Uten tvil den aller beste «dark academia» romanen jeg har lest/hørt. Alle burde lese den. Alle. Uansett om du liker fantasy eller ikke.

I'm truly glad I listened to this in audiobook format instead of trying to read it myself. I feel like I am barely smart enough for this masterpiece, but that is truly what it is. A masterpiece. It tackles important subjects in a very engaging way, and I was truly moved by the characters, their story, their progression and development. I feel like this is a story I will carry with me for a long time. I know it is not for everyone. It's heavy, dark and with complexity and detail that can be difficult to understand or follow - but give it a chance. Let yourself get lost in this alternative world so close to our own, with a history similar to yet interestingly different from ours. It amongst others tackles issues of race and exploitation, of inequality, misogyny and the brutality of slavery and colonisation. It also has this incredible take on how we all tend to look away from the things that are uncomfortable, and that it's easier to pretend than to see the issues around us and act...

Jeg er litt ambivalent til denne. Det er mye bra. Som lingvist er det veldig interessant å lese om oversettelsesteori og etymologi. Det gis et realistisk bilde av hvordan verden kunne vært med den teknologien/magien, hvordan personer og kulturer ville vært utnyttet.Deimot var det interpersonelle ikke realistisk. Måten de snakker på og oppfører seg med hverandre passer ikke tiden, heller ikke språket. Det er heller ikke noen utvikling av forhold, det er bare fra 0 til 100 på en måte. Det sees særlig godt når han møter broren. Det er ikke realistisk at den første samtalen skal gå sånn.Det kunne vært en glimrende bok, konseptet er veldig kult. Men karakterene blir for lite realistisk på grunn av måten de snakker og oppfører seg på. Den delen virker som er skrevet for ungdom, mens boken i seg selv er for voksne. Det gjorde at jeg ikke klarte å leve meg inn i historien, eller helt tro på den.Jeg fikk derimot lyst til å lære mer om oversettelsesteori.

This book took some time to sink into, but once I found myself immersed in its narrative, I couldn't put it down. The concept; a dark academia novel set in an alternative historical fantasy world centered on Oxford University and the power of language. Much like Hogwarts, Babel is depicted as an esteemed institution for learning, so, at one point I felt like I was right in the middle of exam period at Hogwarts when Harry, Ron, and Hermione were stressing out the most over elixirs and memorizing spells - except in this book, it was language and translation at the center. A downside of the book is that it took me too long to grasp the concept of magic in this book. I think this book could have been easier to read and enjoy if the magic system wasn't so complex. The author has clearly done very thorough research for this book, and it's impossible not to notice that the book craves an 'intellectual' vibe, as the author aims to create a work that appears smart and enlightened.

En kommende klassiker.

Fantastisk!

Kom halvveis, boka kom aldri i gang. Helt grei men uengasjerende og kjedelig.

Wow!

Wow!!

Helt fantastisk!