✨ Review ✨ Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R. F. Kuang

It felt like I've been reading this book since the tower of babel fell. The title alone gives a hint at the length and detail of this book.

But with that said, I loved every minute of it. There's a tedium here that resonates with my silly academic brain, and so I loved the amount of thought she placed into the details of these characters and the world that she built. That so much of the book thought about the relationship between language and empire was incredible. (And, footnotes in fiction, yes please!!!)

I highlighted so many sections of this book, but one of the main concepts that I loved is that translation is always an act of betrayal; and much of the magic system in this book grows from that grey area that grows in the work of translation.

The book super smartly brought us to consider the ways that England has been extractive of its colonies, both in this semi-imagined world and in reality. Extraction doesn't only have to be of tangible resources, but can also involve the coopting of language, culture, and other intangible heritage. I also loved its sort of scathing critique of academia -- it's a place where many of us find a home and comfort, but also a place that can have a problematic relationship to the world around us. When a professor says she might as well die for the cause because it's not like she'll get tenure now, I actually lol'ed at the feelings it provoked.

This book wasn't one that was particularly bingeable -- reading a chapter or two at a time was a lot for me, and if not for the final sprint of trying to finish before book club, I would have been at this for a lot longer. While much of our book club didn't finish (or start lol), it did make for a really great discussion.

I loved this book so much and wouldn't have cut from it, but also it's totally not a broadly accessible read, especially for those who aren't patient with slow-paced, academic jargon-laden writing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
Genre: Fantasy / magical realism
Location: China, Oxford, London
Pub Date: out now

Read this if you're a...
⭕️ weirdo academic
⭕️ lover of language and translation
⭕️ critic of empire

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager, @bookclubgirl and #netgalley for advanced copies of this book!

I don't think there's anything I can say that others have not already said but Babel is practically perfect in every way. I was given the opportunity to read it in May 2022 for reviewing in Library Journal (where my review was published in July 2022) and I immediately started recommending it to everyone I know.

Babel: An Arcane History is a dark bookish fantasy history by R.F. Kuang. Released 23rd Aug 2022 by HarperCollins on their Voyager imprint, it's 560 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This was *the* speculative fiction buzz book for 2022 and with good reason. It's brilliantly imagined, distinctive, and incredibly well written. Thematically, there's a heaping helping of anti-colonization rhetoric, so folks who hum Rule Britannia whenever they think about the sun never setting on the British Empire are in for an eyeful. There's also a strong undercurrent of dangerous racism, and some passages were painful to read, although realistically depicted.

The author is clearly more than passingly familiar with Oxford as well as with the time period (Regency England, 1828). I was enchanted with the writing and equally impressed with the verisimilitude of the settings and characterizations. Spelling and vernacular are period British English, but won't pose any problems for readers in context.

Five stars. Beautifully written and superlative world building and magic systems. Absolutely one for language nerds.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This book was amazing - I've recommended it to countless people and would be perfect for serious book clubs.

POV: one of your favorite authors of all-time who you would sell your left kidney to meet wrote a masterpiece of a novel.

she was more than kind enough to send you a signed advanced copy because you have somewhat embarrassingly? made a name for yourself as a die hard fan of her debut trilogy such as by writing an entire blog post detailing the history and cultural references of her series that is now a top search result on google.

you read the novel...was absolutely blown away...was too awe struck to formulate coherent thoughts to write a review...now it's several months later.
____
it's no secret that r.f. kuang is one of my favorite authors. i solidly made the poppy war trilogy my personality trait for most of quarantine. it inspired me to research more about my family history and was truthfully one of the major reasons why i have a stronger understand of east asian history, and specifically taiwanese history now.

i first heard of babel when i interviewed rebecca on my booktube channel. i learned that she was writing a novel about student revolutions, inspired by hong kong's student revolutions. immediately, i knew it would be a story unlike any other.

babel is without a doubt one of the greatest pieces of literary fiction ever written. its analysis of translated works and history are incredibly well-researched and artfully woven together. i became enthralled in the world of oxford and the magic system. i grew passionately attached to our main characters as their struggles and journeys mimic those across history who have been displaced or juggled competing worlds.

in a single novel, kuang sheds light on themes of colonialism, worker's rights, and the romanization of dark academia and broader academic institutions. we're forced to reflect on who our loyalties belong to when you don't know who deserves them the most.

for many, this book forces you to wrestle with uncomfortable feelings. it forces you to question your privilege and how your identity differs from those around you. it forces you to question the ethos of those around you, whether the institutions and figures you grew up to acknowledge as sources of truth and safety are truly there to help you...or keep you in place.

writing a review for a book this well written is daunting. it's difficult to capture how this book made me feel because no words could really do it justice. babel is certainly a must-read, and i can only wonder how kuang will out-do herself next time.

