Plot:

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 of translation and, more importantly, of silver-working: the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation through enchanted silver bars, to magical effect. Silver-working has made the British Empire unparalleled in power, and Babel's research in foreign languages serves the Empire's quest to colonize everything it encounters.

Oxford, the city of dreaming spires, is a fairytale for Robin; a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge serves power, and for Robin, a Chinese boy raised in Britain, serving Babel inevitably means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to sabotaging the silver-working that supports 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? What is he willing to sacrifice to bring Babel down?

Babel — a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal response to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell — grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of translation as a tool of empire.

Book review:

The beginning was very slow and since D. Lowell is a nightmare I really believed I was going to hate the book. This is also why I took off half a star from the final rating.

However, as the plot progressed the ideas and situations made the book incredible. An ode to language and an important reflection on the power of language in colonialism, which keeps being something we face on a daily basis, with French and English being the most prevalent spoken languages on the planet (apart from Chinese but only because the Chinese population is so large). The book started a bit slow but became magnificent throughout, with incredible reflections on revolutions and changing the prevalent mode of things. The read was painful as racism is so present it was hard as a white woman, so I can't imagine for black people or Chinese.

Characters:
Victoire was my favorite, the strongest, and bravest together with Rami (sorry if I misspelled it, I listened to it on @netgalley). Robin was a bit lame and cowardly but I liked the contrast between him and the others. Leti was a witch and I hated her from the start, so drenched in her privilege for her discussions didn't exist as she had to always be right. She sadly represented so many people it hurt.

Overall the book is a must-read to become aware of the past and present and of the weight of colonialism.

Babel was probably my most anticipated release of 2022. I’ve read Kuang’s previous books in the past and have been following her work since then, so you can imagine how excited I was when she announced this dark academia book. This is an alternative historical fantasy set in Oxford in the 19th century where magical silver bars exist through the act of translation. The main character is Robin Swift, a Chinese boy raised in England and trained to join the Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel, where we follow his experiences as an student and his meaningful friendships.

With a fascinating magic system focused on language and etymology, Kuang has written a story about oppression where she tackles themes of colonialism, racism, class and sexism. But despite the compelling premise, I wasn’t particularly impressed by the execution of plot, especially towards the end of the novel. I couldn’t help but feel as the story didn’t quite live up to its potential. Nevertheless, Babel was an interesting and thought-provoking read.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the chance to listen to this audiobook. I read the e-arc first and wanted to experience the audiobook to be immersed back in the story.

What I loved about this story was the two readers. I found both very easy to listen to and I enjoyed the contrast of Billie reading the footnotes. This made it very clear which part of the story we were on. Chris did very good accents for all the characters and I loved being back in the story.

My review for the story - I would say that this is an incredibly well-done slow burn story. There is something magical about her writing where everything is thought out and deliberate. It begins very intriguing with a young boy from Canton left amongst his family who have died of cholera and a cold, distant man has ‘saved’ him. Then he begins his journey to England and learning under his ward, Professor Lovell. There is a lot of mystery in this book, in fact the whole book is a mystery until much deeper in the story, which is set in an alternate 1830s Oxford.

The themes of class, misogyny, colonialism, racism are expertly written and it feels like such an important book. I can’t put into words how well this was explored but I implore you to read this story.

I have loved being back in the Worlds of RF Kuang and look forward to her future works.

I have read, and listened to, a lot of very good books over the years, and every now and again, there is a book that knocks off my socks, and Babel is one of them!
I'm a bit of a language buff; when I studied English, Semantics and Etymology were among my favourite subjects, and I still read books about language.
I'm interested in history, and sociology, and I love fantasy. This book ticked all my boxes:
Language -- check
History -- check
Sociology -- check
Fantasy -- check
It can't get any better than that, surely! On the surface, this is about magic being used to empower items -- mills, ships, trains, etc, and to perform this magic, you need translators who find the necessary pairs of words. It is about four scholars who have to find their way in a relatively hostile world; it is about about friendship, and betrayal. The main characters develop throughout the story, and they are multilayered. Even the minor characters aren't just two dimensional and are important to bring the story forward.
The plot is gripping -- I was drawn into the story right from the start, and I really couldn't put the book down.
However, this book is so much more than the trials and tribulations of Robin and his friends.
It is about culture, racism, sexism, colonialism, and history in general.
I actually looked up the Opium wars!
A lot of research has gone into this book, and although I don't speak a word of Chinese, or Mandarin, or Cantonese, the examples given were always fascinating.
Which brings me to the narrators: Chris Lew Kum Hoi and Billie Fulford-Brown did an outstanding job.
Naturally, I can't say anything about the pronunciation of the Chinese words and characters, but the Spanish and French were quite good, as was the German.
I haven't seen the printed book, so I don't know whether the parts read by Billie were footnotes, or passages in italics, but the idea to separate them by using a different narrator is absolutely brilliant, and it worked a charm.
If you are having trouble with foreign languages, this book might not be the right fit for you, but if you have an open mind you should absolutely give it a go -- it is not necessary to actually know any foreign language, all explanations are given!
You can just immerse yourself in a great story.

Many thanks to Harper Collins via Netgalley for this review copy.

Beautiful, heartbreaking, impressive and a totally amazing storyline. This book was so unique like nothing I've ever read and I really enjoyed it!

I really don't know if I can do this masterpiece of a story justice so I'll keep this simple and short!

The world that was built here was so utterly magnificent that you can lose yourself in it. The magic system simple yet effective.

The main character, Robin was so innocent, so eager to learn and what happened to him in each stage of this book broke my heart.

One thing that healed my heart a tad was the wonderful friendship between outsiders, Robin, Ramy, Victorie and even Letty.

I'm not going to say anything more about the plot because this historical fantasy mixed with dark academia read needs to experienced. Because it is an experience.

Up until around 75% of the way in, I was internally rating this as 4.5 or 5 stars.

Others have extensively covered the many, many wonderful and strong points of this book, and I agree with every one of them. Kuang is a phenomenally intelligent person, and there is no mistaking the sheer amount of time and research she put into Babel. She is a brilliant, sophisticated writer, and she is nothing short of inspiring.

I will preface my disappointment in what happened at the 75% mark by saying am a white English woman. I understand very well what it is like to be viewed as an object, or a person of lesser intelligence or importance than her male peers. I get it. I have lived it.
I have not experienced institutional racism, of course, having grown up white in a white country. The way Robin, Rami, and Victoire are treated by the English made my blood boil, my skin crawl, and my anger truly set in. Their treatment was in keeping with the times (1830s), and I am glad that racism is no longer socially acceptable, because it is the single most baffling reason to hate someone, in my opinion. Logically, it eludes me. Why hate people for the colour of their skin or the location they were born? Why judge based upon factors that no one can control or change? It's the most ridiculous judgement out there. There is nothing blessed or supreme about being white, or being English, or constraining yourself to a single language your entire life. There's no honour in scoffing at differing customs or religions. There is no right or wrong race; there are only differences.

So when Kuang revealed The Great Betrayal of a certain white person - a person who was, up until that point, an ally who loved them and who was always learning to do better - I was shocked. Hurt. Ashamed. From there, the continuous way that the white people refused to do the morally right thing really got under my skin. Yes, absolutely portray the country as a whole as racist, because it certainly was and it certainly should be addressed, but... every single one of them? Every individual person? No. No.

Please do not tar me - and people who think like me - with the same brush as the Brexiteers, the xenophobes, the racists, the far right.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. Audio Harper Voyager for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Babel Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution’ by R.F. Kuang. The audiobook is narrated by Chris Lew Kum Hoi and Billie Fulford-Brown.

What an extraordinary novel! As I have been disappointed by a few highly anticipated fantasy novels this year, I approached ‘Babel’ with caution. However, right from its opening pages I found myself enthralled and completely caught up in its story, characters, and setting.

