Babel is a Masterpiece, And Here's Why
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2023
- Babel by R.F. Kuang is a masterpiece of anti-imperialist fiction that blends dark academia, urban fantasy, and historical fiction together perfectly.
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As a Chinese woman living in the UK this book hit me HARD. So many of the racist comments against Asians in this book were things that happened or were said to me as well and I deeply empathised with Robin. Love the book and love the review!
fellow chinese immigrant to UK checking in 🥺👍
Babel hits home because i am from Calcutta where Ramy is from and i live in Bengal and yes the British did starve us and made us a narco-military state. And a lot of time we're gaslit into "oh it wasn't that bad, the Brits gave you all the railways". And to see someone who is not a Bengali or Indian talk about the violence that we faced which most of the world forgot, it gives a validation.
I don’t know how many Brits today actually admit to the evils of the empire, and openly admit to the crimes of their forebears, but I’m definitely not the only one. The empire was a shameful thing that continues to have disastrous effects on the world today and I’m very sorry
@@WillowTalksBooks tbh I don't expect common present day Britishers to be apologetic to me. What I and lot of colony want is the acknowledgement of the colonisation. Like even today people on National news channel proudly saying what a great thing the Commonwealth is or how much the royal family has done for the commonwealth and I am like how do you think the Commonwealth came into creation???? Even if you're not apologizing for the sins of your ancestors atleast don't try to shove it off as oh it was in the past. Like it's not even been 100 years since India's independence. It's not ancient history.
There is this movie RRR which became a massive hit and it's set in British India and shows how brutal the regime was and articles came out how it's over-villainsing the British blah blah. The idea that if it's not my history than its fake is very dangerous
@@ujjyaini332i think me, u, and willow here are all on the same page. We're not like the babel cohort, coming into this space not knowing anything and building a relationship upon suspended lies.
i'm from hong kong & now i live in the uk, and even though i dont have the exact kind of survivor's guilt that robin experiences, i have definitely felt lied to by the supposed prospects of moving to the uk, and now i feel trapped, especially after experiencing unemployment.
willow here may be a white brit but shes not like letty at all, but more like professor craft, who has also felt at least some of the oppression under empire, and personally recognises that it's basically still ongoing, even though we're taught it was ”in the past”.
we here, our generation, is what the world needs to clear our (colonised peoples') names and to march toward true justice
I wholeheartedly agree that Babel is a masterpiece, and as someone who works as an interpreter it gave me so many interesting and valuable perspectives on translation. Such an incredible book!
As an Indian who also grew up in calcutta this book hit hard. Weirdly I was crying and everything was very heavy for me. Colonialism is not widely taught in the west like here in my country. We were colonized for 200+ years and fought for many. We still fight the idea, and their values of righteousness, we somewhat lost our culture and also taught to hated that. Many lives had been lost during the freedom movement and there's still no official apologies from the UK and the Royal family.
R.F. Kuang has immediately become one of my favourite authors after Babel and Yellowface. She's brutally honest and ambitious, a lot of it fueled by a sizzling, tempered rage that scares a lot of people but I LOVE IT. I'm Chinese diaspora, so I feel like I finally have someone who has and will continue to eloquently put a lot of my experiences and stance, maybe even trauma, into words. This is a wonderful review too Willow!! It brought back all my Babel feels 🥺
This was a book I wished was written when I was younger as I think I would have been obsessed if I had read this as teenager! I'm so glad younger readers get the chance to read this book, I think there is so much to learn from and I think Kuang is so smart. I recently heard her speak about Babel and about Yellowface in Toronto and she had the audience captivated! Glad you enjoyed this one!
I just finished Babel today, and I LOVED it. This would make a great piece to dissect in a Lit class. Rebecca Kuang is brilliant for this one! The amount of research that must have gone into this book is 🙌🏽 I'd love to see a follow up book about Victoire.
I absolutely loved Babel. The British Empire ruled over my country and bled us dry when they left. Everybody should read this book and other non-fiction books about the British Empire and its atrocities.
YES. I feel the same way. Babel is the best book I read last year. Incredible characters and atmosphere. I cried multiple times. I enjoyed the pacing and never felt bored (quite a feat for such a big book).
‘Languages aren’t just made of words. They’re modes of looking at the world. They’re the keys to civilization. And that’s knowledge worth killing for.’ - Anthony, Babel
If people haven’t listened to the audiobook, I seriously recommend it. Chris Lew Kum Hoi did an extraordinary job, and he gave the book so much impact. I agree ~ a masterpiece with so much depth. One of my faves now.
