Scan barcode
A review by ultravioletcatastrophe
Babel by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
I love this book for many reasons: the focus on language and linguistics, the smart interrogation of how power functions and its relationship to violence, and especially for the refusal to play the false equivalence game between revolutionary anticolonial violence and the violence of a colonial power, while also not romanticising the former.
Graphic: Death, Racism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
Moderate: Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence