Babel, or The Necessity of Violence

So many mixed feelings about this book. I found the lectures fascinating, the concept for the magic system was intriguing and unique, overall I loved the first 50% of this book... but the second half felt like a death march. The foreshadowing is pretty heavy throughout and ultimately It was a long time to wait for the inevitable to occur, but no less heartbreaking when it finally did. I usually go to fantasy for escapism, or for a safe place to explore some bigger philosophical ideas, or new perspectives. This did not feel like escapism, the parallels that this book explores are pretty much one-to-one with the real world. I think I would have been more okay with that if the book had more to say about it. Why introduce magic at all if it doesn't change anything? The other issue I had is the characters didn't seem to understand their own objectives... what if we win? Don't know. They want a more equal society? but none of their plans are designed to realize that dream... their cause is just, but Ill conceived and deeply tragic.


The writing is really wonderful throughout, it has great moments and I alternated between both hating and loving all the main characters, which is exactly how I want to feel about my protagonists. They felt real and flawed and relatable... for the most part. (The whole cover-up felt ridiculous, and a lot of the decisions in the last half felt motivated by plot rather than character) The feeling that this book left me with was sadness in a non-fiction sort of way. Like, sad for the world and humankind and helpless to change it. The ending did have some lovely symmetry (Robin's name) and ultimately there is a lot to dig into here, for a book club or something similar. Like I said I loved the first half. As a whole though, I can't say I enjoyed it but I am glad I read it. Soooo read it? But be ready to feel, bad, sad, helpless, and uncomfortable.

Giving two stars out of generosity.

This book was such a huge let down for me.
A fantastic concept, but terrible execution.

There were some wonderful quotes in there, but the way the story developed feels very much like a decolonial story for people who know about decolonial struggles only conceptually.

Also, this book had too many repetitions for how long it is, and felt generally like it should have gone through a few more rounds of editing.

This was a well-written book, and I can tell within this book that R.F. Kuang is a highly educated person passionate about what she does. That said, I don't think I will ever reread it. This beautifully written book looks at colonialism and how it affects the characters in this book, and it is an excellent way of telling it with a good mix of fiction and reality. Still, there was almost too much reality for it to be an easy read.

Going into this book, I heard great things, and I am not here to disagree, but this was a dense book not only in plot but also in information overall. The chapters were long, and so many sections felt like info dumps about languages, making it read like a book for a language class rather than just for enjoyment. This made it hard for me to read, and it took me more than double the time a book this length would take because I couldn't enjoy it initially.

With that in mind, some sections were dense but did provide necessary context, but that does not make the book read any faster.

The focus on colonialism and the relationships of the characters are what made me rate this book 4 stars rather than anything less because you see how racism in the English empire manifested for people who were not English and in a unique environment in which they were the most important people for the empire. I enjoyed this aspect of the book, and this is frankly the part of the book that was historical fiction, not the dark academia part, which I know now is not for me.

Babel, de R.F. Kuang, te sumerge en una historia que mezcla ‘Dark Academia' con hechos históricos, revolución, colonialismo y una crítica social profunda con una pizca de magia.

Escrita con una prosa elegante pero entendible te preguntarás “¿Cuándo es justificable la violencia?” “¿Qué tan lejos se puede llegar para lograr un cambio?” Kuang no te da respuestas, sino que te invita a formar tu propia opinión.

Cada vez que pienso en este libro, mejor se pone.