This was the most ambitious book I've read in awhile.
Many will put this in the dark academia category, and I can see why. But there is a whole other layer missed if
that's your sole focus. And you clearly aren't reading the whole title.
"We are all here to make magic with words." -Prof. P
"If you stand for nothing... what'll will you fall for?"
A.Ham/LMM
Read from: Jul 24, 2022 - Aug 31, 2022

This is another amazing novel by R. F. Kuang. Her books are incredibly well written and researched. This stand alone novel follows a young man and his experiences at Oxford as a minority.

I wanted to love Babel so much. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is one of my favorite books and Babel does feel in conversation with that book from the setting to the tone and footnotes. Kuang excels in descriptions of place and in her worldbuilding. The setting of Babel was was immersive. I liked how Kuang created a dialogue around British exceptionalism, colonialism, and racism from the bones of her story outward. What caught me up was the pacing. This book easily could have been longer or split into more books. Pre-Oxford, I found Robin's story enthralling. Post-Oxford, I couldn't tell where the plot was going and much of it dragged. Robin's sudden entry into the world of revolutionaries forced. Robin was an excellent character but his scenes with Ramy, Victoire, and Letty weak. There was so much foreshadowing around the outcome of their friendship that became tedious and took me out of the story. And much of their friendship we're told about, we don't actually see it develop on the page. As a result, I couldn't connect with anyone beyond Robin which was an emotional letdown whenever something serious happened to one of them in the book.

Lastly, my biggest critique is Kuang's foreward. I love learning about an author's process but I generally prefer to read the book first, let it speak for itself before hearing the authorial voice. I usually leave skip forewards and read them last because I don't want to be lead by the author. I broke my rule this time and was a bit lost as to why Kuang felt she needed to write something that felt like half-apology, half-defense of her work. Why did she feel the need to prove herself or justify her claim to Oxford? Was there really going to be that much backlash or criticism? The reasoning may be tied up with racism and sexism that is prevalent....everywhere.... or something else entirely, but regardless, it made me sad since I've never read a dark academia book where an author has done this. Not Pullman, Clarke, Bardugo, etc. It also detracted from her worldbuilding as I now thought continuously, "oh, that tower doesn't exist, oh that cafe doesn't exist" while I read instead of just accepting it as I would any other fantasy novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Yet again, R. F. Kuang has written a novel I will continue to think about long after finishing it. This dark academia-based story is written with rather academic language, and the protagonists' exploration of identity, language, and privilege kept me invested even in the early parts of the story when the momentum was still building. As always, the writing itself is gorgeous, and someone who is fascinated by etymology, I enjoyed learning about how various words wormed their way into the English language. I also loved seeing Ramy, Robin, and Victoire's pride in their backgrounds even as their community attempted to ostracize them for their differences. I appreciated the diversity in characters and found the magic system particularly fascinating, and once the plot really kicked in, I couldn't put the book down.

That being said, there were a few aspects that made the reading experience a bit difficult. Primarily, the footnotes did make it a bit of a frustrating read on an online platform. Additionally, I appreciated how Kuang made attempts to criticize the British empire, but these criticisms were not always incredibly nuanced (understandably, as they were likely written for a general audience). Interestingly, one more thought that the story brought to mind is that the protagonists themselves ignore several aspects of their own privileges as they ruminate on being ostracized (wealth, access to education, etc.). This makes me wonder whether dark academia can even be written in a way that is sufficiently intersectional.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone looking to read something academic, emotional, and thought-provoking in a genre that otherwise lacks acknowledgment of its own privilege.

Trigger Warnings: https://booktriggerwarnings.com/Babel_by_R.F._Kuang

A disappointing book that felt entirely dependent on a specific political message rather than a strong story and characters. It felt like the author enjoyed the "dark academia" setting, but appears at odds with everything western academia is about. Exploration, the sharing of ideas, and the appreciation of other cultures. Instead it hinges on an anti-western, anti-colonialist polemic, which makes for a disappointing story in a great original setting. Unless you're looking for Howard Zinn-esque Marxist philosophy masquerading as fantasy, then skip this one.

R.F. Kuang has a masterpiece with Babel. This familiar, but fantasy world will draw readers in - both those who typically are drawn to fantasy and even those who don't typically read it.

Masterful and a book everyone should read. This book is as much about magic and lush dark academia vibes and it is about the impact of colonialism. At times, it makes you feel uncomfortable, but that means its message is working.

I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Full review held until the resolution of the HPU strike.

This book is simply one of the best releases of the last year. R. F. Kuang writes an incredibly important story that explores the complex and dangerous ways that colonization and academia imbed themselves within each other. While this book is a fantasy novel, the fantasy element, a magic system involving silver working and translation, is is a vehicle for exploring "translation as an act of betrayal" and less a complex mystical character itself. The brilliance of her using the magic system as a vehicle of critique and story telling instead of the story is a masterful demonstration of her writing.

The primary weak spots are the stretches in the first half of the book that could be trimmed. While this book does follow a handful of characters, this book is plot driven and less character driven and occasionally the characters fall flat until the final quarter of the book.

I've recommended this book widely to friends and students and will continue to do so.