Having previously read Kuang’s ‘The Poppy War’ trilogy I probably should have had more faith as I had been impressed by her writing and skilful blend of history and fantasy.

‘Babel’ is a substantial novel in size and complex in its subject matter. As such it is difficult to summarise, so just a few details for context.

Oxford, 1836. In this alternative Victorian Britain, the city of dreaming spires is the nexus point of all knowledge and progress in the world. At its centre is Babel, the Royal Institute of Translation, the tower from which all the power of the Empire flows. Magic associated with enchanted silver has provided the foundation for the growth of the British Empire. Yet at what price?

As a young boy Robin Swift had been orphaned in Canton and brought to Britain by Professor Lovell, who takes on the role of guardian, albeit a stern one. Initially Robin receives private instruction in a variety of subjects, including languages, until he is ready to be admitted to Babel. There he bonds with a small group of his fellow ‘Babblers’. He inadvertently stumbles across a secret society and after learning of their goals agrees to aid them. Yet there are conflicting factors that will, as the full title indicates, eventually bring about a revolution.

With ‘Babel’ R.F. Kuang has written a powerful historical fantasy that unflinchingly addresses issues linked to colonialism and racism. It is bold yet sublime. I found her world building detailed and immaculate as its various aspects emerged organically.

With respect to the audiobook, I felt that both narrators were excellent. Chris Lew Kum Hoi served as the main reader and I felt that he brought a great deal of energy to his narration. The footnotes that appear in the text were read by Billie Fulford-Brown. I found that hearing a different voice helped with the narrative flow between the central story and the footnotes that served to expand on various points in this fictional history.

Overall, I feel that ‘Babel’ is a masterpiece, a scholarly work of dark academia that boldly addresses the legacy of history. Without doubt ‘Babel’ is one of my top novels for 2022.

Very highly recommended.

This was my most anticipated releases of this year and it did not disappoint. People is a dark academia, fantasy and loosely historical book. Robin swift is a orphaned boy who is brought to London by a professor while in the care of this professor he is instructed to learn Latton ancient Greek and Chinese to prepare himself for when he becomes a student of babel at the university of Oxford. At babel he gets thought silver workings where you can interpret language into magic with silver. Here he gets caught up into a secret society who teaches him the wrong of silver working and he will need to pick what side he wishes to stay wether to sabotage silver workings or stay in his comfortable life at Oxford.


As soon as I heard of this book I new I would love it for one I love dark academia and this is literally everything you want in a dark academia and two I love R F Kuang writing in the school part of poppy war I had no doubt I would love this aswell. While reading this you could feel the passion and knowledge kuang had on the subjects in this book. I loved learning about different translations in this book and the orientation of different words for different languages. The action in this did go very fast as some point I had to read over parts ‘like wait did that just happen’ but overall I loved this book and it’s definitely in my top 5 for this year.

I listened to the audiobook, Narrated by Chris Lew Kum Hoi and Billie Fulford-Brown. Chris’s accents for all of the characters was spot on, giving them all such a unique sound. Billie voiced the footnotes. It was good having a completely different voice for the footnotes, so it was very obvious where we had jumped to in the book.

At first the footnotes interrupting the narration was a bit of a shock, but after a while I got used to them and looked forward to hearing them, as they offered more information on the current subject. As this book can seem intimidating, I highly recommend the audiobook for anyone concerned about whether they’ll get through it or not.

R. F. Kuang has such an accessible writing style. She is able to capture such big, important ideas, and make them more understandable for readers like me. I don’t have any formal higher education (I doubt a certificate 3 in animals helps) to help me understand grammar, spelling and history, but thethe way this book is written doesn’t make me feel dumb.

I’m not going to go into the plot and how this book should be mandatory reading, as I’m sure there are already hundreds of people shouting this book's praises. I loved it. I’m going to preorder a hardcover of this book to add to my small collection of books.

Read this book.


Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK Audio, and Harper Voyager for giving me an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.


How I rate books
1- I disliked this book very much. Highly unlikely to read this author again
2- Eh. I didn't hate it. Might give the author another go
3- It was fun
4- Amazing and would read again
5- I'm in love. Give me more right now!

