Lorie’s Reviews > Katabasis > Status Update

“But the question now—now that she was no longer motivated by the instinctive fear of death, now that she had no urgent reason to keep running—was what came next. She had a bigger problem on her hands now, which was the point of living. Living meant a future meant some teleological end, but Alice could not figure out what on earth she was going on for.”

Feeling like 5 stars

“But they were all the weird ones here. And here no one punished you for caring too much, thinking too deeply. Here you could jump down any rabbit hole you liked, and everyone would tunnel down with you.”

“Wickedness felt better when you had a coconspirator; otherwise it was just you and your conscience.”

Combination PJO, Babel and all the texts/philosophers Kuang mentions

This is making me miss school so much

On the one hand, this book was published at the worst time for me personally, RF Kuang being my #1 instant “buy” (hold at library) author and me waiting for this for years, but not in the mindset for it now. On the other, Becky’s newsletter says she wrote it during a difficult period her life, that she “hope[s] this book will offer some comfort for anyone who is remembering how, and why, to live.”