goose's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Colonisation, Death, Gore, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Suicide, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Classism, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Physical abuse, War, Islamophobia, Gun violence, Slavery, and Vomit
Other tags that Storygraph doesn't have:Spoiler
main character death, main character murdercatapocalypse's review against another edition
- 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
Most of the flaws could have been addressed by the story being a duology or even a trilogy instead of one tome, however. While the main character, Robin Swift, is very well explored and realized, the other characters and their relationships are not fleshed out nearly enough. Ramy comes perhaps closest, but after the initial meeting and his interlude, it drops off mostly. The pacing also shifts dramatically from the slow buildup of Robin's life and education up through the first couple years at Babel, into the breakneck pacing of events about 300 pages in.
The other qualm is best explained by this video from Lou Reading Things on YouTube (https://youtu.be/nZN5YjHshJE?si=LLBpm01g3DEQzHUc), which basically comes down to the way the book's worldview skirts over the source of the silver used in the empire's magic to being with. Though her commentary only covers up to Book II within Babel, it holds true for the remainder; the focus is on the imbalance between who has the silver now and only mentions the blood cost of its origins in the Americas once.
For any interested in some nonfiction reads that I feel make good companions to some of the ideas explored, I recommend Eduardo Galeano's Open Veins of Latin America (which will fill in the aforementioned blank) and Kris Manjapra's Black Ghost of Empire (which I read alongside Babel by happenstance, and actually adds a lot of info and context about Britain's colonization, slavery practices, and abolition movements).
Still, I had a good time with Babel.
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, Death, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Child abuse
raquel_rqlh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Slavery, Blood, Classism, Death of parent, Murder, Misogyny, Colonisation, Death, Racism, War, Xenophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, and Addiction
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Sexual harassment
maryjames's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Graphic: Death of parent, War, Toxic friendship, Death, Gun violence, Grief, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Classism, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Drug use, Violence, Slavery, Child abuse, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Blood
Minor: Sexual violence, Misogyny, and Slavery
damianwayne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Racial slurs, Death, and Racism
Moderate: Sexism, Slavery, War, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Suicide
hxcpanda's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Racism and Child abuse
Moderate: Xenophobia, Classism, Sexism, Suicide, and Violence
smalljoys's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, Suicide, Slavery, Colonisation, Classism, Death, Toxic friendship, Murder, Torture, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Blood, Alcohol, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Gore, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Abandonment
daniela_09's review
- 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? Yes
4.5
Babel is immersive, passionate and critical as expected of R. F. Kuang's incredible writing.
I felt like I was transported to Oxford in the past with sprinkles of magic. You could tell how much research goes into this book and it was so heart-warming reading about the friendship and found family of Robin, Rami, Victoire and Letty.
This is my 3rd book of Rebecca Kuang and I can’t wait to read Yellowface soon 💛
Graphic: Drug use, Grief, Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Suicide, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, and Death of parent
jokeater's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death of parent, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, War, Death, Racism, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Medical content, and Misogyny
Minor: Slavery and Islamophobia
localogophile's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and War