Reviews

Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany

dangermurray's review against another edition

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5.0

It is incredible that Delany wrote this when he was only 23! This is a fun, thought-provoking read that touches on the influence of language and linguistics on psychology. There are a lot of different plot elements or aspects of the novel's setting that are introduced without a full explanation, which can be both exciting and frustrating.

wasthursday's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

dixiet's review against another edition

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3.0

Intriguing and original. Not sure why it didn't do more for me.

rowan_breq_minerva's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

bewithoutcontext's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring 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

5.0

tarantulah's review against another edition

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5.0

a fantasticly interesting read, it manages to explore so many concepts and make me care about so many characters for such a short book

finlaaaay's review against another edition

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4.0

An interesting look at linguistic relativism in a sci-fi context.

ella_w_h's review

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adventurous fast-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

4.5

I couldn’t put this book down! Beautifully written and I loved the interspersed poetry 

natashasghost's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

oddity123's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

Fascinating premise, but some parts just got too weird or vague for me.