Babel by R.F Kuang

Good evening, fellow book lovers! Welcome back to the blog. I hope you're all doing well. Today, I’m diving into Babel by R.F. Kuang. Right off the bat, I have to say it’s a long read, but it’s packed with rich academic content, particularly around the topic of translation.

Review:

The book offers a deep dive into the origins of various languages, touching on Latin, German, Dutch, Mandarin, Sanskrit, and more. It really provides insight into where different words come from, which was both fascinating and educational.

The story revolves around four scholars—three from different parts of the world and one British. This allows us to explore themes of colonialism through their eyes, especially how those from outside Britain view its empire. There’s also an interesting look into how Britain’s upper class interacted with its colonies. While the story is grounded in historical context, Kuang does take some creative liberties with dates and events, which she explains early in the book.

One of the aspects I particularly enjoyed was the clever reference to the Biblical Tower of Babel. The Institute of Translation in the book is called Babel, drawing a parallel to the Biblical story where God disrupted the construction of the tower by introducing multiple languages to prevent people from communicating. This tie-in adds another layer of meaning to the story and was a subtle touch I appreciated.

The plot follows Robin, one of the four scholars, and for much of the book, we see him grappling with the opportunities Britain has offered him. However, a trip back to his homeland sparks a change in his perspective, leading to some significant twists in the last part of the book. The story shifts dramatically, especially in the last 40%, making it a powerful and thought-provoking read.

On a personal note, the book rekindled my love for languages and reminded me of the value of studying etymology and translation. It’s informative and thought-provoking, though I found it a bit lengthy at times. I gave it four stars overall. The themes are complex, controversial even, but deeply informative. I marked a lot of passages and highlighted numerous points throughout.

Plot:

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

Oxford, 1836.

The city of dreaming spires.

It is the centre of all knowledge and progress in the world.

And at its centre is Babel, the Royal Institute of Translation. The tower from which all the power of the Empire flows.

Orphaned in Canton and brought to England by a mysterious guardian, Babel seemed like paradise to Robin Swift.

Until it became a prison…

But can a student stand against an empire?

An incendiary new novel from award-winning author R.F. Kuang about the power of language, the violence of colonialism, and the sacrifices of resistance.

'A masterpiece that resonates with power and knowledge. BABEL is a stark picture of the cruelty of empire, a distillation of dark academia, and a riveting blend of fantasy and historical fiction – a monumental achievement’

Samantha Shannon, author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE

Up next on my reading list is The Witches of Vardø by Anja Bergman. It’s a story about witches in Norway that I’ve had on my shelf for two years now—it was a birthday gift and I’m eager to finally dive in. After that, I’ll be tackling Crave by Tracy Wolff, along with a few other books I’ve recently ordered. I’ll be sharing my TBR (to be read) list for December soon, as I start planning for the end of the year. December is usually my romance month, but we’ll see how the reading mood strikes.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!