A review by peonydancer
Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

challenging funny informative reflective tense slow-paced
  • 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? It's complicated

4.75

honestly, if it weren't for me feeling sour that 
SpoilerRamy and Robin don't live happily ever after together alongside their girl besties because WHY LETTY, WHY
it might've been 5 stars. But I thought this novel was incredibly well written, and I learned so much about translation and both its beauty and destructiveness, along with languages and how they form, especially the English language. I underlined so many lovely lines in this book. I haven't read any of Kuang's works before, but this book has got me excited to read 'The Poppy War' series. More to add to my TBR!
As for what I didn't like; I think due to other reviews, I expected to cry and feel super emotional about the ending of the book. But honestly, besides 
SpoilerRamy's death and all that jazz
, there wasn't really anything to the end that made me cry like I saw some reactors do. I guess I held some expectations for the ending due to that, so I was a little disappointed (but not surprised) by the end. But that's on me, not the book, so don't mind it.
The one thing I TRULY didn't like was how stereotypical the final embodiment of villainy ended up being. As in, having 
SpoilerLetty more or less embody the complacency of white England, and end up making an enemy of the cohort. Honestly, I might've found it more interesting to see a non-white baddie here, to demonstrate how long-time conditioning can make one unable to see past their own nose; kind of like how Robin was struggling at the start of the book, but by the end, realised 'the truth'. It would've been cool to see a foreign-born translator never truly reach that conclusion and aide the 'other side' in their efforts.
 
I would suggest an air of caution in taking the message of this book and applying it to the real world now.  
Spoiler I find it impressive that Kuang managed to portray quite a realistic view of 19th-century England, but remember the novel is set 200 years ago. Sure, you'll have plenty of people who are racist, irrespective of colour, that exist in the 21st century. But the CURRENT world is not all white people viewing us non-whites as sub-human, nor are non-white people being oppressed (At least, not where I'm from; I speak from a Non-USA P.O.V btw) 
  I have a lot of hope for the world, and we've come a long way since that time. <3  
That's my review - highly recommend this book. 
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