Will I love Babel?

I don’t read much science fiction these days, but this (if it really is SciFi) drew me in and hooked me almost immediately with its alternate universe and truly original storyline.

I loved the way Kuang intertwined language and the history of words into the plot. I learned so much while being drawn into the world and the characters.

Babel creates an almost fantastical world, yet it is one that portrays a real England and a real China. The writing is reminiscent of Charles Dickens in its minute descriptions of both characters and places. Not an easy read as it is extremely detailed, but absorbing nonetheless.

Alternative world history that's as plausible as you can get, Babel delivers on all counts. Wildly imaginative (I'm not a big fan of magical systems but I loved this one) yet grounded in a familiar world, the story transcends its Dickensian opening to give us a taste of world history and clashing cultures.

The story itself is appealing but it's so much more. Babel is a heartfelt cry, a visceral expression of the very human need to be understood, to be accepted, to belong. The author is a translator and has, with this story, made us think deeply about… show more.

I have never read a book like Babel, that is so deeply entrenched in histories of colonialism, and also sheds so much light on the inequities of our world today.

We see how well-meaning people get sucked into power, and it causes each reader to reflect on how the decisions we make daily can put us on different trajectories.

Babel is such a forceful vision, with beautiful writing and inspiring imagination.

This book had me gripped from the opening scene. Kuang's writing is deceptive, because although rich and intelligent, it barrels along at a perfect pace and doesn't feel dense or hard work. She builds her worlds with a lightness of touch, taking you somewhere that you can feel you know your way around very quickly. I just loved it.

I liked this book because of the innovative characters and world building. It was recognizable, but different in a way that was disconcerting. It kept me on guessing as to what was going to happen.

There was also a heavy moral aspect to the book, which I thought lifted it from just being a story to being more meaningful to me.

Babel was a very different kind of book. It's kind of like Harry Potter, but instead of a school for magic, they are all actually at Oxford studying languages. And instead of becoming wizards they become sort of ninja-linguists that can build explosives through congnates. So I guess it's nothing like Harry Potter. But it was a really fun ride.

This is one of those books that are a must-read, even though it might be daunting at first: the plot is complex and multi-layered; the sort of book that if someone asks 'what is it about?', you're hard-pressed to tell them. But it's clear from the get-go why it won all those awards. It's a literary masterpiece.

The plot of this book was so intriguing. Kuang takes her time to set you up for what ends up being one heck of a ride. So much of this story is a statement of society and although those statements sometimes felt too obvious, the story itself was too invigorating for me to put down.