Babel Paperback – 10 June 2024

“𝑮𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝒔𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅. 𝑮𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒅. 𝑮𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒆𝒍, 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆.“This has to be one of the most wonderfully well-written books that I have read. It is a book where the writing made me want to know how it was written, the whole process behind it and by the end of it I was crying out of sadness and pure wonder like I’d watched a great thing collapse. (iykyk)The way Kuang has incorporated language and linguistics into the text feels impossible even while reading it, that too not just one language but multiple ancient languages. The constant feeling of awe while reading such an influential text as it moved through multiple themes like power struggle, culture, identity, colonialism, the importance of language and translation, racism and politics was ever present. The attention to detail and perfection of Kuang is evident and the rigorous research that would’ve been done is so remarkable I can’t even begin to imagine.The characters are charmingly complex and layered. Robin, in the continuous dilemma of being loyal to his culture while working for the British. Ramy, the rebellious one always standing up against discrimination. Victoire, filled with determination to survive no matter what comes her way. These characters show the tenacity that humans portray in the face of adversity when they are hanging by the last thread. Then there is Letty, who is so glad for the opportunity of being able to study and work that she pays no attention to the prejudice that her friends have to face on a daily basis and doesn’t understand how they can even think to give it all up.The plot is beautiful, it’s like a slow-burn romance but with freedom and liberation. The ending left me miserable and throughout the book it felt like I was a tiny little part of it all, which is the best feeling a reader can hope for.

I loved the subject and the many literal details and the connections between the languages... the book reads well and the tone of the main characters, the students reminded me of Harry Potter and his entourage. The struggles of the young when faced with age old struggles like freedom, racism, death of loved ones, sacrifice and difficult choices are depicted well and are so relatable. I like the fantasy that holds the book together plus I loved the jaunt around Oxford as a student.

“An act of translation is necessarily an act of betrayal” concludes a character in the book and that essentially forms the crux of this novel — it starts with the hope that translation can bridge different cultures, but the protagonists soon discover that the power of words can tear people apart in a colonial framework.Babel is a historical fantasy novel set in an alternate version of early 19th century England where the Royal Institute of Translation in Oxford (or Babel) drives the country’s technological prowess and colonial ambitions. Translators use silver bars enchanted with “match pairs” in different languages to do so. Robin Swift, Ramy Mirza, Victoire Desgraves and Letty Price enrol at Babel, longing to belong and grappling with their loyalties to their capitalist masters and their people.Kuang's writing is accessible, simple, and fast-paced, yet insightful with her detailed exploration of the etymology of words in multiple languages. She liberally uses footnotes throughout the book. These range from pure fiction to reality, are often quirky, but significantly add to the book. However, at times, I felt the plot was somewhat formulaic — she has taken standard tropes such as racism (Robin’s real Chinese name is never revealed), capitalism and callousness (the willingness to profit from opium even at the expense of a generation’s well-being), friendship and betrayal, and same-sex love (with subtle hints) and checked them against her plot.The varied tempo of her writing was another slight gripe for me. While the book is somewhat of a page-turner, the story moves along at a very rapid clip in the first third of the book while it gets stretched out in the concluding parts. Nevertheless, as Robin feels as a young child, “what a pleasure it was to hold the weight of an entire, finished story” in my hands!Pros: Inventive plot, insightful and pacyCons: Slightly clichéd, varying pace

My first R.F. Kuang, and I am now obsessed with her work. If you enjoy languages, etymology, discussions on the art of translation, this book will excite and grip you. If you like your fantasy to go beyond mere storytelling and connect to world history, challenge you into thinking, this book will take you on a journey you'll find hard to forget. Wonderful characters, great writing, and enough action to keep you engaged.I must admit, being from an erstwhile colony of Britain made it easier for me to identify with the book. But it's one that everyone should read, because the pernicious effects of colonialism is still evident, the world over.

I went into this book with mixed expectations, considering some reviews were extremely monolithic and critical, while others laudatory. On top of that, this was a 547-page long epic saga. Honestly, I was awestruck by the amount of details in linguistic lectures, and the real incriminations of colonial end goal were conveyed so meticulously and in a compelling way under the hood of fantasy. I kinda laughed at people (even from a new generation of people whose forefathers underwent the suffering of colonial history) who got so mad at the author's unidirectional hatred against the biggest colonial power in the history. Honestly, I am not saying to hate the present of them for their past, but trying to justify any part of that dark history just because not everybody was bad is such a revisionist drag.