Light fantasy, dark academia, sprawling epic narrative -- it is hard to describe what an absolute triumph this book is.

Babel is a delicately crafted, unrelentingly scathing commentary. R.F. Kuang tackles themes of colonialism, racism, identity, and belonging through an exploration of language and translation -- the power hidden within language access, and how this can be exploited. She demands your full attention and absolutely deserves it.

Carefully and precisely written, Babel offers the unlimited potential that translation holds, before slowly peeling back the veneer and allowing the disillusionment to seep through the cracks.

(Content warnings: racism, racial slurs, xenophobia, colonisation, classism, toxic friendship, grief, violence, murder, sexism, suicide, child abuse, hate crimes, religious bigotry, slavery)

You know when a book is so good you're left genuinely speechless by it? Like you try to put into words why you loved it so much but all that comes out is [keysmash] [emotional hand waving]??? because that's me rn 😭 This book is absolutely devastating, I had to take a three day break to emotionally recover in the middle of it, 10/10 would recommend.

It's SO refreshing to read a Victorian historical fantasy that instead of awkwardly side-stepping the racist, colonialist reality of the times tackles it head-on without holding back. At its core, this is a book about colonialism, complicity, and revolution, and it is one of the most compelling historical fantasy novels I've ever read.

(Also, side note, the crazy amount of research that obviously went into this novel is Very satisfying to my perfectionist self <3)

I wouldn't recommend the audiobook version, though - Chris Lew Kum Hoi's narration is fantastic, and the use of a second narrator for the footnotes is quite clever, but the audio editing is... Bad. There are some re-recorded words and sections that I found incredibly jarring - they stand out unpleasantly and repeatedly took me out of the story.

I have heard to much about this book. The anticipation for its release and the excitement for the story were everywhere. And after listing to the audiobook for Babel, I have to say the hype was most definitely justified in this case.

Babel is one of the most unique books I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. I can’t think of another title that’s similar (I’m sure there are some, but this is a first for me). From the first page to last I was hooked. Literally from the authors note at the very beginning reminding people that this is FICTION.

If you had come to me and said that a story about a boy learning languages in 1800’s Oxford would be one of the most interesting, gripping, emotional reads ever, I’d have laughed. But here we are. I appreciated that there were two different readers in this audiobook to separate Robin’s POV from notes about texts mentioned in the book. Babel is a masterpiece of a novel, the audiobook readers did it great justice and I look forward to Kuang’s future works.

This is a truly extraordinary book. I had been hearing about Babel for so long and The book definitely lived up to the hype. I was utterly gripped, heartbroken and inspired.

This book tackles the massive issues and dark history of the British empire and colonialism “through a Glass darkly.” Robin and his friends at the mysterious Babel College of Oxford seem to live charmed lives, Plucked from difficult childhood’s and beginnings they have been educated to be elite translators working the silver That is the engine of Empire. Robin is an orphan from Canton, also he believes, who was forced to watch his mother die of a disease which he knew could’ve been cured through intervention. He Is spirited away 1st to London and finally to the dreaming spires of Oxford where the life of babel tower seems to be all he could ever dream of.

As time goes on however, he becomes aware of the goings on of the secretive Hermes society which seeks to liberate the The silver used for frippery by the ruling class and redistribute the benefits to those who have no access. This ranges from the poor of Britain, to those being oppressed under the boot of the ever expanding rapacious empire. This is where Robin meets Griffin, With whom he shares blood ties and who begins to unveil the horrors and injustice perpetrated by Babel Silver.

This book is an incredible allegory to read in our times. The historical sense of time place in the 1830s and 40s in Oxford is excellent and gives a deep resonance of reality to the story. As Britain must begin to interrogate and Make reparation for the profound and horrific damage perpetrated by the Empire it could not feel more timely. This book is beautifully written, exquisitely researched and deeply satisfying. A small criticism would be that the narrator needs to check the pronunciation of institutions such as Magdalen College Oxford and Michaelmas term both of which are consistently mispronounced. Otherwise this was incredibly enjoyable read but one that left lingering thoughts and a profound sense of history and the future. Thoroughly recommend to all fans of dark academia. Fantasy and generally thought provoking and political adventure.

