Review: Babel by R.F. Kuang ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really need to use this blog more often — partially because, as an aspiring writer, I should be involved in a community of other readers and writers.
Kuang’s Babel follows the journey of nameless-yet-pseudonymed Robin Swift, a Chinese boy living in a world of magic and severe inequality.
Once again, Kuang’s incredible writing prowess shines through in this story of colonialism, magic, racism, and translation. The experience and knowledge of a writer flaunting two Master degrees and a Doctorate arise on every page of this book, and I found myself amazed at the amount of in-depth knowledge Kuang includes throughout.
While the story of a young boy growing in a world of magic is one that has been tackled many times, (even I’m currently writing it!) Kuang’s spin on the genre adds a bitter, scathing indictment of British imperialism and colonisation in general. Kuang’s magic isn’t fantastic and heartwarming, because it is rooted in slavery, murder, rape, torture, theft and greed.
I found this book to be a great fiction read and a great history lesson. Kuang includes footnotes which make the text much more accessible for readers who do not speak any of the languages explored, and includes detailed information on contemporary wars, conflicts, and social viewpoints. Even if you are not well-versed in Chinese history or non-Romance languages, Kuang makes her story accessible to us as universal readers.
I think that’s what blew me away the most about Babel, and what utterly decimated my self-expectations as a writer. I revisited my manuscript after every reading session and asked myself, “Why can’t I BE her?!” I found a deep love for Robin, Ramy and Victoire that I couldn’t even find in my own characters. It feels as though Kuang truly spent blood as she wrote the relationship between these characters. Without detailing any spoilers, the character deaths, plot twists, betrayals, and even just the daily interactions with racism and colonialism, all pluck either a nerve or a heartstring. I found myself experiencing mixed emotions up until the very last page.
The last book which managed to play my emotions like a grand piano like this was Yellowface, which is another incredible work of Kuang’s, though it is set in a much different environment. (Regardless, Kuang of course writes powerfully and effortlessly here, too.)
I finished Babel close enough to the end of 2023 that I’ll cheat a little and call it my favourite book of 2024. I cannot see any novel I read this year topping this powder keg of emotion. I give Babel a 5/5, as it was a powerful and interesting read, and evoked a strong emotional response in me — mainly anger, but many moments of sadness as well.