At the risk of sounding overly parasocial, I am so glad you got around to reading this book. I knew there was no chance you would dislike this book, given the taste in books you displayed on the channel and I am really happy that you found a new masterpiece!
As a Filipino whose country was colonized by Spain, then the USA, then Japan, I related so much to this book. I'm so glad you loved this book. To echo what a lot of people have mentioned, this makes us former colonies feel very visible. For me specifically it helped me try to reconcile my current experience of being a product of colonization while still grasping for what our colonizers didn't wipe out.
A lot of the people who disliked the book mostly just complained about the magic system, saying that the fantasy was unnecessary. I disagree with that though. I personally see it as the perfect fantasy vehicle to give people from the colonies a chance at have the power to disrupt the system in a big impactful way, which colonies didn't have in real life. It takes decades to topple an empire. There aren't many single sources of influence that colonies can takeover to cripple its operations. I love how in this fantasy England, the playing field is a little bit fairer.
Brilliant review! I've always had a fascination for studying translation through the lens of cultural theory and the "philosophy" of translation. Your review has definitely intrigued me
I actually love the way you talk so passionately about books, I have this book and never finished it, I’m going to go back now and read it again!! Thanks so much!! ❤
I’ve binged your videos and my tbr skyrocketed! You’re my favourite new booktuber I love you so much!! I know your channel is mostly book reviews but if you ever wanted to make a video in depth on your love for horror in general that would be so cool I just love your brain so much
This is my first time I have seen your videos. You are fantastic. Really clear and you made me want to read this!
Thank you - what a fabulous review - you’ve sold me. Looking forward to reading it & learning much.
Hello.
I really adore how mesmerized I am listening to your eloquent reviews.
I used to be a voracious reader back in the day but, it has been hard for me to concentrate on a single novel and I land up unable to finish most books I start.
Listening to these reviews, I went out and bought this novel with every intention to complete it.
That said, trust me when I say this - and, I don't mean to downplay any other critic / channel - but, I really find something soulful about your reviews.
Thank you.
Wish me luck in regaining an old friend - reading. 😊
My book club is reading this in August, I’d heard mixed reviews but now I’m very much looking forward to it now that you’ve reviewed it so well.
I´ve just discovered your channel and I will probably spend the whole evening watching it. I put "The poppy wars" on hold, but "Babel" is definitely one of my favourite novels this year.
I haven't heard anyone describe this book in the way you have. Although, I've purchased Babel 2 months ago, I haven't read it yet, but you make me want to start reading it now.
I appreciate your review, thank you.
Great review! Knowledge has always meant power. Got the book but haven’t read it yet, although I’m fascinated by narratives dealing with language😊
What a great review! Thank you, obrigada, gracias, takk, merci, danke!
I am so glad to find you on youtube. I think you are the best book tuber. You are very good at introducing books which makes me want to read. Thank you for the video -!!
Thank you so much!
Listening to you , the weather becomes a bit better !
🙏🏻
Thank you, a very thorough review, I just hope that I have the intellect to get through this book as it sits on my shelf!
The one reasonable criticism I have of this book is the (spoiler, but for me at least it is a necessary spoiler)
Stereotypic killing of queers as a central pillar of the story, mostly because this is the kind of story that is so well integrated and worked over that no redundancies are left.
If you have made your peace with that, you must 100% read Babel. This is a masterclass in all that fantasy and historic fiction should be.
Wow, this book sounds amazing! I moved right to the top of my tbr list
You put into words the thoughts that I had while reading this book. I am deeply impressed by it. I loved how colonialism and its repercussions were discussed in the book. I wish we could have seen more from the perspectives or Ramy (my beloved) or Victoire, because I believe that it would deepen the discussion and provide more perspectives. Also, I would simply love to see the three of them working on a mission together. I felt that there was a little too much telling and too little showing when it came to portraying the relationships between the characters, but it wasn't the main focus of the story. The most important part of the book was the discussion of imperialism, and I think that it was done perfectly.
I find it ironic that in my home country - Poland - many people thought that there were too many anti-colonialist lectures. They probably felt insecure about the commentary on racism, xenophobia and imperialism. I can't really imagine another reason not to like it. I think that it's necessary and that so many people still don't realise the repercussions that colonialism has until today. This book is so important. But besides that, it's also amazingly written, intellectual and engaging. I loved it. I can't really think about it without heartache for my favourite characters though. This book was painful, but in the best way possible. Can't wait for Kuang's next masterpieces.
such a well put review thank u
I loveee your reviews video!
I was on the fence about whether I wanted to read this book, but you've convinced me! But now I'm nervous it's going to hit a bit too close to home...