This book is the epitome of dark academia fantasy.

Babel includes themes on colonialism, importance of languages, violence, revolution, friendship and betrayal.

I forgot how much R.F. Kuang loves to make me suffer with her books that she had me crying all over again over all these characters. First The Poppy War Trilogy and now Babel.

At first, I read the physical book without the audiobook for the first 50 pages but then when I started listening to the audiobook and read along with the physical copy, the difference in my experience with the book changed massively in which my enjoyment of following along with the story instantly grew. The narrator (Chris Lew Kum Hoi) truly brought the book to life as if I was watching an intense action-packed movie that made my heart beat so fast in some scenes.

It amazes me how well the narrator brings each character's dialogues to life. Somehow the narrator gave them all distinctive voices that I never confused any characters with each other and could easily recognise who was who. The emotions of each character were also so perfectly reflected through each dialogue that either made me easily cry or laugh.

The first few chapters had me easily intrigued in the plot, however there were minor moments between the first few chapters and the first half the book that took me out of the story for a bit that made me feel the pacing was a little slow for my liking. Specifically, it was during the classes the Babel students had where they discussed and listened to topics of language. Some passages during those classes felt a bit dragged out for me that almost made me want to skim through it as a lot of what I read during those passages went in one ear and out through the other. Other than that, I had no problem with the rest of the pacing in the book. The first 50% of the book was definitely more of a build-up for the plot so I understood why the pacing was slower than the last 50% of the book which was much more fast-paced.

“Language was just difference. A thousand different ways of seeing, of moving through the world. No; a thousand worlds within one. And translation—a necessary endeavor, however futile, to move between them.”


Absolutely outstanding!!
My dark academia obsessed heart loved it!! .. I mean what wasn't to love .. great setting, deep thought provoking conversations, brilliant character work .. I could go on and on tbh, it was phenomenal! Hands day a fave of the year so far.

What a glorious, stunning achievement of a book. I’m a massive fan of R. F. Kuang’s ‘Poppy War’ trilogy, so I was eager to getting my hand on ‘Babel’ because I knew it would be just as brilliant. And oh, how right I was.

Everything about this novel ensnared me—the etymologies Kuang gives you, the complexities of translation which you learn, the (as the title says) necessity of violence when rebelling against empire, and the difficulty of learning in an institution which is actively waging war against the country you came from. Babel is such a rich, complex text, but in spite of that, an utter joy to read—Kuang’s writing is filled with humour, and despite the darkness of some aspects of the novel, there’s so many moments of light. On that note, I must say that Rebecca’s writing style is perfect for this book: it’s incredibly academic—almost making me feel like I was reading an essay at times, especially with the footnotes—but where that might dissuade me from reading another book, is completely fitting for this one. It makes you feel utterly at home in Oxford, fitting the dark academia vibes that this book was aiming for.

The characters are also perfectly developed, and each of them play a perfect role, both thematically and structurally, in the novel. I absolutely adored Robin’s character arc, and the way he went from adoring Babel and his privileges in Oxford to reckoning with how this university he learns at is also exploiting his homeland. Robin undergoes massive cognitive dissonance, and it’s a top-off to Kuang’s writing style that the reader feels this too, understanding the horror of Oxford but also the beauty of it too. Robin’s interactions with his cohort were also such a joy to read, and I loved seeing him gain these dear friends who he’s do anything for. All of these characters come from such different ethnic backgrounds, and R. F. Kuang handles them with such care, showing both the empathy in her writing and the meticulous research she must have done. I also have to talk about how she wrote Letty as a character, and how she works to show both white fragility and blindness. While at times infuriating, Kuang really make you see and understand her as a character—even at times making you empathise with her—and I think it takes tremendous skill as an author to do this.

