Reviews
2.5 stars. Oh, the hell I went through while reading this! It was painful as hell. (Just joking!)I’m reviewing this based on my own taste; it’s not exactly my kind of book. For me, Alice was a pain in the ass—I couldn't stand her, so I hated every chapter. The story was soooo slow and boring (to me), but I guess it accurately resembles the torture of going through hell.I didn't care for any of the characters, and even though I love informative academic books, this was way too much for me. I finished it, nonetheless! :D (And no, I didn't love the ending—it was predictable and 'meh.')
The struggle of women in academia; wanting to be noticed for accomplishments, not because of your looks. Having to work to be exceptional in order to surpass a man’s expectations which his accomplishments could be described as mediocre. Alice Law journeys through hell not to find her mentor, but to find that her self confidence should not be overlooked.
3 stars. I think I knew what I was expecting, but unfortunately it didn't work for me!As someone who got their masters, I related a lot to what R.F. Kuang wrote here. However, I think by the 80% mark, the book dragged a lot and the overall message was really beating itself to the ground, and it got tiring. I liked the ending but did feel like it was tied up a little too neatly with how high the stakes were in the beginning. I personally don't think it was hard to read, but this definitely isn't a potato-chip book or something to read distracted. Read this book if you want more of a reflective journey to hell that not only challenges the main characters physically but also mentally.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but I know it was very popular this year. I couldn't decide what to read next, so my husband picked this for me! He knows I recently read Babel, but didn't know this was by the same author. 🤓After the descent into Hell, I kept wondering how close this was going to be to Dante's Inferno. 🤔 I really enjoyed the Inferno and was excited for the prospect of a modern retelling.The incorporation of the hypotheses of Hell from different cultures and the use of logic and Paradox were really fun devices to navigate their way through Hell. It was really nice to sit and contemplate the paradox presented before moving forward & try to logic it out in my head to circumvent whatever they were trying to do! 😄I really enjoy the academia part of Kuang's book. I think this book maybe shouldn't be considered for a light, fun read, but I think it's incredibly entertaining when you're ready for a puzzling, dip-your-toes-into-philosophy, while skirting a YA-ish story, read.The book isn't written with ridiculously highbrow language even though it references various mathematicians, philosophers, and logicians, though. It's definitely approachable by anyone and it's quite fast-paced for the length.It did stagnate in the middle of the second half for a couple of chapters for me, personally, but it picked up again at the 75%-80% mark.If you like Dante or Milton or want an entertaining weekend read, you may like this book. Triggers: Death, Murder, Gore (Minor/Moderate)