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Babel
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Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence by R.F. Kuang -> Restarting December 21st, 2025
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Starting this soon! :)
I am ready to start whenever you are Andy!
Great! :) I'll probably start tomorrow but don't let me keep you if you want to start (I'm almost finished with another book, and I don't have to mental capacity to do 2 at once at the moment). I'll probably read one or 2 chapters a day unless things massively slow down at work, which is unlikely, so you'll probably finish earlier than me anyway! :P
I'll be reading this slow Andy so maybe our paces will match :D
Sorry, I'm particularly slow now, I've even got the flu! I am in the mid of chapter 3: I am enjoying it quitw a lot, but is seems a bit more heavy than what I've read recently, so taking it slow might be the right thing... Also, these chapters are LONG, I'm used to read full chapters, but that's just not happening here!I will read and answer your comment when I also finish Book 1, just in case there are spoilers! ;)
(view spoiler)
Kira wrote: "Read the first part!Book 1 : [spoilers removed]"
Yes, I agree! I also liked book 1, but it does take time!
Andy wrote: "Sorry, I'm particularly slow now, I've even got the flu! I am in the mid of chapter 3: I am enjoying it quitw a lot, but is seems a bit more heavy than what I've read recently, so taking it slow mi..."Yeah! That was shocking. I am not familiar with this part of history so it is all coming as a surprise to me. It seems like I have to mentally prepare myself to go ahead in this book lol..
But I'll be done with Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove later today so hopefully I'll be able to get back to this one tomorrow.
I hope you get better soon Andy!
Kira wrote: "Andy wrote: "Sorry, I'm particularly slow now, I've even got the flu! I am in the mid of chapter 3: I am enjoying it quitw a lot, but is seems a bit more heavy than what I've read recently, so taki..."Thank you! I'm sort of familiar with the period, as there's always some debate about "the empire" in the UK.
Chapter 9: (view spoiler)
Finally caught up with Book 2!In the book's own words, I feel like this gets "awfully dry" at times lol, I literally slogged through a couple of chapters. Hermes society is interesting in itself and I do feel like griffin is still hiding a lot from Robin and he was right to put his foot down. I am not liking Babel as an institution at all, it seems really harsh at times to me.
Andy wrote: "Book 2: [spoilers removed]"OOH!! Anthony being still alive did not cross my mind for a second....but that does seem viable now that I think about it!
Kira wrote: "Andy wrote: "Book 2: [spoilers removed]"OOH!! Anthony being still alive did not cross my mind for a second....but that does seem viable now that I think about it!"
Sorry, I like to speculate! :) Tell me if you don't, I'll avoid mentioning my theories! ;)
I love that!!! Honestly I am just a bit scatterbrained atm so it did not come to me lol but by all means please continue speculating, I love plotting different scenarios in my head :D
Andy wrote: "Book 3: What?! Just... I didn't imagine he'd kill him! Wow! This is a cliffhanger! I want to know what they'll do!I really like the charwcter development of Robin, and the piece about anger was so..."
I am so behind! Just finished Book 3 and OMG
(view spoiler)
Kira wrote: "Andy wrote: "Book 3: What?! Just... I didn't imagine he'd kill him! Wow! This is a cliffhanger! I want to know what they'll do!I really like the charwcter development of Robin, and the piece about..."
It is a bit more violent and bleak than my usual, too... O-O
Andy wrote: "Book 4: Well, this was very violent! Wasn't expecting this much violence... I was expecting Letty to betray them, though, but it was still awful, and I somehow feel very sorry for Anthony, despite ..."I am being terrible at reading this Andy but have caught upto book 4, will finish this later today hopefully.
I agree with you, this is way too violent for my liking honestly and it has been terrible reading this book although it is soooo good. I feel like I am being pulled in two different directions lol. I was not expecting Letty to betray them, they were all such good friends and I was shocked to say the least by the whole massacre. I may be stupid lol because I don't understand what this book is trying to say apart from violence is the answer at times which I do not agree with. This has been a rollercoaster journey so far.
