#reading reflections

[ilikefelines]

Theon thinks it's better to be thought cruel then laughed at, when he realises that Bran and Rickon have escaped Winterfell in A Clash of Kings. Very interesting that this notion he has about cruelty is radically flipped by Ramsay Snow's treatment of him in A Dance With Dragons. But also, very fitting that he's narratively 'punished' yet we the reader get nothing but horror from it. The meting out of additional cruelty to Theon within his arc does not undo his crimes against the miller's children, or Septon Chayle, or the captain's daughter. Very telling point GRRM makes about revenge.

That being said, when they put Armory Lorch in the bear pit in Arya's chapter, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel some schadenfreude

[littlecakeclub]

Knowledge, Burnout, and Healing in R.F. Kuang’s Katabasis

I wish I were the night, so that I might watch your sleep with a thousand eyes. ― R.F. Kuang, Katabasis

I really had a lot of fun with this book. Honestly, so much of the pre-publication discourse was about pre-reading lists and people gatekeeping the story. Guys, I never read Dante and I don’t know a thing about logic and this book is about neither of those things.

It’s about burnout. About losing your self-esteem. It’s about suicidal thoughts. It’s about the power dynamics in mentor–mentee relationships. It’s about academia and all its dark sides: underpayment, overwork, discrimination, and manipulation. For a book that throws so much shame at scholars for their arrogance, competitiveness, and gatekeeping knowledge, I find it deeply ironic that readers put together an overly pretentious “to-read-before-this” list.

The story itself is a dark academia fantasy that feels like a grown-up version of Alice in Wonderland. Our main character Alice (Kuang admitted naming her after Carroll’s character) goes to hell with her main competition, rival, and former friend Peter. Together they journey through different layers of hell, and each layer confronts Alice with her own arrogance, depression, burnout, and her lack of awareness of the sexism and manipulation she’s been victim of. There is also a love story here—a very sweet slow burn romance—but it isn’t the center of the book. At heart, this is a character’s journey through mental health, despair, and finding meaning in her life.

I really enjoyed Kuang’s depiction of Hell. It felt inventive, funny in many parts, and mirrored the journey Alice needed to be on. I will say the last third of the book felt a bit slower to me, but the final chapters built up to a strong and satisfying conclusion.

I was a big fan of Babel, but these two books are very different takes on dark academia. Babel critiques academia at the macro and systemic level : its roots in racism and colonialism. Katabasis, on the other hand, critiques academia at a very micro level: the impact on PhD students, their mental health, and the toxic power dynamics that can suck the life out of you.

Personally, I’ve been reflecting a lot on my own academic journey lately. I’m still healing from severe burnout and depression, so this book came at the right moment for me. It resonated with so many of my own struggles, and I deeply empathized with Alice.

While it’s not my absolute favorite of Kuang’s books, I truly enjoyed what she tried to do. I love how she always experiments, how she keeps me on my toes. I know the themes she cares about, but it’s always a surprise which genre she’ll explore them through.

She is a force to reckon with, and I’m rooting for her !

✦ My rating: 4/5 stars ✦

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Some further links :

Katabasis Reading log : my reaction to a bunch of different quotes

A recount of RF Kuang's talk in Cambridge

Babel Book Review

More book discussion !

(Image credit : official art from Illumicrate by Mary Metzger, The Broken Binding by Jorge Jacinto, Fairyloot by polart. The chalk, librairy, pentagram and cat are from pinterest, could not find the original artist, if you know, please drop their name !)

[sanctumzsanctorum]

I can’t stop doodling Mr. sad prince Sumner while reading Zaakir Tameez’s Charles Sumner: Conscience of a Nation. It’s a well-rounded biography that tells a compelling story, and through it, I’ve unexpectedly discovered so much nuance on 19th-century aesthetics and literature, especially that associated with American expatriates in Europe

[tometracker]

My Dinner with Hayden: A Heated Rivalry Short Story by Rachel Reid Review: Dinner, Dialogue, and Desire: A Tense but Tender Short

My Dinner with Hayden: A Heated Rivalry Short Story is one of those pieces that feels deceptively simple on the surface but actually packs a lot of nuance into its short length. It’s essentially a character study wrapped in the guise of a dinner date, and Rachel Reid uses the confined setting to explore tension, vulnerability, and the messy overlap between rivalry and attraction. The dialogue is sharp, witty, and often laugh‑out‑loud funny, but what really elevates it is the way the banter gradually reveals layers of insecurity and longing beneath the bravado. You can tell Reid relishes writing these characters sparring with each other, and the chemistry is undeniable.

The pacing is brisk, which works well for a short story, though at times it feels like the emotional beats could have been given just a little more breathing room. There’s a sense that the dinner is both too long and too short: too long in the sense that the back‑and‑forth occasionally risks becoming repetitive, too short in that the resolution arrives quickly and leaves you wanting more depth. That said, the compactness is part of the charm. It’s like being dropped into the middle of a heated conversation and then whisked away before things get too tidy, which feels true to life.

Stylistically, Reid balances humour with sincerity in a way that makes the story accessible even if you haven’t read the full Heated Rivalry novel. Fans of the series will appreciate the extra insight into Ilya and Shane’s dynamic, but newcomers won’t feel lost. The writing is clean and engaging, with just enough descriptive detail to ground the scene without bogging it down. It’s very much dialogue‑driven, which means the success of the story hinges on whether you enjoy listening to two people verbally spar for twenty‑odd pages. Personally, I found it compelling, though I can imagine some readers wishing for more action or variety.

Where the story shines brightest is in its emotional honesty. Beneath the teasing and the digs, there’s a palpable sense of care, and Reid captures that contradiction beautifully. It’s not just about rivalry, it’s about intimacy expressed through competition, which is a tricky balance to strike. The ending manages to be both satisfying and open‑ended, leaving space for readers to imagine what happens next.

Overall, I’d score it 4.25 out of 5 stars. It’s a delightful addition to the Heated Rivalry universe, full of sharp dialogue and emotional undercurrents, but it doesn’t quite reach the heights of Reid’s longer works simply because the format limits how much ground she can cover. Still, as a short, punchy exploration of two characters who thrive on tension, it’s well worth the read.

[yumizverse]

[huariqueje]

Unknown    -    Mark Entwistle

British, b.1961-

Oil on board

[ilikefelines]

The Second De Winter Marriage

For he was gayer than I had thought, more tender than I had dreamed, youthful and ardent in a hundred happy ways [...] My Maxim laughed and sang, threw stones into the water, took my hand, wore no frown between his eyes, carried no burden on his shoulder.

Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier, Chapter Seven, p.g. 76

There is something rather alluring about the age gap between Maxim and Mrs. de Winter; I suppose that it's because I relate so much to her that I can make a fairly good speculation as to the psychological drivers behind her decision to marry.

Maxim seems so glamorous and knowing because he is forty-two, and she can be no more than twenty-one, and really, perhaps I am old-fashioned, but what woman wouldn't want a rich, presumably handsome, man to take them under his wing and provide for them and tell them what to do, sparing them the anxieties and worries of self-sufficiency? Especially when one is so starved of love as our narrator.

And when that man is your first love, to boot, so unlike the stereotype of the pawing middle-aged lecher after a young bride, is it any wonder that you marry him right off?

He took her from her stuffy, close little life with Mrs. Van Hooper, and made her mistress of Manderley, a sprawling Cornish estate, in a matter of three months - and he paid attention to her, when no one else would, as far back as Monte Carlo.

No wonder she adores him; no wonder she worships him.