Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

Babel: An Arcane History

R.F. Kuang

544 pages • first pub 2022 (editions)

fiction fantasy historical literary challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Description

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal. 1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese,...

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Community Reviews Summary of 11,386 reviews

Moods

dark 80%
emotional 66%
challenging 62%
reflective 52%
tense 50%
informative 44%
sad 42%
adventurous 38%
mysterious 25%
inspiring 20%
hopeful 12%
funny 3%

Pace

medium 61%
slow 33%
fast 5%

Plot- or character-driven?

A mix: 69% | Character: 18% | Plot: 11%

Strong character development?

Yes: 81% | It's complicated: 13% | No: 3%

Loveable characters?

Yes: 64% | It's complicated: 30% | No: 4%

Diverse cast of characters?

Yes: 99%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 54% | It's complicated: 27% | No: 15% | N/A: 1%

Average rating

4.52

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Content Warnings

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