Babel, or The Necessity of Violence

I didn’t realize the power of Babel until the last fifty or so pages, but then it all clicked for me. The story wasn’t really about the characters themselves, rather the imperialist system they found themselves in. Using a magic system based on translation was a stroke of genius when it came to enforcing the message of the book. Language is the backbone of cultural identity, so to weaponize it as silver does, using a cultures own words to oppress them, was incredibly effective. Rf Kuang was not subtle in communicating the themes in this book, but maybe that was the point. There isn’t subtlety to the impacts of colonialism so why pretend that the book is about anything else. I do wish she’d spent more time building up the characters, especially as we get to know them in their formative years at Babel. I felt like I was being told about the bonds between the four main characters more than I was seeing them develop naturally. That led to a frustrating first half of the book, but from the trip to Canton onwards a switch was flipped. This is a book I think everyone should read at some point, I certainly am glad I gave it a second try.

This was so, so close to being a 5-star read and has the feel of a book that might end up being 5-stars after further reflection. The ending felt just slightly rushed to me and some of the plot was a little more predictable than I’d like, but I was just so engaged with every second of it. I think everyone should read this book if even just to broader your own horizons.

When Professor Lovell finds Robin sick with Cholera, waiting for the illness to take him as it has his entire family, he hands Robin a silver bar. Once the words engraved on it are spoken, Robin finds his body healing. Whisked away from his home in Canton, Robin is placed in the Professor's home and begins studying a variety of languages. And Robin soon learns the roof over his head and food in his belly comes at a price. He has no choice but to excel in his studies. And as he joins Oxford University's translation program, that price will rise even higher.

The first half of Babel lays down the foundations of the world and political ideologies. The British Empire views foreigners as nothing more than tools to be used. Enlisting those with the ability to dream in their native language to extort their abilities at silver working. But the students of Oxford University’s translation program chosen to do silver working must study various languages for years. And while they are given a roof over their head, and money in their pockets, it is nothing short of extortion. If they do not live up to the University’s needs, all the pleasantries will be taken away.

The history and language development took over half of the book to solidify. For readers who enjoy in-depth and detailed worldbuilding, Babel will be the perfect read for you. However, for those who prefer to see an even mix of character development alongside world-building, this will not be an easy read. Once the foundations are laid down, events escalate rather quickly and the pacing takes off. Yet there is a marked point where it once again falls away as the characters settle on a slower path of choices leading to the end of the novel. This uneven pacing almost left Babel as a DNF.

However, the silver working itself was fascinating. Students of Babel are able to match word pairs and engrave them onto silver bars to enable magical effects. Depending on the pair, the bars can be used to make a carriage go faster, make someone turn invisible, or be weaponized. The possibilities are endless. But it requires the engraver to have a wealth of knowledge of languages. Given this detail, it makes sense for the beginning of the novel to focus so heavily on languages. Yet, there is only a brief time spent on silver working and the bars do not fully come into play until near the end of the story. Had the silver working been more active in the story and more time spent on the students working with silver, the story may have been more entertaining.

Babel is a book for those who enjoy historical fiction. Do not approach this book expecting it to be filled with fantastical elements. If the creation of languages and root words fascinates you, this will be a wonderful read. But for those who prefer more magic and fantasy, you may want to pass on this one.

Please don't be deterred by the length of this book, or concerns that it might be too dry or dense considering the subject matter. I kept putting it off because of those reasons, but I found it very engaging. I am a language fan, though, so that could have some influence. Until the revolution, it gives excellent dark academia vibes. I'm hesitant to say it, but it felt at times like a Harry Potter for folks who care about social justice issues 😬 but so much more. It's much more in-depth, educated, and intelligent. I found myself feeling blown away by Kuang's knowledge.

So. Much. Eyerolling. The characters are all one dimensional, with no real motivation for any of the things they do. This is a world supposedly with “magic” that is exactly like the actual world; the author used zero imagination and might as well have forgotten this part of the story because it added zero to it. It's clear the author can put sentences together but has no ability to craft a story. She improves in the last 100 pages or so - but that leaves an incredibly boring 450 odd pages to get to that point. I kept reading only because I thought that surely these characters would eventually go on a personal journey, learn a lesson, something. Nope. No profound reveal at the end that these characters are wrong in their outlook, that extremes in either direction are bad. I wanted her to astound me with her clever plot twist. But no. The entire point of this seems to be that white people are evil and you can only be on the same side as someone who is just like you. This book is trash. When I started reading it, I jokingly said to myself that if I didn't know better I would say that the CCP paid for this to be written. That got less and less ridiculous the more I read. That someone actually published this astounds me. The last 100 pages could have some redeeming value as a jumping off point for debate on the actions of the characters...but I doubt that in today's society that would be allowed. What a complete waste of time.

R F Kuang really know how to use fantasy as a tool to approach difficult topics.
Her portrait of colonialism, racism, white feminism and class war is brilliant. Their protagonists journeys are fascinating. I highly recommend this read as this book is one of a kind.
Only fault, the story have some pace issues and the author passion for linguistic despite being essential to the story creates unnecessary length bits.

As a premise, the concepts of language and translation being magic is brilliant because in reality they are. In Babel, this novel concept is elevated from novelty through the intermingling with colonialism and what history would look like if language was a resource that England could pillage. Additional concepts like race, class, and gender resound and clash with 1800s privilege, classism, and imperialism. This makes for a great political / ethical environment and a gripping book ... without a pleasing payoff. Overall a great read, but with an abrupt second act, and an unfulfilling third.

dnf at 25%. this was boring.

dnfing @ 50% because it is simply a case of right book wrong time

babel; or, the necessity of violence
love me a book with a secret alternate title
succeeded, if bluntly, on many points. however, i feel that the key part of revolutionary politics is building solidarity—which it felt like this novel undermined precisely by making silverwork a single point of failure that could be toppled by a few, rather than requiring unified class action. this made the politics feel overall unrefined, despite the solid underlying messages

I'm torn between giving this book a 3 or a 4.
First of all, Babel is an amazing essay on colonialism, identity and language. It truly makes you appreciate the work that went into it and even through all of that it stays an easy read.
I believe R.F. Kuang's message can be heard loud and clear while reading the book, as the characters are obvious representations of what they mean (even by just knowing their birthplaces). A big bravo to the author for this undertaking. I loved the use of different languages throughout the book and the way philosophy sentences were littered about the place.
Moreover, the silver metaphor is a really great idea, and would have loved to see it explored a bit more.

Babel is, however, extremely fatalist. 80% into the book I was still waiting for something to happen, other than reading the story of how the characters are torn between a good Oxfordian life and not betraying their motherlands/beliefs. Then everything explodes, litteraly. In a few pages Oxford and London are no more, and everyone is dead, but we don't get anything else, it is left for us to interpret, and it seems, the book, the story, the lifes in it, were all for nothing. (That being said, the epilogue is named Victoire, after one of the characters, could mean something)

The silver and translators metaphor is very good, a very nice invention, but is used so rarely that it could have been something you read in passing in today's newspaper. It is used to explain a multitude of things (from sewers to battleships) but most often than not you can replace it with the word “steam” or “fuel” and you get a book without fantasy that still works.

Overall, if you like languages and identity-issues in your reading, you'll probably have a good time. If you don't like fatalism, best avoid it. If you are looking for something thrilling, the last few chapters are good.

I ended up settling on a 4 because the theme of the book is great, the underlying metaphor is great, the essay is great, the use of language is great, Kuang's writing is great, but it is conveyed through a very slow, fatalist story, with underdeveloped characters.

Booooooring. And way too YA for me.

As much as I love the second half of the book, but the first half was exhilarating slow for me. :( She focused too much on building the world and context of the characters. But the wait was worth it towards the end.

I feel frustrated because I love the concept of this book, I love how she built this world and the characters. I'm just struggling to connect with the writing, which might just mean her style isn't my cup of tea, which happens even if we really want to connect with the author's style. I thought maybe at first I just wasn't in a place where I have the stamina for this book, but I have tried reading another of her work and having the same experience. I love the the concepts of Kuang's books and the topics she tackles, and she's very talented. I just don't know if she's the writer for me :(

I want to come back to this after some time has passed but initially my thoughts are conflicted. The novel is such a feat. I cannot imagine the research and self awareness necessary to write this. For a book whose core is the impossibility and violence of translation (both of words and experiences), it has deftly attempted to translate the experiences of these children of colonized nations being transformed and radicalized by the multifaceted violence of their daily lives and their growing awareness of the world and their place in it. You can feel the way the book simultaneously talks to readers who share in the marginalized experience of oppressed and foreign people while also talking to its privileged readers. It's a stunning work in its ambition and its audacity to communicate what the book itself argues cannot be translated.

Where my reservations lie is in the length and pacing of this novel. It may be because I was reading on a deadline, but I found myself struggling with an impatience with the text. A part of me argues with myself that the length of the novel is a necessary tool to enable “translation”. When a word is missing in a language, you turn to longer idioms/metaphors for translation. The idea that the main characters translation was strongest when they could dream in both languages... may argue you need to sit with the characters long enough that you begin to try to think like them, and to dream like them, in order to understand them. If the novel were condensed, maybe this process of absorption/immersion would be lessened, and the inevitability of Robin's journey not earned.

Really respect the research that was put into this book, and the language read really well. I thought it resolved pretty well in being true to the characters. However, there is still something lacking with the concept of the magical property of silver. I suppose the point was just to use it as a way to demonstrate humanity would still be the same despite this new magic. This book felt like a watertight ship with no lose ends, all the i's dotted as everything had a purpose, which was both uncanny and admirable. I liked the linguistic touch and the historical fiction aspect -didn't disappoint, however the narrative was a little almost too textbook.