4.5/5

J'ai terminé BABEL de R. F. Kuang hier soir. En gros : Harry Potter au pays des linguistes, avec une énorme dose d'anticolonialisme et d'anti-impérialisme. C'est une uchronie dans laquelle les Anglais ont découvert une technique de gravure sur des barres d'argent. En mettant de chaque côté de cette barre des mots de différentes langues, mais proches sémantiquement, ils donnent à cet objet une sorte de pouvoir magique. Par exemple : d'un côté « vitesse » et de l'autre le mot d'origine en latin « spes » ; sauf que « spes » veut aussi dire « espoir, fortune, atteindre son but » et du coup les véhicules avec cette barre iront plus vite et seront plus sûrs.
Le livre est assez brillant selon moi. Il débute sur une mélopée de young adult très agréable, pour finir sur du lourd, très lourd, peut-être même un peu trop. Il y a une violence sourde, intense, sur la manière dont ces enfants des colonies sont arrachées à leurs foyers et leurs vies, données à cet institut anglais qui gouverne le monde... mais aussi comment ces enfants reprennent en main leur identité, leur différence et l'oppose à celle des Blancs, à celle de l'Empire. Si l'écriture est très bonne et qu'on nage dans tout un tas de langues et de cultures passionnantes, Kuang essaye ensuite de faire diverger son livre vers des sujets très complexes à gérer et elle le fait à travers un personnage assez immature et blessé. J'ai vu d'autres personnes y voir une écriture très bête et sans finesse. Quand elle tente de lier lutte anticoloniale et lutte des classes, c'est vraiment, désolé de le dire ainsi, du niveau d'un tumblr de 2009.
Mais je crois que cette SF est aussi nécessaire que passionnante : des personnes marginalisées qui prennent le devant de la scène, qui marquent durablement le public... J'ai quand même beaucoup aimé.

4,5☆

aposto tudo que existe em que todos que deram menos 4 estrelas nesse livro ou são estadunidenses ou europeus.

Wow ok- uhh- I just stopped crying :D so I'm a little dizzy, but I am not sure what to say honestly. I might update my review after awhile, but for now I need to go outside lmao and get myself a cake. Cheers

Can't stress enough that this book was released when the writer was 25, at 25 I didn't know what an edamame is and this girl out here writing about etymology and shit!

Now is this some deep acadimic etymology book? No, and I can definitely see that some of the languages used (namely Arabic, probably others too that the writer doesn't speak) are based on some Google searches/consultations.

This is the nerdest narrative you can write about translators and I am here for it. Kinda reminded of death note but instead of just killing someone by writing you can also filter water.

My favourite word-pair was the one that made the rich dude's back garden ever so slightly more tranquil. I just wish CBD was involved in that particular word-pairing.

I was also all for the shade thrown towards the British, as a brit I approve this message of hate.

A very well-written and thought-provoking read. The deep delve into political matters in the 1800s, as well as the discrimination of different races, were done very delicately but still got the intended affect across.
A slow beginning as set up happened, but once it picked up it was really difficult to put down, despite how difficult some of the topics were..
This book both destroyed me and helped me. 

perfect book

i accidentally deleted this review

such an incredible read, love this book so much, after a month or two it remains one of my favorites and such an easy recommendation of mine to anyone with an interest in imperialism or history or idk good books. great messages and rf kuang tackles such a huge issue so perfectly tbh

The ending in a story represents maybe the most important part of it. A great final section of the narrative remains forever in the mind of a reader/viewer/player, with all the emotive pathos arriving at his peak. A great last occasion to show the best of what you can offer, among a splendid plot twist, new discoveries, a cliffhanger for the future of a franchise or an epic melancholic search for eternity. Babel offers a remarkable ending, but the problem is that all the contents we find inside the novel run out in the few conclusive pages.
Babel is an historical low-fantasy book which promises for great events and strong worldbuilding while never fulfilling this ambition. It is a story about racism, cultural appropriation, colonialism and imperialism. It is both a praise and a critique to the entire academic system, and it is the representation of the worst moments in the history of Britain. Our protagonist, Robin Swift, arrives in Oxford after being raised to eradicate his Chinese origins and appear as pure English at all. The problem is that the branch of Oxford in which he studies, the Institute of Translation called Babel, sees him as a sort of instrument. As soon as his objective should arrive at an end, he could be thrown out and substituted. In this setting the steampunk inspiration of the Victorian age is changed using the concept of silver. The “silver tablets” are this sort of magic object whose property of channeling the forgotten meaning of words in their different translations is used to enhance the common life. All the ideas of poverty, overusing of resources inside the colonies and disparity between riches and humbles are maintained as we have studied them.
The problems starts as we see how Kuang has inserted her fantasy grounds inside the real part of the world, without creating substantial differences and most importantly focusing the story more on the academic life than on the main plot. Babel feels like this enormous rush to the end in which the pages of diaries of a frustrated student finds place, adding just the glimpse of magic we all experience every day. While all the meanings, the way you arrive to hate the terrible persecution made in that period represents the core of a brutal, violent and distinguished ending, the lack of personality of the setting and the frustrating passages around exams and all the anxious and the stress lived by the students kills the possibility of a great fantasy tale.

STYLE: 4,5
STORY: 4
WORLDBUILDING: 1,5
RHYTHM: 0,5
PROTAGONISTS: 3
ANTAGONISTS: 5
ARTISTIC FEATURE: 4
ATMOSPHERE 3,5
EMOTIONAL IMPACT: 3

FINAL VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐

3.5 stars. Honestly, I was a bit dissatisfied with this, I expected more, I felt Kaung often said so much when she needed to say so little and often she was too quiet in areas that maybe would have made this book all the more fantastical and heartfelt but in saying all of this I genuinely struggled to put it down every time I picked it up.

If you had asked me mid-way through the book what I thought about it, I'd tell you it was one of my favorite books in years. Unfortunately, I think it falls completely off the rails in Act 3.

Oh Babel, you book of towering ambition, how have you faltered in your lofty pursuits, leaving us ensnared in the web of unmet expectations.

Venturing to the fields of semi-fictional Oxford are four heroes so alike in character. The protagonist Robin from China, his best friend Ramy from India, Victoire from Haiti, and stupid Letty, a woman from Britain. For the setting of the 19th century Oxford, they are truly a cosmopolitan bunch. It is commendable that the protagonists of the story are in some way a minority. Except for Letty who is just a woman and who even cares about her.

I am disappointed. The highs Babel could have reached were spectacular to image yet it crumbled and no hope remains.

For years, I've firmly held a belief that endings are paramount. The issue that arises is that endings are emotionally charged moments where the more empathetic readers, like myself, often falter and ignore the flaws of the book.
Well, not here. I cannot ignore the 300 pages during which I've found myself bored out of my mind. Nothing was happening, nothing of consequences anyway, and all that broke out the monotony of the meandering plot were the ample footnotes reminding me that indeed the British Empire was racist.

I understand the point Kuang wanted to make and I think that if I were not an undergraduate student of English Philology (a course that combines history of Anglo-American literature with English linguistics, and translation) I would enjoy this much more.
The issues of colonialism, its history, and many of the books that are mentioned in the footnotes have been known to me previously. I doubt the general audience is going to be reading any of them anyway. It felt like the work of a post-graduate student who really wants to show off their work. I've seen people praise Kuang for the research she did for Babel, but I disagree. It was her academic research that borne Babel. All those footnotes are a way to combine the two.

There is little to say to the plot without entering the territory of spoilers. It drags on at first and then jumps through hoops to get characters where they are meant to be.

Here I wish to refer to the incident of professor Lovell's death. It speaks well to the nature of academics that they'd try to lie and pretend the professor's still alive. The book even somewhat acknowledges this but it never goes anywhere. I firmly believe they could have gotten away with it if they played their cards right. Instead the book just wants them to be on the run so they are on the run almost instantly. There are other instances: Letty's betrayal, the explosion in Canton, the pathetic occupation of Babel.

There is very little character to those characters which is also a shame.

The magic system based on the missing meaning between two words when translated is genius. I genuinely have not seen a more unique magic system. The sad reality is that it played a tertiary, if even that, role in the narrative. It was seldom utilized and never to its utmost potential.

The progressive thought is very apparent in this book. I agree with it wholeheartedly, as all should. The issues arises when it comes to Letty. For me Letty was a chance to look into the mind of a white person born in privileged and just why they won't give up their lives for a cause.
Instead Letty is the stupid white rich girl who doesn't understand anything. When she helps them whenever she can, when she almost gets raped and is blamed for it and doesn't walk away, when they insult her all the time, it all was working to something and then the book just chose not to go that way.
Yes, I know the white experience is not the point of this book, but Letty was there. Also, I would have loved to see one of the foreign students fully embrace Babel, to become a lapdog for the millionaires.
But this was a surface level exploration of an uprising. It was over and done in a lower number of pages than spend described their meals and extravagant halls.

I still think that Babel will become a classic in its own right in due time. It has things to say and that is good because I'd rather see them said badly than not at all.

This book just became one of my top favorites. I was literally speechless (funny, considering) at that ending, I loved it. Still having a hard time describing it, but wow. I love this book.

The last chapter was such a perfect conclusion to this story. It has many of my favorite quotes from this book. But that would be spoilers, so for lack of better review, here are a couple non-spoiler quotes I have highlighted:

“...translation was impossible , that the realm of pure meaning they captured and manifested would and could not ever be known”

“That's just what translation is, I think. That's all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your own biases to glimpse what they're trying to say. Showing yourself to the world and hoping someone else understands.”

Even after finishing it, I'm unsure whether this is an interesting fantasy story burdened with a series of unfinished essays, or an interesting series of essays burdened with a unfinished fantasy story.

The themes are commendable but Kuang's spoon-feeding and footnotes came across as defensive and grating to me, as if the author was watching over my shoulder, butting in after every scene to make sure I definitely, definitely got the message. I wish she'd given the reader more credit and let the story speak for itself.

I liked and disliked it pretty much equally in the end; despite the above, it could also be intriguing, gripping and enchanting. Three stars for ambition and for doing something inventive with its etymology- and translation-based magic, which I did really enjoy.

—

(Oh, and one thing that bothered me, for a book that's well-regarded for its research: One character is repeatedly said to specialise in Gaelic, and jokes that she was born too late to have “grown up around Gaelic”. But what's “Gaelic”? Scottish or Irish? Because those languages are not the same. I assumed from her name that the character, O'Neil, is Irish or of Irish descent. O'Neil is later mocked for being “so English” due to serving boring, boiled... potatoes. Um...)