New subscriber here! Just want to thank you for this incredible content. Your channel is a treasure, and I'm so glad to have found it.
Aww thank you so much!
as you also mentioned, i too have always been fascinated by language and the power it holds and love the way kuang portrayed its value. i have always considered myself fortunate in being bilingual, even though my second language (english) is more dominant than my mother tongue (spanish). don't get me wrong hahaha i can still speak, read, and write in it very efficiently, but i *am* most comfortable and would rather do it in english. i've always valued the fact that being bilingual lessened the limitations of thought or expression. i can't even begin to imagine how trilingual or polyglot people think oh my god. it's so compelling to know that there are words or phrases for concepts in a language that just don't have a perfect one to one in a different language. an that this instance, only manifests spectacular things by the silver in this book. i also got reaallyy into politics once i graduated high school and had all that time during quarantine in 2020 so i just felt i read this book at the right time in my life, yk? it is such a special novel with so much to say and with such important conversations. broke my heart and was cathartic. what more could a girl ask for? rebecca kuang is a fucking treasure 🗣 as always, you bring us a brilliant analysis and review, thank you
I read it in Singapore as an ex pat who’s home is Oxford. We had just had the bicentennial of Raffles arrival in Singapore and the exhibition in his old house and grounds was wonderful illuminating and even handed - typical of Singaporeans. Our colonial past is ever present there and Babel was uncomfortable reading. I adored the magic system and also the way it was self defeating. As English spread across the world and languages became less distinct the magic grew weaker too.
Oh, I picked this book up at the library but haven't started reading it yet. It sounds really good!
I listened to the first five minutes of this review and decided this sounds like something I need to read. Thanks Willow.
silver was also china used to pay British after losing war and opened market for drugs , it was very dark period in chinese history and poverty, death everywhere the life span was 36. so silver was symbol of humiliation and dark past.
If I've ever doubted about giving Babel a chance, now, after your review is a must! You are such a great reviewer. Also, thank you for putting Little on my radar again. I' ve totally forgoten about it and after one of your latests videos I immediatly purchase it. I have no doubt I'm going to love it. Babel will be the next. 🤗💜💜
I'll be reading this in August...I can't wait!
I loved this book so much and I agree it is a masterpiece. It really helped put into perspective for me as an American with English ancestors not to romanticize England and American history and culture.
Well said. I would also recommend The Miraculous True History of Nomi Ali by Uzma Aslam Khan it’s historical fiction about the Andaman Islands a story about colonialism and war and the people caught up in it
Great review, as always!! This is goes on my list… I was waiting for an italian translation but I’m loosing hope 🌚
Thanks. Now I don't feel so bad about being too poor to send my kids to a decent school 😄
Having listened to your views, I now definitely want to read this book, which I wasn't sure about before. Thank you for this video xx
When you offhandedly described Babel as likely “mid” a bit ago, I damn near broke what I was holding. Glad you came around!
Wow, great video! I confess the blurb of the book didn’t touch me at all (yeah, I know, you hate blurbs). Your analysis, on the other hand, showed me a rich narrative. As a citizen of a former colony myself (Brazil), now I want to read it ASAP. ❤
It's rare, but I finally read something before Willow did. We're besties now. I want to hear you speak Bangla someday.
I really cannot grasp where the hate for this book comes from. Its easily one of the most thought provoking books I have read in a long time. It's especially relatable for people studying language in an academic setting. As a lenguistic student for English (native language being Dutch-), this fascinated the hell out of me. I've read books that are written way worse (prose wise) and had very problematic themes, yet are almost universally praised by the book "community", it's weird. You would think Kuang murdered a family member if you've read some goodreads, youtube or reddit reviews. Extremely happy someone else enjoyed it as much as I did.
I’m someone who enjoyed the book, understood what she was going for, but also found it underwhelming. Of course, my understanding of imperialism and colonialism is intellectual and my experience has always been as someone inhabiting and benefiting from empire, and watching in horror as it continues to unfold. So I understand how it could be more emotional and personal for some. It just feels a little contradictory and disappointing that someone who absolutely understands the subtleties of language could present a sociopolitical analysis that’s so flat and broad. It feels like she belabors a few really basic, retreaded points like “colonialism is bad, actually,” “academia serves to underpin imperial aims.” It’s like she thinks we’re going to disagree with her on those ideas that are fifty+ years old at this point. And then when she had the opportunity to consider what anti-imperial revolution could look like, she gives us… only magic bombs? So revolution is impossible in a world where imperial power is not contrivedly concentrated in a single building…? She even sketches out a more feasible-sounding combination of coalition building, sabotage, protest, and strikes, and dismisses it in favor of martyrdom. It’s not to say that violence doesn’t have its place in the revolution but by the end it felt like she just got tired of doing plot and thinking about how empire actually works and wanted to just sweep it away in one gesture. So yeah, it’s a decent book and the translation examples from her own research are fascinating. And I actually enjoyed the magic system and characters, which I’ve heard other people criticize. I just wish her analysis were deeper and the ending bore out the promise of the beginning.
