This review contains spoilers.
The premise of R.F. Kuang’s sixth novel, “Katabasis,” sounds like a BookTok dream: a dark academia enemies-to-lovers fantasy that’s part Dante’s “Inferno” and part campus satire. The novel follows two alternative universe-Cambridge Ph.D. students, Alice and Peter, who must put aside their academic rivalry and journey through Hell to rescue their professor’s soul.
Unfortunately, it falls victim to the problem that plagues many of today’s trope-laden New York Times bestsellers: a fascinating premise that falls flat within just a few chapters.
The beginning of “Katabasis” lures in the unsuspecting reader with its skewering satirical humor and sharp critiques of elitism and hypocrisy in academia. Perhaps Hell really is just a prestigious higher education institution, with each of its eight courts representing a different academic trial. Maybe students should be condemned to the Court of Pride for raising their hands too many times in class or constantly bragging about their exam results.
Despite the fascinating concept of the Eight Courts of Hell, a twist on Dante’s nine circles of Hell by way of Chinese mythology, Alice and Peter’s travels through them feel like a boring campus tour. Obstacles seem to fall out of their way, and the supposed “risk” of their journey — losing half their remaining lifespans — doesn’t appear to matter to either of them. For a story set in Hell, the stakes seem pretty low.
The lack of suspense is worsened by constant philosophical asides on topics like metaphysics and mythology. At first, this is a testament to Kuang’s extensive research, but later read like speed bumps preventing the plot from moving forward.
A satire of the academic experience would be more impactful if the reader wasn’t being lectured to every few pages. Instead of adding to the story, the musings feel like plot interruptions meant to prove the author’s knowledge.
Where “Katabasis” really falters, though, is in its character and relationship development. When a novel’s plot is lackluster, it relies on interesting characters and relationships to propel itself. Alice and Peter, however, feel like placeholders for real people.
They are introduced as rivals, but the expected tension between them never arrives. They share a mutual admiration but lack romantic chemistry, creating an unconvincing relationship arc. By the final chapters, when the two share a kiss, it feels more like a filled-in circle on a list of formulaic elements than an organic conclusion.
In “Katabasis,” Hell is not terrifying, nor is it transformative. Much like an underwhelming academic experience, it is rote at best and frustrating at worst. The novel’s premise, mixed in with its academic satire, has the potential to produce a gripping story, but the lack of stakes, repeated academic exposition and flat characters and relationship stomp it out.
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