Date:September 4th, 2022
Started reading it today and got to page 90. Wow, there is a lot going on. Although, I am happy to see Robin make friends. The whole situation with the poker and taking about how his blood is x, y, and z bothered me. His adopter is cold and vile.

Date: April 6th, 2022
Patiently waiting

Date: 8/16/2022
One week, ONE week left until it is released to the public. Granted my copy will probably be a week late because that happens in my life.

Date: 8/22/2022
Tomorrow is release day and I am excited. I can not wait to get my hands on Babel and read it. Do not let me down.

This is my first book of Kuang's, and I'm glad I started with Babel, because I loved it. It's set in mid-1800s, primarily in Oxford, in a world where language (and specifically the translation of languages) powers the modernization of the world and the expansion of the British empire. Ostensibly, it's the story of a linguistically brilliant young boy, who is groomed from an early age to become one of the vaulted translators. But really it's an indictment of all the ills of this world: colonialism, exploitation, & prejudices (racism, sexism, classism, etc).

I love words and language (I always say that in another life I would've liked to be a translator), and I appreciate how language is really at the heart of the story. I also enjoyed the incorporation of the ancient story of Babel, the dedication to detail of 19th century Oxford, the accuracy of the casual disdain coming from the elites, and the imperfect characters. And after if finished reading, I start thinking about the exceedingly precise research that must have gone into the translations incorporated throughout the whole book, which is just impressive!

I keep seeing it billed as a fantasy, and then some reviews that didn't like it because it didn't have enough fantasy elements... And I think that's because it's NOT a fantasy novel! It's an alternative history with magical realism, and I get that maybe that's splitting hairs, but they are different in my opinion.

Probably the most voraciously I've read a book in ages. The first half of the book is fantastic, great world building with a growing sense of unease laced throughout. I thought the mid to later parts of the book faltered a bit, the pacing was much faster, leaving things feeling rushed, and some subplots/story lines just felt unecessary. Also, not to get too much into spoilers, but one character definitely suffered from season 8 danaerys "character struck with grief makes very out of character choices" syndrome. The final few chapters were a return to form - the pacing slowed back down and characters felt more thought out and deliberate and more in-line with how they had been built up.

Really enjoyed it though, I read basically two thirds of it despite trying to study yesterday

Very cool I wish Oxford was real 💔

Took me over a month but I did it!!! Kuang has very dense books and this book is phenomenal but holy shit. The ending could have been more satisfying but also, I get why we got what we did. I also wish that Robin took his Chinese name back at the end but it is what it is.

This is required reading. RF Kuang is such a talented author, and the way she weaves together complex concepts while also creating deep characters is amazing. The first 100 pages are a little slow compared to the rest, but overall Babel is just such a masterpiece.

Genius. Mandatory reading for my future kids. One of my favorite books.

Had a really hard time with this novel. It’s been on my TBR for changes and I finally started to read it for my book club. I really had to proud through. It took me over 300 plus pages to even get into the story. The characters are very one dimensional and predictable. The overall idea for the book is a good one but I don’t think the execution worked out well. Overall don’t think I’d recommend this to other readers.

WHAT THE FUCK


my first 5 stars this years...wow

i have so many thoughts i can't parse right now but just wow.

for someone who doesn't particularly enjoy historical fiction nor do have the patience to understand tedious fantasy lexicon, babel has such way for me to be able to understand it all so easily. my reading went on breezily that i didn't even feel any tiredness or ‘umay' despite the long chapters. it was just so good and the writing reels you in even when it seemed like there's nothing particularly eventful going on.

i have to admit that in the middle of reading i got so worked up during professor lovell and robin's ‘stand-off' that i ended up consulting good ol google for reprieve and got spoiled so i knew who survived and who didn't (actually, i only knew about victoire and robin's bcs i've read a two sentence spoiler. so letty's and ramy's was still a shock to me) and upon being spoiled i got vaguely disappointed because as a normal person i was rooting to robin too hard and doesn't want him to perish.

but boy, when i get to that part, i started to understand the motives and thought-process about his chosen path that i just can't be mad about how it all ended. i was screaming, crying, losing my mind throughout the end. like, when his last thoughts was just about remy...man it's like i was with him during the collapse of babel.

AND that part when victorie mentioned griffin's letter about them not being the only ones. CHILLS, LITERAL CHILLS.

r.f kuang, i was not familiar with your game. thank you for showing me a beacon of hope from what it seemed like a thoroughly helpless cause.

really enjoyed throughout the whole 550-page affair (and that's saying something because i cannot concentrate!!). refreshing pov on the dark academia genre, and a nice gateway read for someone who needs a crash course on colonialism 101. sometimes a bit heavy handed on the ragebait (the explanatory footnotes often read like a buzzfeed listicle—‘These 10 Outrageously Racist Things 19th Century Britain Has Done Will Have You Reeling!' and letty as a character was at times such a caricature of White Woman that it took me out) but I'm glad books like this exist. especially nowadays.