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Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translator's Revolution by R. F. Kuang Literary Fiction/Historical Fantasy
(from Amazon) 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…
(My Review)
Wow! I'm not sure where to start (I literally just finished reading it). As the book starts out, I found myself really enjoying the dark academia vibes. I loved the descriptions of Oxford University, of academic life, the discussions of the linguistic lectures. It was so very scholarly and interesting. But, there were instances that were a bit unsettling. Kuang did a great job building up this tension, until about 70% through the book, and you're like...WHAT?? This story is so powerful, making you think about how complicated language is - how it separates us, and brings us together. This story also looks at the complicated history of colonialism. I HIGHLY recommend this book!!!
