TheKaitlynBlog

R.F. Kuang

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Babel was not one I wanted to finish. I had felt every range of emotion one can possibly feel through this read. I was completely shattered upon closing.

Babel; Robin — how to even fathom the words? You exceeded beyond all expectations. You had me in a chokehold and made the ranks to my few favorites.

To Robin: whether it was a dark heaviness on your chest, an all consuming rage, or a moment of complete bliss, I stood with you and I cheered for you. I was immensely sucked into your world, your feelings, your arc. I bawled my eyes out for you. You are so special and unforgettable.

To Letty: I recognized your controversy and what you represented – white supremacy, privilege; ignorance and victimization – but I did not stand with you. I so profoundly stood and watched in awe at the power of those who came together to bring about reform, no matter who they were, or where they came from.

To Babel: to call you a masterpiece would be an understatement. You’re brilliantly crafted and earth-shattering. I hadn’t expected you to feel so important; to impress on me in the ways you did. I will never be able to find the right words to describe how your contents feel and how deeply you impacted me. Nothing I say can fully capture the essence that was, reading you. You’re a story you don’t expect to get swept up in; a story you don’t wish to finish; and a story that will inevitably, indefinitely stick with you.

I was in such a surreal place when I finished this. Novels of this weight and complexity sit within my core and make moving onto new stories all the harder. But they are so worth it for that reason.

“Praise for Babel.”