Robin Swift – se ei ole hänen alkuperäinen nimensä – pelastetaan lapsena Kantonista kulkutaudin keskeltä. Tauti tappaa hänen köyhyyteen ajautuneen perheensä, mutta brittiläinen Oxfordin yliopiston professori Richard Lovell parantaa Robinin ja ottaa hänet mukaansa. Robinista tulee Lovellin holhokki ja hän pääsee asumaan Lovellin luoksi Hampsteadissa, jossa kotiopettajat opettavat hänelle latinaa ja kreikkaa.    Robinia koulitaan ja valmistetaan Oxfordia varten. Hän saa stipendin, jolla hän pääsee opiskelemaan Oxfordin Kuninkaalliseen kieliakatemiaan, joka myös Babelina tunnetaan. Babeliin otetaan vuosittain hyvin vähän uusia opiskelijoita ja Robinin aloitusvuonna joukko on poikkeuksellisen monikulttuurinen: kiinalaistaustaisen Robinin lisäksi opintonsa aloittaa intialainen Ramy, Haitilta tullut Victoire ja peribrittiläinen Letty. Robin, Ramy ja Victoire kohtaavat hankaluuksia ihonvärinsä vuoksi, Letty ja Victoire taas sukupuolensa – melkoinen altavastaajajoukkio, siis. Heillä on kuitenkin hyödyllistä kielitaitoa.    Babelissa on nimittäin kyse isoista panoksista. Siellä tutkitaan kieliä ja kääntämistä, mikä jo itsessään on tietysti hienoa ja maagista, mutta tämän kirjan maailmassa kääntämiseen liittyy myös ihan aitoa magiaa: kun hopeatankoihin kaiverretaan käännösvastinpari, sanojen välillä olevista käännöksessä hukkuvista merkityseroista syntyy maagista voimaa. Tätä voimaa hyödyntävien hopeatankojen avulla brittiläinen imperiumi on rakennettu ja pysyy vallassa. Siksi kääntäjiä tarvitaan, ja mitä eksoottisempi kieli, sen parempi.    R. F. Kuang on rakennellut melkoisen fantasiamaailman. Babel perustuu todelliseen maailmaan, mutta selittää joitain tapahtumia hieman eri tavoin. Kiinan ja Britannian väliset suhteet ovat todellisen kaltaisia, vaikka hopeamagia niihin oman vinon valonsa luokin. Oopiumista ja epätasapainoisista kauppataseista on silti kyse. Nyt vain hopea kiinnostaa brittejä vielä meidän maailmaamme enemmän ja hyvin mielenkiintoisista syistä.    Kiinalaisamerikkalainen Kuang tuo kirjan maailmaan myös kolonialismiin ja imperiumeihin kriittisesti suhtautuvan äänen. Värillisten opiskelijoiden näkökulma Oxfordiin on herkullisen ristiriitainen: Kantonissa Robinille ei olisi ollut tarjolla kuin köyhyyttä ja kurjuutta ja Oxford on hänen unelmiensa täyttymys, mutta toisaalta Kiinan ja Britannian välien kiristyminen pistää Robinin miettimään omaa asemaansa. Kolonialismin, imperialismin ja rasismin pahuutta taotaan lukijan päähän tarmolla; kenties enemmänkin olisi voinut luottaa lukijan ymmärtävän tämän kirjan tapahtumista, mutta eipä säännöllinen luennointi liiaksi haitannut.    Kirjan yli 600 sivuun mahtuu myös paljon kiinnostavaa – ja opettavaista – pohdiskelua etymologiasta ja kääntämisen luonteesta. Jos nämä aiheet eivät houkuttele, Babel saattaa tuntua siltä osin pitkäveteiseltä. Minulle nämä lukeutuvat kuitenkin aivan lempiaiheisiini, joten Babel maistui mainiosti, vaikka pitkänpuoleinen onkin. Alussa on paljon maailman esittelyä ja opiskelun alkuvaiheita – Babel noudattaa paljolti tällaisen opiskelugenren ja dark academian peruskuvioita – mutta jo varhain Robinin opintojen ohelle tulee vähän tummempia sävyjä ja kun Kiinan ja Britannian välit alkavat kirjan puolenvälin jälkeen kiristyä, tarina ottaa uuden vaihteen ja käy todella kiinnostavaksi. Kuang on siis rakentanut kirjan oikein hyvin.    Olisi rikos jättää kääntäjä mainitsematta, etenkin tällaisen paljolti kääntämisestä kertovan kirjan  kohdalla. Babel on annettu kokeneen Helene Bützowin käsiin. Lopputulos on sujuvaa suomea ja toivon mukaan käännöksessä kadonneet vivahteet tuovat kirjalle omaa taikavoimaansa. Monet kirjan etymologiset ja kääntämiseen liittyvät kohdat on alkuteoksessa kirjoitettu vahvasti englanti edellä, ja näistä kaikista Bützow on selviytynyt mainiosti. Vain oikolukua kritisoin: tähänkin kirjaan on jäänyt aika paljon pieniä kirjoitusvirheitä.    Babel voitti parhaan romaanin Nebula-palkinnon vuonna 2022, eikä suotta. Itsekin nostan sen hyvillä mielin vuoden 2023 parhaiden romaanien joukkoon ja vuoden vaikuttavimpien fantasiakirjojen listalle. 

—

This book review discusses “Babel” by R. F. Kuang, a story following Robin Swift (not their original name), who was saved from an epidemic in Canton and taken under the wing of Oxford professor Richard Lovell. Robin is groomed for Oxford, securing a scholarship at the Royal Language Academy, known as Babel. The novel explores the multicultural dynamics among its diverse students—Robin faces challenges due to their Chinese background, along with others encountering obstacles based on race or gender.

Babel serves as a backdrop for linguistic study and magical translation using silver threads inscribed with paired translations, wielding power crucial for the British Empire. Kuang constructs a fantasy world rooted in reality, examining colonialism, imperialism, and racism critically through the students' perspectives. The narrative, spanning over 600 pages, delves into etymology, translation nuances, and societal themes, making it a captivating read for enthusiasts despite potentially feeling lengthy. The story evolves into darker tones as political tensions escalate, showcasing Kuang's adept storytelling.

The translation by Helene Bützow is commendable, though some minor editing issues persist in the Finnish version. “Babel” received recognition, winning the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 2022, rightfully earning a place among the best reads of 2023 and notable fantasy works.

Well truth be told I am never good with writing my thoughts during a book but I am practising.

I did quite like this book. Was it apselutly amazing? No, but I felt I could enjoy myself while reading it. I really enjoyed the general plot of the book, the caracthers were written ‘alive' and I felt I could properly imgain what I read. It had it's times where I smiled/chuckeled a little. Like in the start where Remy and Robin argues about raisns in scones (even tho I belive they called it something else) or just in general when they bicker about subjects or how they will resolve something.

Personally I am a bit unsure about how muvh I enjoyed the drops of latin, french, Chinese(mandarin), and other languages. I enjoyed it as I myself am a language geek but it also at times frusteated me as I felt it was not always translated what the words ment and I wanted to know what it ment. Again on language I felt the author maybe could deside whatever they wanted to use outdated words or not as it veries alot with how many ‘advanced' words are used or not. 

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would give it a 3.5

I don't think a book has ever made me feel more heartbroken.

Like, heartbroken is a pretty strong word, and yet that it what this book got me feeling. Poor characters. Poor Robin, poor Ramy, poor Professor Lovell, poor Griffin, poor Letty, poor Victoire...
The ‘poors' go on and on. Unfortunately, nobody in this book gets a happy ending.

And yet this book is soooo good! It reminds me of Charles Dicken's Great Expectations. The arc of Robin reminded me of that of Pip's: innocence, fall, redemption. Except, again, Pip gets a happy ending.

And then the magic! Kuang thought up a really unique and original magic system. Who else would have come up with the idea to link language and silver and turn it into magic?

I was disappointed when Ilse Dejima and Anthony and the others died. And poor Letty and Ramy.

But anyway, I think this book is serious movie material. If I owned Netflix, I would buy this immediately.



And, uh, I see some people hating on the book because it has themes of racism. I don't think the book was political or anything–why does racism always have to do with politics? Racism exists; it is a human trait.
I think this book handles the theme very well. It portrays everthing in a very historically-accurate way and doesn't get preachy–just shows what happened in history. Kuang leaves all interpretation to the reader, she is just presenting factual statistics and historically-accurate experiences for us to interpret.
Racism is a real problem–and the book isn't pushing the reader in one way or the other. Of course, the book is in favour of our socially=oppressed protagonists, but it doesn't get all...political, ya know?
I think Kuang handled it in the best way possible, and her book reflects ugly truths about reality. I think this book pushes us to examine not just racism, but prejudice in our societies, and challenges us to be leaders in the way our culture looks at other races and foreign cultures.

FUCK YOU LETTY FUCKIN CUNT

Me ha costado, pero al final me ha terminado gustando bastante

Took me a while to get into this book, but I'm glad I stuck with it. A challenging novel about colonialism and how language is used as a tool of empire. I quite enjoyed it after the first ~20% or so.

3,5 Stars