A review by bookedbymadeline
Babel by R.F. Kuang
Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.
DNF at 128 pages
I tried both a physical copy and audio but it’s just so boring 😬 Listened on audio for book 1 and beginning of book 2 but then I switched to physical format once my library hold came in. Mostly wanted to switch because I was having a hard time with the footnotes! They kept throwing me off and pulling me out of the story as they’re read wherever the asterisk would fall in the physical book, which is sometimes mid sentence.
My thoughts for what I did read:
The story kinda feels like an info dump and less fantasy focused-almost like I’m being lectured and talked down to like if the footnotes weren’t there I obviously wouldn’t understand the context. Kuang is very present in the story instead of letting the characters think and speak for themselves.
I was excited about Griffin being introduced and found the first chapter of book 2 grabbed my attention but then immediately felt bored again with the minute detailed lectures and footnotes 🙃 It just made the pacing feel off, as we go from intriguing fantasy to in depth chapters on Robin’s courses.
I understand wanting to call attention to the message/exploration on racism and colonialism in academia but she does more telling than showing which I personally don’t enjoy. I’d prefer to be shown what’s happening instead of having it explained to me in such dense, meandering writing. It only makes me feel bored and the long chapters are hard enough to get through at times.
Obviously it explores important themes and issues but I think it could’ve been done better and focused in a narrower scope(?)! The world building of the fantasy mixed with the historical explorations of colonialism/imperialism don’t mesh well-it could have been better if the novel was one or the other genre, not both.
There are so many other books that explore these themes in a better/more impactful manner (in my opinion) and I’d recommend them instead Babel for anyone else who struggled through the text:
1) Children of Blood and Bone series is great if you want to explore similar themes of racism and colonialism in a fantasy world with magic systems! More adventurous, more showing than telling and stays on theme of fantasy (also with better pacing)
2) Ace of Spades also explores themes of racism in an academia-like setting. It’s not fantasy but more thriller based and set at an elite private school rather than university (but still gives off “evil pretentious white people” vibes)
3) Anything from Toni Morrison-her literature always does an amazing job of exploring themes of race and racism with well written characters and more showing than lecturing down at people
I tried both a physical copy and audio but it’s just so boring 😬 Listened on audio for book 1 and beginning of book 2 but then I switched to physical format once my library hold came in. Mostly wanted to switch because I was having a hard time with the footnotes! They kept throwing me off and pulling me out of the story as they’re read wherever the asterisk would fall in the physical book, which is sometimes mid sentence.
My thoughts for what I did read:
The story kinda feels like an info dump and less fantasy focused-almost like I’m being lectured and talked down to like if the footnotes weren’t there I obviously wouldn’t understand the context. Kuang is very present in the story instead of letting the characters think and speak for themselves.
I was excited about Griffin being introduced and found the first chapter of book 2 grabbed my attention but then immediately felt bored again with the minute detailed lectures and footnotes 🙃 It just made the pacing feel off, as we go from intriguing fantasy to in depth chapters on Robin’s courses.
I understand wanting to call attention to the message/exploration on racism and colonialism in academia but she does more telling than showing which I personally don’t enjoy. I’d prefer to be shown what’s happening instead of having it explained to me in such dense, meandering writing. It only makes me feel bored and the long chapters are hard enough to get through at times.
Obviously it explores important themes and issues but I think it could’ve been done better and focused in a narrower scope(?)! The world building of the fantasy mixed with the historical explorations of colonialism/imperialism don’t mesh well-it could have been better if the novel was one or the other genre, not both.
There are so many other books that explore these themes in a better/more impactful manner (in my opinion) and I’d recommend them instead Babel for anyone else who struggled through the text:
1) Children of Blood and Bone series is great if you want to explore similar themes of racism and colonialism in a fantasy world with magic systems! More adventurous, more showing than telling and stays on theme of fantasy (also with better pacing)
2) Ace of Spades also explores themes of racism in an academia-like setting. It’s not fantasy but more thriller based and set at an elite private school rather than university (but still gives off “evil pretentious white people” vibes)
3) Anything from Toni Morrison-her literature always does an amazing job of exploring themes of race and racism with well written characters and more showing than lecturing down at people
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Racism, Colonisation, and Misogyny
Moderate: Death of parent