Overall, I highly recommend you give this book a try if the synopsis sounds interesting; you might love it or not, but you'll definitely respect it.
Enjoy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and War
Minor: Addiction, Bullying, and Genocide