Babel

Gabriel Blackwell

2020

August, 2026

7/10

The book is quite experimental which makes it difficult to enjoy at first. I understand what Blackwell is trying to do, and that can be appreciated, but it would have been nice to have different subject matters. For example, the parenthesis story could not have been any more boring to me. It had potential, but I did not care at all about the subject.

However, Fathers and Sons demonstrated Blackwell's strengths. In that story, he poignantly illustrates the mind of a distant father, landing it with his final paragraph — an excellent delivery. The story really touched me in a way I wasn't expecting simply because it illustrated the inner workings of the mind so well. Thus, I give credit to Blackwell as a good author.

As it progresses, the book takes on quite a dark undertone. It was heavy and successfully heavy. Furthermore, by the time I read the second-to-last story, I realized how much I appreciate the writing style: this stream of conscious/"journal" style. It wasn't trying to be anything. It feels like someone — a person — writing. Nothing more. Nothing less. I appreciated that.

My complaint is that the book feels inconsistent. The first story, for example, was not enjoyable. Other stories were incredible. Others were just alright. For that reason, it gets a 7: lots of room for improvement, a decent amount that was not enjoyable, but still a book I already have recommended to others and certainly will again.