Reading some Dark Academia Books || Vlog 2022
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- Опубликовано: 19 окт 2024
- Hey Booktube! Fall is here (kinda!) so time to start the seasonal reading vlogs. Starting with a big bang... dark academia books! Here are my review/first impressions!
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____ Books Mentioned ____
Babel by R F Kuang amzn.to/3x3XXkG
Dead Poets Society by N.H. Kleinbaum (no link because you deserve better than to read this)
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The way your French keeps poking through is very appropriate given the book's focus on languages and their relationships!
It's a very ambitious book that achieves its ambitions. I wish that its ambitions had included character development...
That last sentence XD
THIS! So many times I read a book and its okay? Like the book did what it wanted to do but I think like you could have gone further?
I completely agree about the pacing change in the second part of Babel, I much preferred the first half! As someone who also speaks two languages (and I live in Québec so I'm also learning French as a third language), the lectures and discussions on language/translation were incredibly fascinating!
Agreed! It wasn't boring at all!
I just saw that Book of the Month is finally coming to Canada. I'm so excited!
Finally!!
I love that the colonialism is quite literally the events that caused the opium wars. Which is nice considering the trilogy was a fictional version of it. It's a nice Easter egg-ish. It reminds me a lot of guy gavriel kay, complex look at a specific historical event.
The fact that I just squealed that this video was uploaded. Emily is my obsession and you introduced me to my newest obsession: RF Kuang❤️❤️❤️
I have finally read Babel and immediately watched the video. I liked it a lot better than The Poppy War trilogy. And one of the reasons I like to watch your videos is how astute you are! Yes, I love reading classics and loved Babel. I love the prose,
Huge Spoilers:
Robin's inner conflicts and his latent desires, his feelings towards his family and how they change throughout really worked for me. I could totally understand how he helped the Hermes society the first time and how he decided to join and at one point how he betrayed them (well semi betrayed) and then his acting in rage (and I loved the description of the word "anger" there) and then his loss and hunger for revenge. Everything in this worked for me. I especially liked how the violence did not work (the bridge collapse) and how Victoire decided to live in the end. I really liked her.
Apart from his thick headedness regarding Anthony (but I'll excuse it since he was studying so hard at the time to lose most of his perception of real time events) how could they not see Lettie coming??? Seriously even I spotted it (and I'm not very good at seeing things coming) from her reactions at the ball. Not only she is a snake she is also vindictive and simply evil. The scene where Robin asked her why she killed and her answer was one of the strongest in the book. At least own up to being a murderer and simply because that man did not like you! (and trust Victoire to understand the feelings of her two friends and Lettie being oblivious or choosing to be oblivious)
All in all, it got five stars from me and I would have given it solely to the prose but I also liked everything else. It surely is not a fun book to read but it left a deep impression on me.
Sorry for the long post, I had thoughts!
Yep, movie came before the book for DPS. Dead Poet's Society is one of my favorite movies and I have never read the book and I never will. Waiting for my copy of Babel... Patiently, of course. Happy Reading! Thanks for the great content.
Definitely stick to the movie XD
I kept the video spoiler free but if you want to have a spoiler discussion please start with
*SPOILERS*
Letty is a snake.
I agree that the characters could have been more 3D. I excused a lot for the first 3/4 of the book on Robin being sheltered and us seeing the story through his eyes but it made the end weaker. Same point about how quickly he trusted his half brother or how he didn't realize anything about Anthony or even Letty... the excuses didn't work for at the end. First 400 pages were great though.
Spoiler
What did you think of the ending when Victoire said that Letty would never let her be free. I thought that was kind of odd. Letty is a snake but it didn't seem like her character to go to the ends of the earth to track down Victoire. I know it was a minor point, but Kuang just had to put her stamp on the book declaring how evil Letty is lol.
I feel like the characterization was the weakest part of the book. The characters were only allowed to be one thing. There was no nuance, and the themes kept getting beat over our heads. It was so beautifully written but I couldn't enjoy it because it felt so confined.
