Blurb:

From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel.

Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide…

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence? 

Review:

“We’re here to make magic with words.”

I have been hearing things about this book since it came out and I’m glad I finally read it!  It’s SO MUCH MORE than I was prepared for. Its not just dark academia, or magic school or translating words from different languages.  It’s an examination of social cultures and inherent biases, and while it was incredibly uncomfortable to read at some points, I do think that it can elicit tons of important conversations about these issues. 

While I started reading this one, I also picked up the audiobook, which I felt greatly enhanced the storytelling.  Hearing the French and Cantonese words spoken allowed really helped me understand the word origins, and the linguistic similarities that were being discussed. 

“That's all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your own biases to glimpse what they're trying to say. Showing yourself to the world, and hoping someone else understands.”

Was this a character or plot driven book? Yes. Both? IDK. This is a standalone and had to accomplish SO much to do what it did, and I think the author did that brilliantly! With both character growth and a rich plot, I think this book, is both.

Robin Swift is our main character, this is not his given name, but rather a name he was given to blend in with the English when he travels. We never hear his say his real name and that is really heartbreaking. 

We start with Robin at a very young age, torn from his family, given over to a guardian who cares for him only as a resource. We watch him grow and engage with his schooling, but also see him find some faults in the current system.  He’s grown so used to the system that he doesn’t know exactly how to fix it, without disturbing his own comforts. How can it be fixed if he doesn’t destroy it?

 “Betrayal. Translation means doing violence upon the original, it means warping and distorting it for foreign, unintended eyes. So, where does that leave us? How can we conclude except by acknowledging that an act of translation is always an act of betrayal?”

When we meet Robin cohort at school, I was pleased with all the characters, and they seemed to interact in a fascinating way that would happen in real life.  At times they disagree, and friendships can twist into bad roommates, and sometimes they can forgive and sometimes they can’t. I had high hopes for Lettie, but I fear I was not surprised at the way her character arc went. 

Interestingly, I think the magic system was the least interesting part of this book!  That doesn’t mean it was bad, it was, however, very subtle. The difference in the same word across 2 (or more) languages, inscribed into a bar produces a condition.  Some of the conditions are grand, and some are very subtle.  This does require the users to have a great grasp of multiple languages and word origins.  When the author explores these word origins, I was most engaged in the story, I love learning something while reading and it reminded me of the way that many of the symbols are discussed in The DaVinci Code. 

“But never forget the audacity of what you are attempting. 

Never forget that you are defying a curse laid by God.”

One of the themes that was prevalent in the book was Robin’s Father/ Guardian.  The way the author used these characters to mirror and highlight the fathers of Greek mythology molding and creating a child in their own image who in turns around and destroys what they have sought to build was very interesting and created a lot of tension for the characters.

The book includes clear and more subtle allusions to the Tower of Babel from Genesis, which tells of humanity’s attempt to build a tower reaching to the heavens, which was ultimately thwarted by God.  In the biblical story God curses humanity for their pride and disobedience in trying to build the tower, this story mirrors that  with the dooming way it ends, which I both anticipated and dreaded in equal measure.

I think the author nailed the ending for this one. It wasn’t a happy ending, but I knew that it had to happen; there was no way around it. It’s so hard to end a book in a way that ties up all the loose ends, but I think the execution here was masterfully done. 

“Languages aren't just made of words. They're modes of looking at the world. They're keys to civilizations. And that's knowledge worth killing for.”

The term “social murder” was coined in 1845, and as this book is set directly before that, it feels exceedingly relevant. The concept is used to describe unnatural deaths due to social, political or economic oppression, as opposed to direct violence. 

This is a fictional story built into actual world history. Set in Oxford, Kuang manages to touch on Opium Wars, slave labor and other large-scale economic situations that we have enabled throughout history. It’s heartbreaking and informative without being preachy. 

“Travel sounds fun until you realize what you really want is to stay at home with a cup of tea and a stack of books by a warm fire.”

Ok, I love a good standalone book, and boy oh boy did this deliver!  I was glad the author set this in our current world with a few modifications instead of creating a new world.  I enjoyed the characters and the way information was presented. The author knocked the ending out of the park!

Would I reread? Yes, I think you could definitely get more out of this on a reread and pick up on other little pieces that you might have missed before!

Would I recommend? Yes, I think everyone should read this!

Recommended for Fans of Blood Over Bright Haven, The DaVinci Code, and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell