aristarcodisamo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Death of parent, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, Classism, Racism, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Blood, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Death, and Gaslighting
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Cultural appropriation, Police brutality, Slavery, and Religious bigotry
annemaries_shelves's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
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
5.0
This was absolutely worth the hype!
Babel was a big project, and Kuang tackled a lot of themes in 542 pages. Her writing style is a little more 'on the nose' and direct when exploring themes and discussing them through dialogue. For this reason, it won't work for every reader, but it worked for me. There was also a lot of foreshadowing and laying of tracks to the resolution and I felt it was well done. It's relatively easy to pick up on but in the grand length and scope of the novel, those hints are easy to lose track of.
On the surface, there's a lot of discussion around language, translation, and the power of words. The dark academia elements shine here, with a lot of classroom discussion around language, studying, and the role of communication between people, cultures, and in power dynamics.
Woven throughout these discussions, and in our main characters' experiences, are the themes of colonialism, power (again), race, gender, and class. Because our main character, Robin, and 2 others in his cohort of 4 are from colonized and non-European countries, their experiences at Oxford are shaped by how others perceive and treat them. With few exceptions, we're always in Robin's POV, so we rarely get the gender element that Letty (a white woman) and Victoire (a Black woman) experience at Oxford.
Having it set in magical 1830s Oxford was smart - it gave Kuang a lot of room to maneuver with respect to the historical events happening - many of which are mirroring today's events and discontent/rising up. Today's events and international relations are a direct result of the actions of 19th century Europe (the British Empire in particular) and it's fascinating in the horrifying kind of way to see those threads' origins in this alternate history.
I do have some minor quibbles. The pacing was a little off at times. The last 100 pages tackled a lot and felt almost rushed in comparison to the pacing of the previous 400+ pages. It may have been intentional to mimic the feeling of revolution, but I think more time and space could've been dedicated to this part. I also really wanted more interludes with other characters. So much of the novel is solely in Robin's head and I feel like some characters' voices could've been heard more.
The character work was great overall though despite the limited POV. I did get a good sense of who Ramy, Victoire, and Letty were and other side characters: Playfair (fuck him), Lovell (fuck him), Sterling Jones (fuck him), and Anthony and Griffin (bless them) in particular. Letty was an infuriating foil to Robin, Ramy, and Victoire - the scene where <i>they</i> have to comfort <i>her</i> after explaining how difficult it is to be Chinese, Brown (and Muslim), and a Black woman respectively in Oxford was so well done.
A slightly more subtle themes was the importance of collective action. The novel demonstrates how oppressors keep people separated by arbitrary divisions of race, gender, class, religion, etc. because it's easier to maintain power and control when there's fighting across oppressed groups and marginalized identities. Propaganda and misinformation was also used effectively - particularly in the Canton scenes and last 100 pages.
Reading Babel right now with the genocide happening in Palestine perpetrated by the Israeli government was... impactful to say the least. Babel also reinforced how important action is because discussing theories in our ivories towers does very little to fix systemic issues and make change. Even if we all have a small part, together change is possible with different avenues available to us.
Overall, if these themes or genres appeal at all, I highly recommend reading this book. Even better if you can read alongside someone else, because you WILL want to discuss events along the way. I hope at this point in the 2020s many of the themes of conversations within the book around power, colonialism, race, class, etc. will be familiar to readers (with or without similar lived experiences to the characters). But if not, I think it'll be an important read to help learn, contextualize, and personalize the lived experiences of many folks and the larger concepts discussed within.
<b>Okay now I'm going to get more into spoilers so consider yourself warned!!</b>
The first introduction to Griffin was intriguing and mysterious. This man who looked exactly like Robin had me thinking doppelganger or time travel. It turns out they're half-brothers through their father. Griffin exemplifies the 'violence is the only answer to colonialism' perspective (contrasting Anthony's pacifist role and Robin's 'let's fall in with the oppressors to survive role initially'). Robin's experiences were nicely contrasted with his brother's to show that nature vs. nurture element. Generally their dynamic and conversations were great and I loved seeing how Robin grew to share Griffin's perspective on violence based off his own experiences (radicalization through grief essentially). Griffin definitely deserves his own story one day, although I'm happy with Babel to be a standalone.
