RF Kuang - To Hell with Love

*Katabasis* examines the hero's descent into the underworld, using the concept as a metaphor for navigating trauma, depression, and the profound struggle to reclaim one's life. Author R.F. Kuang draws on her own experiences during a difficult PhD program to explore how individuals process suffering and the desire for validation within broken systems. The narrative rejects the notion of an immortal soul, instead finding beauty in the ephemeral and the fleeting nature of existence. Influenced by T.S. Eliot’s *The Wasteland* and surrealist painting, the book functions as a cauldron of references that mirror the overstuffed, chaotic nature of the protagonist’s mind. Kuang highlights the toxic dynamics of academic mentorship and the cult of the male genius, using her writing to make complex, internal conflicts legible rather than seeking simple catharsis.