Thematically, this novel was brilliant. There’s so, so much to unpack, and I know it’ll take many rereads for me to fully gain an understanding of its complexity. From how translation has been manipulated as a tool for empire, to the responses of humans to that empire, you can tell the depth of research that has gone into putting Babel together. I found the etymological details Kuang added to this book incredibly fascinating, and the way that English is such a conglomerate of languages, stolen and shaped to its will. Beyond that, also, I found the discussion of the importance of languages to a culture the most interesting part of this book. I think it’s easy to make us view language as just a way of speaking, as nothing too important, but Kuang shows you how deeply they’re tied to culture, how they shape and influence the way we interpret the world. When a language goes out of this world, it’s not just the words that disappear, but the history and meaning that have belonged to them for years.

Overall, this was a masterpiece of a novel, and I’ll be thinking about it for a long, long time (cue the biggest book hangover ever). To finish off this review, I’ll leave my favourite quote from the book:

“For how could there ever be an Adamic language? The thought now made him laugh. There was no innate, perfectly comprehensible language; there was no candidate, not English, not French, that could bully and absorb enough to become one. Language was just difference. A thousand different ways of seeing, of moving through the world. No; a thousand worlds within one. And translation—a necessary endeavour, however futile, to move between them.”

Original, captivating historical fantasy.

Orphaned in Canton, Robin Swift is taken under the guardianship of the mysterious Professor Lovell to train in languages.

This is a tale of colonial resistance, moral conflict, and of language itself.

Kuang’s worldbuilding is superb.

The audiobook is narrated by Chris Lew Kum Hoi and Billie Fulford-Brown. The handling of the footnotes, using a different narrator, is very effective.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher HarperCollins for this e-audible for my honest opinion and views.

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Babel, the narrator was good and kept me intrigued and listening. As I have a special edition of the book that I didn't want to read lol this was a great way for me to enjoy the story in my own time and pace.
R.F Kuang has created a magnificent world with intricate details and knowledge, so much care and imagination has gone into this book, it pulls you in with its characters and world that you can't help but get lost in its pages.
The narrator was really good I found listening to the voices easy to understand and they didn't take me away from the experience, the narrator matched the characters.
Amazing experience and even more brilliant book, highly recommended read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A true masterpiece an instant classic.
#netgalley #babel #darkacademia #RFKuang

I feel like this was a very complex, multilayered and clever book which had a great deal to say, and I probably ought to have persisted with it since undoubtedly the writer is a talent - but I just wasn't really enjoying it. I didn't like all the footnotes, it broke up the flow of the story too much, and while the academic pretentiousness fits in well with the subject matter of the novel, it was grating, the characters were grating. It's a shame because I was enjoying Robin's story right up to when he went to Oxford, I'm sure however that a lot of people will enjoy this book much more than I did.

I was a little put off by the description of this book feeling it might be a bit heavy but it was very easy to get into and the description of Robin Swift’s early years was engaging and interesting. I was very interested in the theme of language and etymology that pervaded the story although at times the narrative was a little educational. This world is not far removed from historical reality but here it is the possession and utilisation of silver magic where the money and the power lie and it takes quite significant events to convince the four that they are being caught up in something more sinister than they imagined. The pace is measured but gives the reader time to get to know the main characters: Robin, Lettie, Rami and Victoire. The relationships between them are a crucial part of the story as they grow together as students of Babel in Oxford. Due to their origins the four also illustrate and unite in opposition to some of the many issues concerning class, race, gender, slavery etc that are explored sometimes I thought labouring the point a bit too forcefully. I would have liked a bit more story and a bit less social and colonial history.

The audiobook narration was on the whole very good. The voices were distinctive both in gender and age, especially the main characters. There were some difficulties in pronunciation of words particularly Chinese that seem to have been inserted into the narrative by native speakers. The footnotes that obviously appear in the printed editions were read by a completely different narrator and interrupted the narration frequently in the middle of a sentence which was a bit irritating at times. Having the audiobook I think kept me listening.