"Beating over the head"...that's the expression I couldn't remember haha Well grabbing by the neck and rubbing your face in it isn't too far off XD
@@BookswithEmilyFox Haha, definitely! The same energy, same meaning. :)
spoiler
I was already getting tired of Griffin and stopped listening to the book for a few days because of it. It's sad that the ending will get even worse. I did find very funny your reaction about Anthony, like... dude! Think for 2 seconds! I don't know if I will finish, but I'm glad it's not just me.
The book lacks subtlety. Lovell is fantastic and all the themes are in him and in the other professors but instead we are told how bad colonialism is through speeches.
Ha "Rub your nose in the message." I hadn't heard that before. I like it! XD
I'm excited to read Babel, I got a copy with my Fairyloot subscription and it is gorgeous!
Okay, but that owl pillow looks so cute!
I saw your goodreads update and was wishing for a reading vlog ☺️ *excited* !! I hope you are well
That was my problem with The Poppy War, the last chunk of it (spoiler free of course) just rubbed me the wrong way and I'm worried after your video about 'rubbing our faces in the message' that I'd feel the same. TPW went from a 5 to a 3 stars for me and while Babel seems amazing... I think I'll be let down. But I enjoyed seeing you reading it! :)
I do have a recommendation for dark academia vibes: Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez. The english translation will be published early 2023, I think. It might be total hit or miss though. It is about so many things: mostly occultism and secret society controlling over world politics and economy. I have been thinking story constantly everyday after I finished book few weeks ago.
Thank you from great book content! I hope you will have a cozy fall 😊
Wow I had the exact same reading journey as you did. 400 pages in, I was fully loving it and was ready to give it 5 stars. By the end it was 4 stars and it really let me down. I feel like it was soooo close to being a really great book, but it just fell short.
I'm glad I'm not the only one! When you read a book as soon as it's out, it's always nerveraking to wait for other reviews to come out XD
Emily, my name is Eugene and I am a new subscriber to your channel! Like you, I am a massive reader, primarily audiobooks. Cannot wait to see what you have planned for the channel! Please keep going!
Halfway through this book, loving it so far!
I love all these book recommendations! 📚📖📙🍃🎃👻🍃🍂🧡🍁📖📚📚📙🍁🖤🍂🍃🎃👻👻🎃🍂📚📚📖🍁🖤🖤🍂🍃👻👻📚📖📙🍁🧡🖤🍂🍃🎃👻🎃🍂
YAY SO EXCITED!! 📖📖🧡🎃🍃🎃🧡🧡👻💕💕🎃🍃🍃🎃💕💕🖤🍂🍂🍂🍂📙📙📖📖🍂🍂🎃🍃🍃💕👻📚🍁🍁🖤👻💕👻📚🖤🎃🍃🍃🎃🎃📖📖📙📙
I didn’t even know dark academia existed as a genre. Absolutely looking forward to reading Killers of a Certain Age. It’s giving me Thursday Night Murder Club vibes.
I just finished the book, wrote my review and watched your vlog... you know what? Same, same, same. And the Dead poet society book was a one star for me.
I ended up rating it 1 too on Goodreads haha Right after the movie I felt bad but after a few days I couldn't give it 2... so bad lol
I LOVE The Poppy War series, it's probably my favorite series ever. I'm not a fan of dark academia but I decided to read this because Kuang wrote it. I wish I loved it but I don't. I can see why people love the book but for me it was only worth 3 stars.
Bable, at times, felt like reading a college lecture.
That's the part I liked XD
I'm excited to read Babel but I'll have to wait at least a year or so until it goes on sale. Right now I'm reading Sword of Kaigen and I'm LOVING it. I'm not very far (only 21% in) but I'm genuinely really liking it.
So glad you're loving it!
You are the first review that I find. I am ready!!!
Babel didn’t work for me but I can see why people love it. There was just too much info dumping for me and I didn’t like how it felt like a lecture/long essay. I’ve noticed the author’s writing is just like this in general. I read an arc of Yellowface which comes out next year and the message and info was very much in your face so that must just be how RF Kuang writes. I didn’t like The Poppy war so I gave this a chance but then again I’m not really into dark academia. I agree with the messages Kuang is promoting in her work but it’s just too in your face for me like you said. I need it to be more nuanced and more like you figure the messages out for yourself.
