Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by luluwoohoo
Babel by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.75
Babel by R. F. Kuang
☀️☀️☀️🌤️
An unapologetically dark, intellectual and cut-throat tale that relies little on fantasy to examine the structures of colonialisation in 1800's Oxford.
Kuang decidedly does not hold back anything in this novel. It is long - possibly too long, where it could potentially have been split into two, though I think the writing style demands more pace, not less - and intricately detailed. The focus on language, translation and the gaps between could have become dry and boring but I really enjoyed the academic tangents throughout. There is no subtlety within the walls of this story, which I know is irritating to many, but I read this as a very intentional choice to focus on nailing down minute detail precisely the issues facing people of colour then and now.
Exploring this through a fantasy lens was smart but I do think that the world building there could have been expanded/exaggerated to lean more on fantasy tropes - this feels almost like magical realism in some ways, not true fantasy, which isn't an issue of the text itself but more so of marketing.
The character arc of Robin was wonderful to read, particularly his inner monologues shifting through innocent naivety, powerfully malevolent, and philosophical depression. His relationship with Ramy was especially lovely too. The betrayal they face is painful and all too believable; the characterisation there was built well.
I was less enthused by the individual character interludes, which didn't add anything significant to my perception of them, nor really did the footnotes throughout the entire novel.
Overall this long, dense call to arms could be dismissed as heavy handed or overindulgent. At times it is both. But I enjoyed the journey and the passion Kuang infused into every page of this story, and think it serves a purpose to show how far we've come, but also how far we have yet to go.
☀️☀️☀️🌤️
An unapologetically dark, intellectual and cut-throat tale that relies little on fantasy to examine the structures of colonialisation in 1800's Oxford.
Kuang decidedly does not hold back anything in this novel. It is long - possibly too long, where it could potentially have been split into two, though I think the writing style demands more pace, not less - and intricately detailed. The focus on language, translation and the gaps between could have become dry and boring but I really enjoyed the academic tangents throughout. There is no subtlety within the walls of this story, which I know is irritating to many, but I read this as a very intentional choice to focus on nailing down minute detail precisely the issues facing people of colour then and now.
Exploring this through a fantasy lens was smart but I do think that the world building there could have been expanded/exaggerated to lean more on fantasy tropes - this feels almost like magical realism in some ways, not true fantasy, which isn't an issue of the text itself but more so of marketing.
The character arc of Robin was wonderful to read, particularly his inner monologues shifting through innocent naivety, powerfully malevolent, and philosophical depression. His relationship with Ramy was especially lovely too. The betrayal they face is painful and all too believable; the characterisation there was built well.
I was less enthused by the individual character interludes, which didn't add anything significant to my perception of them, nor really did the footnotes throughout the entire novel.
Overall this long, dense call to arms could be dismissed as heavy handed or overindulgent. At times it is both. But I enjoyed the journey and the passion Kuang infused into every page of this story, and think it serves a purpose to show how far we've come, but also how far we have yet to go.
"By the time they'd finished their tea, they were almost in love with each other - not quite yet, because true love took time and memories, but as close to love as first impressions could take them."
"Translation means doing violence upon the original, means warping and distorting it for foreign, unintended eyes. So then where does that leave us? How can we conclude, except by acknowledging that an act of translation is then necessarily always an act of betrayal?"