How Did People Feel About the Summer Reading?

By Meda B. '27

I personally thought Babel was pretty good, but there were definitely parts that frustrated me. The twists were nice, especially at the end and after their trip to Canton. I did feel like it dragged on for longer than it needed to, and the messaging got a bit repetitive. I also thought the characters were pretty one-dimensional. But it’s interesting to think about what Robin actually accomplished at the end, or whether he accomplished anything at all. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who has the time to read it (which probably isn’t most CPS students.) It was engaging and educational. 

Here are some thoughts on Babel from the impressively high number of students (5) who submitted reviews. Maybe they were the only people who read the book without using sparknotes. 

Kuang didn’t trust her readers enough. She did way too much showing and telling—I feel she didn’t take advantage of the book medium enough. It was all too visual, and whenever some metaphor or description that might be meaningful and subtle, Kuang immediately described it in detail in the next paragraph. I also found it frustrating how she spoiled her own book—throughout the book! (Robin kept mentioning in the beginning how they were in the “good old times,” and how everything was about to take a turn for the worse) 

I want a sequel with the full stories of Griffin and his cohort (Evie, Anthony, and Sterling). Former best friends, turned 2 vs. 2 archenemies with a love triangle, the mysterious Burma incident, and the dramatic deaths of all four of them? It's too good. 

The first half displayed originality and humor, while the second half grew repetitive in its anti-colonialist themes. 

The footnotes were cool, but they also felt a little silly. Explaining key details in footnotes when they could’ve just been part of the book? It just felt somewhat nonsensical. Also, I remember Kuang pointing out early in the book that the cohort's first few years studying at Babel were their happy days, and that the rupture between the friend group was inevitable, they were too different. Why did Kuang basically spoil the ending? 

Read the first fifty pages and then realized I didn't wanna read it so I stopped.

Here are some thoughts on 1984: 

Though George Orwell’s 1984 may have offered a profound perspective on power and autonomy seventy-something years ago, I found it convoluted and frankly turgid. Instead of engaging the reader with its warnings about control and manipulation, the novel buries its best ideas in exhausting detail, ultimately feeling more tedious than transporting.

1984 was lowkey overrated...Although the writing was clear & easy to read, it wasn't as mindbending as reviews have blown it up to be. It is unsettling how similar Oceania is to our modern world though. I'd say 1984 was, overall, a fun read regardless (I don't understand which aspects make it banned book-worthy though). 

Maybe I'm not that smart, and I can't analyze texts properly, but I felt like this book was so beyond boring. The first time I read it I hated the characters so much I really had to push to finish it. After freshman English last year I now have a little more experience with unlikeable characters, but Winston was one of the worst narrators I've ever read. But there has to be a reason it's a classic, and maybe I'm still not picking up on some amazing underlying themes in there.