I'm curious to try something else by her but I can see the beginning of the pattern after two different settings.
I didn't like the Poppy War either, contrary to popular opinion- it felt more like historical fiction because the fantasy world didn't really work for me..
I am exactly the same with her writing, I was really excited by the premise of Yellowface (I didnt hate the Poppy War but I didn't love it) but I got maybe 20 pages into the arc and wanted to cry because I found the writing so dry so I think I'm going to avoid Babel unfortunately :/
Lmao I didn't get found family vibes at all from the book 😂😂 the characters kept hiding things from each other and constantly arguing and I just couldn't believe that they were all as close as the book wanted me to believe 🤷🏾♂️ Kinda spoiler?
I don't know why Letty stayed in the group even after she learned all that the others were keeping from her, if my "best friends" hid something so big from me I'd just leave immediately lol. Did anyone else find it weird that she just automatically accepted the whole secret society thing like seconds after learning about it lol
I agree. The friendship circle wasn't believable and is the main reason why I gave the book four stars. The supposed closeness of the friends was all telling and almost no showing. That said, I think the rest of the book is really strong and worth reading.
Spoilers
I only got the vibes early and mostly with Rami since Robin had no one at all at first. Letty definitely didn't accepted that's why she left. She just pretended/was in shock at first and that's why she betrayed them.
Yes! Dead Poet's Society is one of my favorite movies!! I'm looking forward to reading Babel. I don't know when and I'm pondering whether I should read the Poppy War series first? I don't think it matters other than me wanting to read the series that everyone seems to love.
You don't need to read the poppy war first. Just go with whichever sounds the most appealing to you!
I didn’t expect to cry but boy did I. Kuang is an official auto buy
I was always taught by my childhood Bible school teachers to pronounce it like “Baah-bell” like with a long A sound.
I am reading this now! As an aspiring polyglot, I am super passionate about languages! (And also why I love your channel so I can hear some French) So far I am feeling it’s more TELL than SHOW which is bugging me. I picked up the audio book to see how they pronounce the title… BAY-bull lol
I can't wait to read Babel! If it reads like a college lecture, I'm here for it becuase work life
Dark Academia is not quite in my wheelhouse, but you make it seem so fun, Emily!
It's been hit and miss for me but I'm finally finding some favorites!
@@BookswithEmilyFox That's awesome!
I really liked reading 'The Likeness' by Tana French... It has the dark academia and fall vibes
Babel comes from Latin so that's why, also a lot of languages pronounce A as Alaska not as Eight hence the name author confirms, same with Ibiza, it is I as in Eat not Ice (as British people like to pronounce it).
Happy Thursday Emily have a great weekend Xoxo 😚 🍁📚🍃🎃🍂👻🍂🍃📙🧡📖🍁📚📚🍁📖🧡🖤🍃🎃🍂🍂👻📚📚📖📖🧡🖤🖤🍃🎃🍂🍂👻📚📚🍁
Hi Emily! I know magical realism isn’t your jam but you have to let us know how you find Other Birds, the new Sarah Addison Allen book. Her books are just sublime and I for one would love to know what you think of it (and her other books) :)
I keep seeing it and it's so pretty... I might have to try ti!
I just finished reading Babel a few days ago and I had similar feelings to yours. I'm glad you had some criticisms because a bunch of other reviews I have seen have been mostly positive.
SPOILERS
I totally agree with you about the Anthony thing. I mean his brother had mentioned a few times that he and others have had to fake their deaths so how does Robin not think of that when he sees Anthony in the bookstore?? One of my issues with the book (beside being a bit heavy handed, laying it on thick with the message) is that it was very light on the fantasy elements. Sure the silver work is essentially magic, but it didn't feel magical. (If that makes sense) It felt less like reading a fantasy with elements of other genres and more like reading a reading a historical fiction/literary novel.
Great vlog!
Dead poets Society I love the film and I am half way though the book 📖🖤🖤📖🧡📙🎃👻🍂📚📚👻👻🍃🎃👻🖤🖤📖🍁🖤🍁📖🧡🍃🎃👻🍂📚📚🍂👻🖤🍁🍁🖤🖤📖🧡🍃🍃🍃🎃🎃🍂📚
A good girls guide to murder by Holly Jackson, dark academia worth a read. I am looking forward to reading Babel. It sounds good.