Glad you liked it!! 🎉
I just ordered a kindle… now i know which book to read on it first 😌
I have to get up really early tomorrow and I just started this book and now I can't put it down, what have you done to me? 🤣🤣🤣 also thank you💜💜💜
Loved hearing your thoughts on this one! Are you planning on reading Ruth Ware's and Riley Sager's new releases? I think "Zero Days" and "Only One Left" just came out today! :)
I am reading this gem currently and I cannot agree with you more ❤
I loved Babel! The only proper criticism I have is that it didn’t feel as if it were actually set in the past. Every time the century was brought up, it took me out of the story because the language didn’t match! It felt unnecessary. But aside from that, excellent book!
I was thoroughly disappointed by The Poppy War trilogy and also DNF'd it halfway through. I'm still apprehensive on reading more of R.F. Kuang's works, but this video and your review of Yellowface intrigue me enough to add it to my TBR proper. Thank you for your brilliant analysis as always!
This is the best book review - EVER 10*
I loved Babel!! I read it a couple of months ago.
I loved reading this book ❤
I found babel very reminiscent/accurate metaphor about academia in the past and today (in my experience of doing a PhD in an overwhelmingly white field even as a white person). Love the length and atmosphere too.
The way Kuang presented Letty annoyed me though. I wonder if it's because I am a white women so was hoping to have a good character to relate to, but I was expecting more nuance in her character vs (spoiler) being basically the villain, as she is at the intersection of privilege and not.
I think she's an interesting illustration (or possibly a cautionary tale) of the choices that white marginalized people, specifically white women, face when it comes to oppression.
Most of us have some privileges and some disadvantages and the question is what you choose to focus on. Letty could have been an ally, like Abel, or realised that she'd never be truly respected, like Robin. But, just like many suffragette movements would, she instead chose to throw the people who shared her needs for liberation under that stage coach.
Letty is the embodiment of the ignorance among many white folks. Not knowing that their words & actions are made at the expense of people of colour around them..such as remarks that seem innocent can have negative connotations for others.
As a 3-4th generation Canadian settler of varied European ancestry, I think that this conversation about the evils of colonialism is so important. We are just starting to come to terms with what has been done and is still being done to indigenous peoples here, and we have a long way to go. Know better, do better. People from all the other Commonwealth nations have come to Canada for a better life. I think there is room for everyone and their culture here. Thanks for the great review and conversation.
I was expecting you might enjoy this!
Agreed - Can't remember the last time I read anything better!
I am born and brought up in Calcutta and I have ordered Babel yesterday and patiently waiting. I may already have some spoilers. But here are the few things I need to say. I never sympathise with British invaders but I respect people like Sir David Hare, Lord Bentinck and Lord Ripon. I truly believe as they were good in heart but they had their limitations, like they weren't as Liberal as we are now. But it's okay. They are long gone and so the evilcore racists. We don't need Apologies. 🌻
Babel is the best dark academia books I’ve ever read . ❤️📕
The way the magical concept relates to colonialism and serves as a metaphor is just genius, and for the first three hundred pages I was captivated by the great writing. I just had wished for a bit more character development. Some of the characterization felt a bit flat, in the way the friends interacted with each other towards the end. And while I actually loved the slower parts, all the linguistic details, how the friends initially meet each other, in the more dramatic and action-heavy scenes it felt like Robin was only reacting to what was happening around him, and I was missing the psychological depth in that character.
Agreed. I thought the first half was fantastic. The second half fell extremely flat, was rushed, and greatly lacked development
Can you check out Vita Nostra? It's translated from Russian by Kuangs friend and mine: Julia Meitov Hersey. It's a terrifying and philosophical dark academia novel about metaphysics and metamorphosis and it's the best thing I've ever read.
I haven’t read it myself yet but it is featured on our dark academia list thanks to the input of a friend who read and loved it. I’ll get to it soon :)
Brilliant - thanks so much for this perfect synopsis and interpretation of an amazing book.
I haven't read this yet but I did recently read The Monkey King which is translated from the Chinese by someone named Lovell. interesting.
