Currently Reading: 'Babel: An Arcane History' by R. F. Kuang
September 17 2023
Rebecca F. Kuang is another author who's books I only got into this year. I started with 'Yellowface', and finished that one in a couple of weeks! I got 'Babel' the day it came out in paperback, and am currently about a fifth of the way through it.
Babel is a take on the 'dark academia' setting (which I have no experience reading other than this book) but it does so through the lens of colonization, and how the protagonist has to grapple with this at every moment of their life. The result is sharp, unforgiving, and really exciting!
I also enjoy the footnotes, where the author adds more context here and there. It's an interesting choice, but I think it pays off. I've barely gotten into the main story and have no idea where it's headed right now. I might post updates here later on. We'll see.
Here are some relevant links. All are for informational purposes only.
- Link to the Wikipedia entry for R.F.Kuang
- Link to the Wikipedia entry for Yellowface
- Link to the Wikipedia entry for Babel