R.F. Kuang’s “Babel: An Arcane History” follows Robin Swift, an orphan brought to London from Canton by Professor Lovell, a translation professor. Professor Lovell trains Robin in Latin, Greek, and Chinese so that Robin can attend Babel – Oxford University’s Royal Institute of Translation. Babel supplies England with magical silver bars charged with the meanings lost in translation. As Robin attends Oxford, Britain and China are on the brink of a war for silver and opium, forcing him to choose between protecting his homeland or proving his loyalty for England.
This. Book. Was. So. Good. I would definitely give it 5/5! Reading other reviews, I knew that it was a good book, but all my expectations were floored. It is a masterfully-crafted tale of revolution that critiques colonization, capitalism, privilege, academia, and race. It leaves readers reflecting on the story, modern society, as well as their own life.
The plot is extremely detailed and layered. I didn’t expect any of the events to unfold in the way that they did, and I really liked that it didn’t feel predictable. The book includes footnotes that expand on histories and details that truly brings the story to life. Admittedly, it took me a few chapters to get invested, but once things got going, there was no going back. It is an absolute behemoth of a novel, yet every bit of it was worth it. At some points, I felt that the pacing was a little bit fast, but I understand why — in order to fit everything into the book, obviously some parts had to be shortened. This being said, I would have loved to get to know the other characters more because everyone felt so complex. All the characters were very well-developed and had their own evolutions in the story. You can definitely see what motivates a character’s actions – the addition of their background stories and dreams truly brought them to life. It was also interesting to see how the magic of translation is not only a part of the world-building, but also makes a statement on the power of language during colonization. By keeping people away from their native languages, people are effectively cut off from their culture and family.
I’ve also heard that the rights to make Babel into a show or movie were recently sold to Temple Hill Entertainment. They were the company that produced the Twilight films, so I’m not completely sure what to expect. Nonetheless, I am excited for it (as long as the story and characters aren’t completed butchered)!
I’ve read Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, but this is the book that truly sold me on her writing. I’ve actually reading The Poppy War trilogy at the time of writing this, just so I can read more of Kuang’s work.
In summary, Babel is exactly what the review on the front says it is: “A masterpiece.”
I’m finding it hard to explain why it’s so good without spoiling the plot. So if you’d like a better explanation or more thoughts, read more below!
!! SPOILERS BELOW !!
I typically try to keep my reviews spoiler-free, but I cannot hold these thoughts in any longer! It was extremely clever that Victoire also means “victory” in Haitian-Creole, her native language. Not only is the lone survivor of her cohort, but she also was victorious against the struggles she faced during the early parts of her life. I also think that Letty always hunting Victoire down is a representation of how the effects of colonization are never erased and a constant reminder of Victoire’s differences from the typical Londoner. To be honest, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Victoire at the beginning, but as the story progressed, I began to admire her character more and more.
Robin’s nickname, Birdie, also hinted at his character. Robin frequently yearned for freedom – from his past, his family, and his future, and like a bird, he felt trapped. I feel like his character development was appropriate. He started off very hopeful about change, but as he experienced more things (like murder and the death of his brother), he become angry and more cynical. He truly wanted the world to feel the same pain that he was feeling. Yet, as the story comes to an end, there was some semblance of hope and pain, mixed into one. Throughout the story, we often saw Robin grappling with his own privilege, in comparison to other people. He was a white-passing man, so obviously he was more privileged from his family and the people in Canton, to the striking workers. I like how this set up the end of the story, and ultimately, his end. It also made me extremely happy to see Robin reclaim his identity at the end. He struggled with fully acknowledging and accepting his Chinese roots, and having his mother call him by his Chinese name at the very end, it just felt so warming.
One thing I loved about this book was how it always kept me on my toes. I never knew what to expect, and honestly, I was in denial at some parts. I was in complete denial that the Hermes society members were actually dead (I fully thought they were going to come back) and that Griffin actually died (I thought he was going to survive, then him and Robin could have some brotherly bonding).
The tower having its grand moment at dawn feels so symbolic. It represents change: the end of Oxford being known as the silver-working master, but also the plausible beginning of a new, more equal England. This ending was so powerful, I had to just lay in my bed and stare at the ceiling for a solid ten minutes just to process everything (I was not okay).
Also, after finishing the story, I looked back at the cover, and oh my, I did not realize how GRAND and BIG the Babel tower is?? I visualized it as a sort-of simple, single castle tower. Nope, it’s one of the tallest buildings in Oxford. Imagining that falling onto people is absolutely insane, but I guess it’s called a grand finale for a reason. I also realised that it was a reference to the Tower of Babel much later than I’d like to admit. And the birds on the cover?? For Robin/Birdie?? I’m never getting over this book.