Katabasis
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I had been wanting to read this book since it was announced R. F. Kuang was writing it. Unfortunately, life got in the way and I didn’t get around to reading it. Until now.
This book centers around a tired barely alive graduate student, Alice Law, who must team up with her academic rival, Peter Murdoch, to retrieve their advisor from hell after he died in a freak accident that Alice believes to be her fault.
What could go wrong?
I have always been a fan of R. F. Kuang’s writing. I absolutely devoured Babel, so I had pretty high expectations for this book before reading it. And let me tell you, she delivered on every one. I loved the academic setting of it. I felt like I could feel all of Alice’s tiredness and determination. Even though it was told from Alice’s point of view, we as the readers still gain plenty of insight into Peter’s background and what drives him as well.
The magic system in this book is thoroughly explained as well. It relies on the drawing of pentagrams using chalk. These pentagrams are created based on paradoxes and mathematics. Things that I know nothing about, but thanks to Kuang’s writing, I feel like I can understand a lot better.
I loved reading about such paradoxes and having them explained to me with a bit of magic sprinkled in. It made the whole world feel much more lifelike.
Another of my favorite bits about this book is that all the characters are deeply flawed. As they are traveling through hell, they have to grapple with the fact that even though they are not dead yet, they are witnessing the punishments they will receive when they die. Seeing their mindsets change was fascinating.
Now, since it took me so long to read this book after it was published, I am aware of the criticisms it has received. Mainly because of the fact somewhere along the way, people got convinced that it was a romance.
This book is not a romance.
There is a romance subplot. It is a very very slow burn. I did not go into this book expecting a romance main plot, so I was not disappointed. But if that is what you want, you will be disappointed.
I liked the relationship we were given. I feel that if fits the premise and anything more would have soured the plot. The slight romance there was had me hooked and I think it was more about the potential for romance that made it work so well. There was a lingering hope that everything would be worked out.
If I had to give you a reason to read this book, I would say read it for the character growth. All the characters start in a place of confusion and an odd mix of pride and self-hatred, but then they take this journey through hell and the realize the wrongs that have been done to them, both by themselves and by others. It was a beautiful journey and deeply relateable.
Oftentimes as I was reading, I found myself relating to Alice Law on such a deep level. I understand what it’s like to feel like your drowning, but its ok because everyone else is drowning too. It takes a while to realize that no one should have been drowning in the first place.
Alice’s situation was, of course, very different from mine in other ways. For one, she was trying to make it as a female in a male-dominated field that had only recently opened its doors to women. It was believed by many that women only taught at these universities as spousal hires.
And again, she may or may not have killed her advisor.
So, she had plenty of reason to feel like she was drowning. But still, the narrative of mental and physical health that was played throughout this book was a masterpiece in my eyes.
I would absolutely recommend you go read this book as soon as you can.
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