Babel, or the Necessity of Violence by R. F. Kuang (2022): A Review
Author: R. F. Kuang
Publication Year: 2022
Pages: 544
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Dark Academia
Source: Audiobook @storytel.tr
Awards: Winner of the Blackwell's Books of the Year, the Nebula Award, the Alex Award, the British Book Award, and the Locus Award; Shortlisted for the New England Book Award, the Waterstones Book of the Year, the Dragon Award, the Ignyte Awards, the RUSA CODES Reading List, Indie Book Award, and the Prix Imaginales
Opening Sentence: By the time Professor Richard Lovell found his way through Canton’s narrow alleys to the faded address in his diary, the boy was the only one in the house left alive.
R. F. Kuang’s Babel exploers British imperialism, racism, and capitalism, all set against a magical version of Oxford in the 1830s. This is one of those books people either love or hate—there’s not much in-between! Honestly, I’ve been torn about this book from the start, and I’ve got two sides battling it out in my head: my English lit instructor self (who reads for work) and my regular-reader self (who just wants a good story). On top of that, there’s the part of me that gets why “the Necessity of Violence” is a theme, and the pacifist in me who’d rather everyone get along. If you ask the first side, it’s a solid 4 stars; the second, more like 3. I’m not big on violence or dark stories, but real life has shown me that nonviolent resistance doesn’t always work—or if it does, it can take forever. And honestly, no people should have to wait centuries for their freedom and dignity.
From my academic side, I totally geeked out over all the talk about language, translation, and meaning—even if I rolled my eyes at how literature scholars were treated like second-class citizens! The way the academic power struggles were shown was spot-on, especially how scholars can end up helping the system, even when they don’t mean to. But I’ve got to admit, even for me, all those deep dives into etymology and the endless footnotes got to be a bit much. At first, I was into it, but then I got so bogged down, I almost quit reading. The first half of the book just dragged for me.
Now, as someone who just wanted a fun read, I kept thinking, “Okay, enough with the explanations and pronunciations already!” Yes, words matter, but let’s get to the actual story before I DNF this thing. The slow pace at the start drove me nuts. And then, out of nowhere, the story takes off at lightning speed and I barely had time to catch my breath!
So what actually kept me reading and stopped me from DNF-ing? First off, the way the book explores the importance of language and translation is seriously cool. Then there’s the whole angle about scholars—their power, their darker sides, and how they’re wrapped up in imperialism and colonialism. The characters really pulled me in too, especially the relationships between the four main ones. I also appreciated how the story highlights feeling “the other,” even as an Oxford scholar, whether it’s because of your race, country, or gender. And you can really feel all the pain and anger each character experiences. Honestly, that’s just a handful of reasons—the list is way longer! Oh, and I have to say: the audiobook totally saved me. If I’d stuck with the ebook, I probably would’ve spent a month trying to finish this one.
There’s so much to say about this book—over 500 pages’ worth! And if you know me, you know that’s seriously intimidating. Here’s my advice: if you stick with it through the slow start (and don’t lose your mind!), you’ll get your reward by the end. But fair warning: the ending is super open-ended. I know it’s fantasy and all, but I was really hoping for more hope! There are a few glimmers, but I wanted something more solid after reading so many pages. In real life, we know things didn’t magically get better for a long time after that. Anyway, give it a shot and see what you think!
Comments
Post a Comment