Marysia’s Reviews > Babel > Status Update

“He went back to his first morning in Oxford: climbing a sunny hill with Ramy, picnic basket in hand. Elderflower cordial. Warm brioche, sharp cheese, a chocolate tart for dessert. The air that day smelled like a promise, all of Oxford shone like an illumination, and he was falling in love.”

I CANT DO THISSSSD bawling in the staff lounge.

“Letty, glaring proudly, her face a bit strained after such a long time. Ramy’s hands affectionately on both her and Victoire’s shoulders. Victoire’s half-smile; chin tilted down, eyes raised and luminous. His own awkward shyness. Ramy’s grin.”
…
““He wanted to rip it to shreds. But it was the only remaining likeness he had of Ramy”

RAMY’S GRIN.

“I know it hurts.’ Victoire’s throat pulsed. ‘I know – I know it feels impossible to move on. But your motivating goal cannot be to join Ramy.’
A silence. Robin considered denying this. But there was no point lying to Victoire, or to himself.”

😵‍💫

rf kuang adding moments of comic relief like im gonna forget how she killed off 6 beloved characters

Ramy nation …

Oh so we’re just killing anyone now

“Robin’s mind exploded: feelings and memories flooded to the fore, everything he’d hidden, everything he feared and dreaded, all the truths he dared not acknowledge. He was a babbling idiot, he had no idea what he was saying; words in Chinese and English both spilled out of him without reason or order. Ramy, he said, or thought, he didn’t know”

He thinks of Ramy first 🫩🔫

“One day Robin would ask himself how his shock had turned so easily to rage… And the answer would elude and disturb him, for it tiptoed around a complicated tangle of love and jealousy that ensnared them all, for which they had no name or explanation, a truth they’d only been starting to wake up to and now, after this, would never acknowledge.”

SO YOU’RE TELLING ME NO YAOI????? BC OF COLONIALISM??

1. Screaming at the pages for them to not trust letty
2. When are they burning down the tower

“Griffin cocked the gun and pointed it at a birch tree across the yard. ‘But I’m a sceptic. I think decolonization must be a violent process.”

Girl I don’t think they were saying “decolonization” casually in 1840 😭😭