I found the last part of the book really focuses on what grief and violence does to a person. How it can shield or desensitize you to the human cost of necessary violence. Even if the hard choices are 'right', it's easy to lose that sense of morality/feeling pursuing the means to the end. The final conversation between Professor Chakraborty and Robin was heartfelt and tragic - especially learning what happens afterwards.
While I sobbed through a lot of deaths (except Lovell and Jones because fuck them), the fact that Victoire ultimately survived was wonderful. So many characters were willing to die (which can be important to the cause) but her desire to live, survive, and thrive was just as important. I wish we had more of her POV because she was such a pillar of strength to Robin by the end and her experiences at Oxford with Letty had gone unnoticed by Robin and thus the readers to a certain degree.
Finally, the unfulfilled potential of Ramy and Robin's relationship destroyed me. From the moment they were on page together, I sensed the strong queer subtext of their friendship. But alas, nothing is ever truly spoken or acknowledged; and it's only hinted at by the depth of Robin's grief at Ramy's murder. So fuck Letty too.
I also wanted dearly to know Robin's birth name and we never do find out... and maybe that's the point.
Babel was a big project, and Kuang tackled a lot of themes in 542 pages. Her writing style is a little more 'on the nose' and direct when exploring themes and discussing them through dialogue. For this reason, it won't work for every reader, but it worked for me. There was also a lot of foreshadowing and laying of tracks to the resolution and I felt it was well done. It's relatively easy to pick up on but in the grand length and scope of the novel, those hints are easy to lose track of.
On the surface, there's a lot of discussion around language, translation, and the power of words. The dark academia elements shine here, with a lot of classroom discussion around language, studying, and the role of communication between people, cultures, and in power dynamics.
Woven throughout these discussions, and in our main characters' experiences, are the themes of colonialism, power (again), race, gender, and class. Because our main character, Robin, and 2 others in his cohort of 4 are from colonized and non-European countries, their experiences at Oxford are shaped by how others perceive and treat them. With few exceptions, we're always in Robin's POV, so we rarely get the gender element that Letty (a white woman) and Victoire (a Black woman) experience at Oxford.
Having it set in magical 1830s Oxford was smart - it gave Kuang a lot of room to maneuver with respect to the historical events happening - many of which are mirroring today's events and discontent/rising up. Today's events and international relations are a direct result of the actions of 19th century Europe (the British Empire in particular) and it's fascinating in the horrifying kind of way to see those threads' origins in this alternate history.
I do have some minor quibbles. The pacing was a little off at times. The last 100 pages tackled a lot and felt almost rushed in comparison to the pacing of the previous 400+ pages. It may have been intentional to mimic the feeling of revolution, but I think more time and space could've been dedicated to this part. I also really wanted more interludes with other characters. So much of the novel is solely in Robin's head and I feel like some characters' voices could've been heard more.
The character work was great overall though despite the limited POV. I did get a good sense of who Ramy, Victoire, and Letty were and other side characters: Playfair (fuck him), Lovell (fuck him), Sterling Jones (fuck him), and Anthony and Griffin (bless them) in particular. Letty was an infuriating foil to Robin, Ramy, and Victoire - the scene where <i>they</i> have to comfort <i>her</i> after explaining how difficult it is to be Chinese, Brown (and Muslim), and a Black woman respectively in Oxford was so well done.
A slightly more subtle themes was the importance of collective action. The novel demonstrates how oppressors keep people separated by arbitrary divisions of race, gender, class, religion, etc. because it's easier to maintain power and control when there's fighting across oppressed groups and marginalized identities. Propaganda and misinformation was also used effectively - particularly in the Canton scenes and last 100 pages.
Reading Babel right now with the genocide happening in Palestine perpetrated by the Israeli government was... impactful to say the least. Babel also reinforced how important action is because discussing theories in our ivories towers does very little to fix systemic issues and make change. Even if we all have a small part, together change is possible with different avenues available to us.
Overall, if these themes or genres appeal at all, I highly recommend reading this book. Even better if you can read alongside someone else, because you WILL want to discuss events along the way. I hope at this point in the 2020s many of the themes of conversations within the book around power, colonialism, race, class, etc. will be familiar to readers (with or without similar lived experiences to the characters). But if not, I think it'll be an important read to help learn, contextualize, and personalize the lived experiences of many folks and the larger concepts discussed within.