Julia Lovell
Halfway in and I'm loving it as well, the commentary about colonialism and its many ugly heads is spot on. I only have one little issue and that's with those foot notes ... they disrupt the flow of the story so much and add confusion as to who is narrating this whole thing. Otherwise a brilliant book, I looking forward to the second part! Thanks for the lovely rewiev ❤
I agree, the footnotes were clever and useful but definitely disrupted the flow for me as well
Best read for me in 2022
To tell you the truth I didn't like the ending even though it was foreshadowed well in advance and in character not to get into any spoiler territory.
I loved magic system, criticism of colonialism and casual racism in society. I felt like speculative history could have been expanded, there is a magic system known about since antiquity and the only change in history is that the name of industrial revolution is silver industrial revolution?
"The Necessity Violence" and it anti capitalist message is one of the books that made me start my own booktube channel. You made a great video and im glad you made it instead of me lol
Seemed very heavy handed to me, almost every page was pontificating to the reader, like she didn't think the reader could understand subtext. All her books seem to be where violence is the only answer. The characters were super one dimensional and unlikable. List goes on. I don't know how it got so many awards and rave reviews. Hopefully RFK gets better and stops being so repetitively preachy and can still address things like the isms, but also not be so in your face with it... and maybe have the characters not always having to go right to violence to solve things.
I quite liked it :)
As a person from a colonized country, i can't wait to read this. Postcolonialism is real.
One of the tragedies of the brithis empire, is that from their position they actually had the chance to better the world, but they fumbled it all, didnt had any specific directon, only growth, and then it popped like a balloon. Especially since at a time they actually tried to make positive changes, for example when in 1808 they sent a massive blockade to prevent african slavery, or how they still spread brand new technologies and ideas around the world even tho it was mostly intended for their own gain. Also i feel like many western people have a kind of naive idea of what some areas of africa and asia and generally the world were like, in africa sadly religous cannibalism is still a thing today, so not like a bit of western cultural influence would have hurted too much. But europeans just didnt had their priorities in order.
When you said totalitarians always come for the academics first, I started to ponder why Mao came for the children first and set them against the academics.
great analysis. how I wish the second half was as strong as the first half. second half realllllly fell flat for me but my god I thought the first half was sheer brilliance
I literally want to befriend everyone who finds this book fascinating
♥️✨🍁☕️📚🍂💫♥️
I did enjoy babel but the book isn't my favorite book by r.f kuang that goes to the poppy war
Why is this particular books title being pronounced with a long A sound as opposed to the the short a like that in the word apple, as it is pronounced in it's original biblical appearance?!
likely since it is how we pronounce it in the uk; r f kuang's even mentioned this herself. baybel in the uk, babbel in the us/canada
I guess maybe because calm down and also because who cares
Different people from different areas pronounce things differently. Don't fall to US-centric small-mindedness.
Just finished the book. He remembered his mother, he remembered his name, he was finally back home in truest sense. But now her I am simply sitting with a heavy heart...
I think the ideas and topics are great, but the execution is bad. I mean so bad. I‘m very interested in different languages and I speak several fluently, I love to study, I‘m interested in history. Yet I couldn‘t hear about meaning of words anymore. It was sooooooo boring. And the magic system? So far fetched and you could tell that Kuang herself doesn’t even really understand the system. Everything else is explained in so (too) much detail, but the magic system.
The author doesn’t leave any room for interpretation. When any of the characters does or says something, it is imediately explained why, what for, what the others think about it….
Also Robin… come on! No, I don’t buy the (overnight) growth of this character.
It was the most boring book I read the past years.
RF Kuang pronounces it "babble" I'm wondering where everyone got "bay-ble" from...
The word existed before the book, and I’ve heard it pronounced both ways all my life so I guess do whatever tf you want?
In case you care, I just looked it up and “bay-bl” is the British pronunciation and I’m British so here we are
It's pronounced Baa-bel, not Bay-bel. It's in the Bible, dude. But thanks for the review. Sounds like an interesting plot! I've subscribed and liked this. Can't wait to hear more of your reviews. You do well.
1. It’s the British pronunciation. Not everyone is American.
2. I haven’t read the bible. Not everyone is a Christian.
3. Why does the fact that it’s in a book mean I should know how to pronounce it? That’s not how the written word works.
When thinking of colonialism most people only think of the west, but it’s happening right now again in Eastern Europe and the culprit is the same as before, Russia.
Is kitab ko mokamal pahro isee men hamaray nabi Muhammad ( p b u h ) ka name hay
Go through his book in its entirety, it mentions our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
I am reading this gem currently and I cannot agree with you more ❤