It's definitely on my waiting list at the library!
I've been wanting to rewatch the movie. Glad to know the book isn't worth it
Only 180 pages into Babel, but I'm simply adoring it.
Did you like it in the end?
Babel is not bad but not really as good as everyone claimed it to be. I knew that going in because the marketing for this book was insane!! People who got the arc was actually traveling to Oxford to record a reading vlog to promote the book and let’s not get to the at least 6 different additions for the the book already, when a book is promoted this heavily before it’s actually out I just know it’s not going to be that great … and I wasn’t wrong 🤷🏻♀️
I need to find a copy of Babel so bad 😩
Listen, I spent dough getting The Broken Binding edition of Babel so you better believe Imma like that book!
(Jk, it was actually pretty inexpensive all things considered but shipping alone was half the price so that’s that.)
How were you able to subscribe to Book a Month and deliver to Canada? They only ship to the USA. I am curious about Babel as well.
They don't ship to Canada... yet! On their website they're announcing that it should change soon. I had it delivered here because it's a collab!
Babel I believe is being marketed as YA
I'm pretty sure the author has said it's Adult... but the ending definitely had YA feels to it :/
Would you say Babel is hard to read for non native english speakers? (I've been reading in english for a while, but Babel for some reason scares me lol Also, I haven't read R. F. Kuang's books before so I'm not familiar with her writing style)
I think it's a bit hard but for anyone since there's a bunch of languages in there lol
I would not read that book then 😅 I will read Babel one day. But I want to read some other dark academia first.
Captain, my captain
Dead Poet society: yes, the book was written after the movie. The movie is fantastic, the book is… well I was really bored and disappointed too when I read it :)
Yeah the book is really not as good :/
Babel is a language programme!
My elder millennial head trying to comprehend the concept of Dark Academia = 🤔 😕
Listening to your accent in your videos, you sound like you were raised in a dark academia novel.
@@coffeebreakfiction1765 😂
@@june29378 Ahh like Hogwarts without the magic. Or what I imagine Oxford to be like in the 1920’s?
@@june29378 I appreciate you!
I have to wait till I finish Babel before I watch this. It's going to be torture
I kept this spoiler free but I understand lol
Has anyone else noticed that it’s set in the 1830s and yet the undergrads talk like modern slightly Americanised Brits? Read Dickens for how people talked back then.
That's the main problem I have with contemporary books set in the past and I can't get over it while I read. It makes me not believe a single word being said, I don't find characters real enough. It bugs me too much. Of course, not all contemporary authors write like that, but Kuang does unfortunately. The language, the characters are just too modern
❤️📚
you can say 'she was really laying it thick' in English :)
I waited to watch this video because I wanted to finish Babel first, and not only do I agree with you, I think this "in your face" narration style bothered me even more than it bothered you.
*SPOILERS*
I was so annoyed by Letty's Interlude, Kuang telling us "she was not really wicked" but then she's written as deeply cruel and insensitive, not only when it came to the death of her brother, but also murdering one of her "friends". It felt unrealistic to me and so over the top.
Another thing that bothered me is how she made it sound like Mandarin Chinese is a superior language or that China (which was also an Empire at that time) is the ultimate victim of Britain. Like you said, it read more like a YA book because of that obvious lack of nuance in the overall execution, which did remind me of the more naïve worldview of a teenager (The Hermes Society are made up to be superheroes or something - there's no alternative, it's that or working for the Empire against your will, which sounded so dramatic). Because of that, I also enjoyed much more the lectures and the first half of the novel, though, as a translation student (it's my last semester), even the lectures sounded too oversimplified (teachers can't say things like "translation is always an act of betrayal" without context, it just sounded like overgeneralization to me).
"Lack of nuance" summarizes the second half so well. I wanted to love it 100% but it bothered me.
Number One...
By the way, the story of the Tower of Babel led to the word “babble”! Because the people building the tower couldn’t understand each other lol.
am I the only one reading and hoping to see Prof Lovell's redeeming qualities? lol
Guess you'll find out :)
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