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A review by mikkiokko
Babel by R.F. Kuang
5.0
SPOILER FREE
I loved this book!
It is really hard to take all of the thoughts I've had about this book and condense it down to a single review because there are simply so damn many, so I'm going to keep them as simple as I can. The magic system was so interesting, and as someone who likes linguistics I was fully invested. Personally, I liked the inclusion of the footnotes. The world building was incredible and made me feel like I was really there. And finally, the way R.F Kuang conveyed the effects of colonialism and the necessity of violence was so well done and thorough like an academic, but also so creative and immersive like a great fiction writer. I was honestly stunned, and learned so much not only through the historical facts being given but from the perspectives of Robin, Griffin, Victoire, and Ramy. The only criticism I could really give Babel is that I wish I got a little more information about Ramy and Victoire because I cared about and loved them from what I did get to know about them, but I just wanted a little more so I could feel fully invested in them like I did with Robin and Griffin who I feel like I got to know a little more about. But, overall, I LOVED this book and consider it a favorite because of how much it impacted me. I absolutely recommend reading it, I know it's long but trust me you'll be okay. And I CANNOT wait to read more of what R.F Kuang has written, she genuinely seems like one of the coolest and smartest authors out there. Big shoutout to R.F Kuang!!!
Finally, there is something that irks me that I'd like to talk about. In looking at lower reviews for Babel there kept being a common 'criticism' that this book is 'racist toward white people'. I vehemently disagree with that. One point a lot of people make is, 'every white person in the book is made to be hated and put down because all of them are racist'. To that I'd say, yeah a lot of the white people in this book are racist because it is a book about colonialism in the 1800s with the focus on non-white characters who are going to experience a lot of racism from white people. So yup, there will be quite a few racist white people and we should definitely not like them. Also, not even every white person in the book is racist, there are literally two white people helping to fight against colonialism. Adding onto this idea that this book is 'racist toward white people' there is language used that people immediately assume as being 'racist'. For instance, and I'm going to keep it vague to avoid spoilers, there is one line in the book that basically says, "I wanted to rip that white person to pieces". If you think that line is 'racist toward white people' I would encourage you to think about it with the nuance and context provided in the book because I don't think that the author/character is saying they hate the person because they are white. Instead, I think that it is quite clear they are saying they hate that person because of how they have used their whiteness to harm people. So, yeah, I think that the idea that this is a book that is 'racist towards white people' is ridiculous. This is just a book that greatly criticizes racism, colonialism, and how whiteness is used to harm people, all while giving legitimacy to the violence used against oppressing forces.
I loved this book!
It is really hard to take all of the thoughts I've had about this book and condense it down to a single review because there are simply so damn many, so I'm going to keep them as simple as I can. The magic system was so interesting, and as someone who likes linguistics I was fully invested. Personally, I liked the inclusion of the footnotes. The world building was incredible and made me feel like I was really there. And finally, the way R.F Kuang conveyed the effects of colonialism and the necessity of violence was so well done and thorough like an academic, but also so creative and immersive like a great fiction writer. I was honestly stunned, and learned so much not only through the historical facts being given but from the perspectives of Robin, Griffin, Victoire, and Ramy. The only criticism I could really give Babel is that I wish I got a little more information about Ramy and Victoire because I cared about and loved them from what I did get to know about them, but I just wanted a little more so I could feel fully invested in them like I did with Robin and Griffin who I feel like I got to know a little more about. But, overall, I LOVED this book and consider it a favorite because of how much it impacted me. I absolutely recommend reading it, I know it's long but trust me you'll be okay. And I CANNOT wait to read more of what R.F Kuang has written, she genuinely seems like one of the coolest and smartest authors out there. Big shoutout to R.F Kuang!!!
Finally, there is something that irks me that I'd like to talk about. In looking at lower reviews for Babel there kept being a common 'criticism' that this book is 'racist toward white people'. I vehemently disagree with that. One point a lot of people make is, 'every white person in the book is made to be hated and put down because all of them are racist'. To that I'd say, yeah a lot of the white people in this book are racist because it is a book about colonialism in the 1800s with the focus on non-white characters who are going to experience a lot of racism from white people. So yup, there will be quite a few racist white people and we should definitely not like them. Also, not even every white person in the book is racist, there are literally two white people helping to fight against colonialism. Adding onto this idea that this book is 'racist toward white people' there is language used that people immediately assume as being 'racist'. For instance, and I'm going to keep it vague to avoid spoilers, there is one line in the book that basically says, "I wanted to rip that white person to pieces". If you think that line is 'racist toward white people' I would encourage you to think about it with the nuance and context provided in the book because I don't think that the author/character is saying they hate the person because they are white. Instead, I think that it is quite clear they are saying they hate that person because of how they have used their whiteness to harm people. So, yeah, I think that the idea that this is a book that is 'racist towards white people' is ridiculous. This is just a book that greatly criticizes racism, colonialism, and how whiteness is used to harm people, all while giving legitimacy to the violence used against oppressing forces.