Rezensionen
Maestoso, é la prima parola che mi viene in mente per descrivere la portata di questo romanzo. Babel è sicuramente la lettura più bella, profonda, toccante, ambiziosa e colta di quest’anno. All’interno troviamo temi spaventosamente attuali come: razzismo, discriminazione di genere, colonialismo, ricerca di d’identità, schiavismo, rivoluzione, appropriazione culturale e rapporto tra linguaggio e dominio…Sicuramente non una lettura semplice o leggera, ma necessaria soprattutto visti i tempi in cui viviamo.
I held off on reading the last 100 pages because I just knew how it was going to end
I learned a lot from this book and am still trying to figure out the ending but I do like it.
I waited to read Babel so I could read Katabasis right after, thinking they were a duology - now I regret that choice. Why? They're not a series, but I found Babel to be an incredibly powerful and moving book. Not only is it my favourite of 2025 and one of the best I've ever read.R.F. Kuang has brought together a fictional Oxford of the nineteenth century and blended it with the real university city in such a wonderfully evocative manner that you feel you’re able to walk around this idyllic part of England. But it’s not just the descriptions of Oxford that had me enraptured with the world-building that Kuang clearly devoted time to but all of the fictional elements of the various cities and countries we visit at the side of Robin Swift, our main character, his friends or his infuriating guardian, Professor Lovell. The imagery is not just immersive but provokes a plethora of emotions and it helped guide the story and helped give context and background to why and how some of the characters act the way they do throughout the story.Babel takes us on quite a journey from our first encounter with Robin in China where an epidemic is sweeping through the country and he’s surrounded by the dead and even here where we know nothing about the person he will become? I was in awe of his quiet acceptance that he too would soon pass away and be found alongside his mother; something that made me cry if I’m being honest. Kuang’s descriptive imagery and insightful acknowledgement of what’s happening and how it’s affecting so many people even as they’re dying is thought provoking.As the story shifts to Oxford with Robin and his friends, the academic atmosphere is so immersive that I almost felt like I was wearing traditional robes. There’s a cast of characters who are on one side the epitome of the aristocracy going to Oxford because they’re the nth generation to attend but have zero intention in ever using their degree. On the other side there’s the students like Robin and his friends who’ve had to work hard and prove they deserve a place there but it’s also very obvious to the reader that these students are allowed to attend Babel because they’re useful for the country and Empire.I couldn’t put this book down, even going to sleep I was thinking about the who and what in Babel. The storyline had me go from intrigue over how Robin’s life in England would turn out as he grew and became more aware of what was happening around him; to the desperate desire to be able to protect this fictional character from harm. The author ensures that the reader has been invested since page one in what will happen to this young man, and watching his eyes be opened to the realities of what England expects of him and his fellow Babel students was so hard. As the story unfolds, and he reaches his end of tenure at Babel, having to stop reading was growing ever harder to do because I was increasingly anxious.The book excels in storytelling and immerses readers in its fictional world, letting them notice things in London that Robin misses at first. I had questions regarding the use of silver to do various almost scientific/magical appearing things that Kuang has created. The main question being ‘What If’ – each time it was described, the voice in my head said, ‘but what if it stops?’ I loved the blend of academia, found family, self-discovery etcetera and how R.F Kuang weaves this story together. The story is one of the best I have ever read, and now I completely understand why there was so much excitement about it. I admit I was sceptical when everyone was talking about Babel, but they were absolutely right.But that ending… I won’t spoil it for anyone who has this gathering dust on their shelves like I did, (not really my Fairyloot book was safely on the TBR trolley) but I don’t think I will ever recover from it. I realised what would happen, I felt the tears falling and yes, it was perfect and made so much sense but I am broken hearted.
Babel, uma fantasia com mais de 600 páginas, normalmente essa quantidade seria o suficiente para ter um bom desenvolvimento. Mas fiquei confusa com a leitura. A narrativa começou de forma extremamente lenta, com um desenvolvimento arrastado, mas, de repente, acelerou de maneira abrupta. Essa mudança de ritmo resultou em uma experiência de leitura inconsistente, com algumas partes tão entediantes que me fizeram dormir.Uma das coisas que mais gostei foi como a autora conseguiu combinar eventos reais com elementos mágicos específicos de Babel. O uso de barras de prata em conjunto com a força das línguas e traduções é uma forma inovadora e criativa de conceber a magia no livro. Quem poderia imaginar algo assim? A magia foi trabalhada de maneira tão detalhada que às vezes parecia excessiva (não aguentava mais ver notas nos rodapés), mas ainda assim, foi fascinante.A escrita da autora é extremamente detalhada, mostrando a extensão impressionante de sua pesquisa na trama. Parabéns à autora por sua dedicação e esforço para construir um mundo tão bem fundamentado.Apesar disso, alguns acontecimentos no livro eram bastante previsíveis. Por exemplo, a identidade dos membros de uma certa sociedade secreta era bem óbvia. Admito que romantizei demais essa sociedade, esperando algo muito mais grandioso do que realmente foi apresentado.Os personagens foram um ponto alto do livro. Maravilhosamente desenvolvidos e representativos, eles enriqueceram a narrativa com suas histórias pessoais e diversidade. O universo criado pela autora é igualmente impressionante, e o significado subjacente do livro é espetacular.Em resumo, Babel é um livro que brilha em muitos aspectos, desde a escrita impecável até os personagens complexos e a criação de um universo mágico. O maior problema foi o ritmo inconsistente da narrativa e um final que deixou um pouco a desejar. Ainda assim, ler Babel foi uma experiência única, misturando magia e realidade de maneira envolvente e inovadora.Ps: perdi a conta do numero de rodapés.