Finished : I am simply speechless. That was such a heavy segment. It all is just a terrible tragedy and it has left me feeling kind of hopeless ngl. I am astonished by how this book is so brilliant yet so depressing. I cannot fully comprehend everything that happened. The interludes were the best part especially Letty and Victoire's. There was a moment when I felt really bad for Letty while she was talking to Lincoln and Victoire being the lone survivor apart from her is just heartbreaking.
Kira wrote: "Finished : I am simply speechless. That was such a heavy segment. It all is just a terrible tragedy and it has left me feeling kind of hopeless ngl. I am astonished by how this book is so brilliant..."I agree soo much!
I feel I need some fluff comfort read, not sure anything I have on hand can make me feel better! O_O
Please lmk if you have any other book we could BR Andy!
Hi Kira! I am a bit torn between starting a BR I have for Heart of the Sun Warrior tomorrow, or waiting for Ten Thousand Stitches that should arrive to me today - this second one would definitely be a good comfort read! :)I can put up a posto in the buddy read requests thread with all books I have accumulated - I'll try to do this todqy, and you can have a look if there is something you are interested in?
I loved reading this and Kaikeyi with you!
Both of these are #2 in series and unfortunately I haven't read book 1 for either of them yet :( If you have a shelf for books you want to read currently, I could take a look at that as well? :D
A few of mine I could read are:
Kira wrote: "Both of these are #2 in series and unfortunately I haven't read book 1 for either of them yet :( If you have a shelf for books you want to read currently, I could take a look at that as well? :D
..."
This is my shelf of things I have currently at home (and should prioritise): https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
I think I might keep Midnight in Everwood for around/just after Christmas - it looks like a christmassy book.
Ten Thousand Stitches can be read as a standalone, because all books in the series are just standalones in the same universe ;)
I want to read Little Thieves! Maybe in February?
Yes to Little thieves in February! Did you have a date in mind?I can do
around 25th!
- whichever day you want!For rest of the books, I am wanting to read:
We can try and schedule them over weeks/months!
Oh cool! :)Do you want to start this today?
We can set Midnight in Everwood for the holidays! :) 24th?
I might suggest
and
in January.
and
in February?
in March?:)
I am good with all of those! Can you request our threads?
Feb:https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I think we have to wait for the march thread... :P
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RESTARTING FEBRUARY 5TH, 2024
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I'm going to start this tomorrow ! The Poppy War series is one of my favorites of all time so I have high hopes for Babel. Fingers Crossed.
I'm going to be a bit late, my book is in at the library but I won't be able to get it until tomorrow earliest. I am excited to read this one, though! It will be my first by the author (although I also have Yellowface sitting on my coffee table...)
No worries. I haven't read Yellowface either haha but so far Babel feels very different compared to Poppy War
I got to the (view spoiler) and I am going to call this as a DNF. I already was not really enjoying the book and that just put it over the top…this one is not for me. I hope you continue to enjoy your read of it!
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RESTARTING DECEMBER 21ST, 2025
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Challenge Corner
Books mentioned in this topic
Yellowface (other topics)Ten Thousand Stitches (other topics)
Little Thieves (other topics)
Midnight in Everwood (other topics)
The Dictionary of Lost Words (other topics)
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1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he'll enroll in Oxford University's prestigious Royal Institute of Translation — also known as Babel.
Babel is the world's center of translation and, more importantly, of silver-working: the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation through enchanted silver bars, to magical effect. Silver-working has made the British Empire unparalleled in power, and Babel's research in foreign languages serves the Empire's quest to colonize everything it encounters.
Oxford, the city of dreaming spires, is a fairytale for Robin; a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge serves power, and for Robin, a Chinese boy raised in Britain, serving Babel inevitably means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to sabotaging the silver-working that supports imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide: Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence? What is he willing to sacrifice to bring Babel down?
Babel — a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal response to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell — grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of translation as a tool of empire.