<b>Okay now I'm going to get more into spoilers so consider yourself warned!!</b>
The first introduction to Griffin was intriguing and mysterious. This man who looked exactly like Robin had me thinking doppelganger or time travel. It turns out they're half-brothers through their father. Griffin exemplifies the 'violence is the only answer to colonialism' perspective (contrasting Anthony's pacifist role and Robin's 'let's fall in with the oppressors to survive role initially'). Robin's experiences were nicely contrasted with his brother's to show that nature vs. nurture element. Generally their dynamic and conversations were great and I loved seeing how Robin grew to share Griffin's perspective on violence based off his own experiences (radicalization through grief essentially). Griffin definitely deserves his own story one day, although I'm happy with Babel to be a standalone.
I found the last part of the book really focuses on what grief and violence does to a person. How it can shield or desensitize you to the human cost of necessary violence. Even if the hard choices are 'right', it's easy to lose that sense of morality/feeling pursuing the means to the end. The final conversation between Professor Chakraborty and Robin was heartfelt and tragic - especially learning what happens afterwards.
While I sobbed through a lot of deaths (except Lovell and Jones because fuck them), the fact that Victoire ultimately survived was wonderful. So many characters were willing to die (which can be important to the cause) but her desire to live, survive, and thrive was just as important. I wish we had more of her POV because she was such a pillar of strength to Robin by the end and her experiences at Oxford with Letty had gone unnoticed by Robin and thus the readers to a certain degree.
Finally, the unfulfilled potential of Ramy and Robin's relationship destroyed me. From the moment they were on page together, I sensed the strong queer subtext of their friendship. But alas, nothing is ever truly spoken or acknowledged; and it's only hinted at by the depth of Robin's grief at Ramy's murder. So fuck Letty too.
I also wanted dearly to know Robin's birth name and we never do find out... and maybe that's the point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Murder, Classism, Colonisation, Gun violence, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Racial slurs, Torture, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexism and Misogyny
Minor: Islamophobia, Child abuse, and Slavery
tbd24's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.75
this book was my niche exactly so I feel a little biased but I liked it a lot. The writing was very good and evocative, I found myself literally gasping aloud or beginning to sweat during tense parts of the book. Very good character writing and development, though I was a little disappointed . Overall, the only reason this was not a five star read for me was the pacing was a little bit too sporadic for my taste. There were drawn out moments that I wish had been shorter and quick fly by scenes that I wish we could have relished in. But other than that, loved it, and will defs read again
Spoiler
Rami and Robin were only ever subtext, I would have been a bit more satisfied if they had a proper conversation about it, even once, especially since they were gonna die in the end anyway so what did the author have to lose. I feel like the reason it was never explicit is because the author didn’t know how to write a conversation like that and still keep the historical realism, though others have done this well. idk, it just disappointed me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, Murder, Domestic abuse, Torture, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Religious bigotry, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Gore
Moderate: Trafficking, Addiction, Islamophobia, Ableism, Toxic friendship, War, Slavery, and Sexism
ventingvirgoan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Death
Minor: Death of parent
thebankofbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Racism, War, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Toxic friendship, Violence, Death of parent, Death, Gaslighting, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Torture
dezzella's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Historical fiction with a tiny bit of magic. Heavy themes of racism and sexism and being in a society where you are a person being discriminated against. I really loved the parts where we are studying at Oxford, and the lead up to that and the end result were also exciting. Loved the narrator for the audiobook as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Death, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Violence, and Addiction
dragongirl271's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Misogyny, Child abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use and Child death
dragon_lord's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Violence, Child abuse, Classism, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Death, Racial slurs, and Suicide
Moderate: Colonisation, War, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery
booksandcat's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-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
5.0
I absolutely adored this book. I've seen other reviews mention a change halfway through, and I agree with that - the first half, focusing more on translation and learning, was definitely my favourite over the last half, which focused more on violence and attempted revolution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Gun violence, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Hate crime, and War
kshertz's review against another edition
challenging
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? No
5.0
Wow this is an incredible book. It starts with colonization and we follow this small boy and there’s some magical realism. But really there’s so much more. There’s history, coming of age, revolution, the realism of change, power, and corruption. I was enthralled and couldn’t put it down. Absolutely a beast of a book but one I will be highly recommending often.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Abandonment, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Classism, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Violence, and War