If you are someone who is against "wokeness" or you find yourself uncomfortable with "woke" agendas, then this is either the book you need to stay away from or the book you need to read right now.

This is a masterpiece that is not without it's flaws. I adored this alternate historical fantasy and how it allowed for the conversations about language, colonialism, race, power and what it means to have a family and do the right thing. This book is extremely long and honestly I feel like it could have been broken up into volume one and volume 2 and it would have been delicious. I sat at 50% for a very long time because it hits a bit of a rut in the middle and is just kind of mundane but I think that may have also been done on purpose to show that change doesn't always just hit you over the head with a hammer but it's incrementally there day in and day out.

Near the end in particular, there are a lot of conversations about race and colonialism that are much more in your face than in the rest of the book and I was getting aggravated because to me it was reducing the book to just being about race and the inequality of power during English imperialism. Which it was but it was also MORE than that. I am curious as to what happens after the ending, but also satisfied with the ending even though it was so bitter.

I received an ARC of Babel from Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review.

Kuang’s follow-up to The Poppy War trilogy, Babel, is both like and unlike the series that catapulted her to fame: it chews on similar themes, and its characters occasionally evoke Rin and her companions, but its plot and setting bear only passing resemblances. The cruel countryside warfare of The Dragon Republic and The Burning God are exchanged for the academic opulence of an alternate history mid-1800s Oxford, at the heart of the British Empire. Babel is, in many ways, a more ambitious project than its predecessor—although smaller in scope, it strives for a higher bar of linguistic and structural sophistication, and it often falls short of those ambitions. But it’s nevertheless thrilling to watch Kuang again going for the throat of imperialism with a blunt-edged blade, and to witness the fire, blood, and shattered silver she leaves in her wake.

Robin Swift, an orphan from Canton, is brought by Professor Lovell to England, where he eventually enrolls in Oxford University’s Royal Institute of Translation, colloquially known as Babel. Within the hallowed halls of the tower of Babel, words are written on silver bars which capture the meaning lost in translation; that meaning then manifests as magic which powers the infrastructure of the Empire. (Gotta say—one of the coolest and most creative magic systems I’ve ever encountered.) Robin befriends fellow students Ramy, Letty, and Victoire, and they wrestle with their roles in maintaining the machinery of empire, which facilitates oppression while allowing them to live in comfort and have access to scones. This leads Robin to eventually join The Hermes Society, a shadowy organization devoted to opposing imperial expansion.

The protagonist of Babel and his three companions are the weakest part of the book. Kuang repeatedly tells us that Robin, Ramy, Letty, and Victoire are Very Good Friends™, but at no point did I register anything resembling real chemistry or camaraderie from their dynamics and interactions (a symptom of being told, rather than shown), and much of the emotional weight upon which this story hinges is lost as a result. Robin is too passive to be compelling, and Kuang makes the interesting-but-misguided choice to provide most of Ramy’s, Letty’s, and Victoire’s characterizations in brief interludes that function as narrative codas in the second half of the novel, presumably in an effort to deconstruct any assumptions you may have made about them prior to said interludes. It’s a clever idea, but it doesn’t pay off (except perhaps with Letty).

I was happy to discover, however, that Kuang’s prose—which improved significantly over the course of The Poppy War trilogy—has continued to get better. Her sentences are richer and more syntactically robust, remaining eminently readable even as they digress into lengthy meditations on etymology. Babel’s pacing is another matter. The middle section of the book sags and likely would have benefitted from a more rigid structure in relation to the time it covers; I sometimes felt like Mario, cape inflated, sailing over a level in Super Mario World, which is simultaneously convenient and disappointing. Was there anything interesting down there? Did I miss Yoshi?

Kuang is at her strongest when it comes to theme. If The Poppy War and its sequels frustrated you with their lack of nuance and subtlety (I count myself among those readers, although I have softened somewhat in this respect in response to Kuang’s defense of her didacticism), you won’t find anything different here. But as the vice tightens, the story skews ever closer to that of The Poppy War trilogy—Kuang finally finds her footing and delivers a thrilling finale that made me genuinely uncomfortable. This finale brings the alternate history and speculative worldbuilding elements of Babel into focus, and it is here where I feel most conflicted about Kuang’s choices.

Babel’s silver bars distill the oppression of empire into physical objects. I believe I understand why Kuang found this idea attractive. Imperialism and colonization are systems so immense that they resist the mechanics of storytelling and refuse to be dismantled by four characters in a few hundred pages; Kuang needed a way for her protagonists to physically interact with the engine of empire. I don’t have a problem with this. Speculative fiction has a long history of literalizing and making microcosms of ideas that feel impossible to wrap your mind around in the real world—that’s precisely what provides the genre with the transformative power of perspective. What I do have a problem with is her willingness to introduce a magic system into our own history without meaningfully changing the trajectory of that history. It is nothing more than a coat of paint, and that is neither plausible nor compelling. I crave a lot more “alt” in my alternate histories.

Babel is unapologetically Kuang, for better and for worse. It is big and bold and dense; it is drunk on righteous anger; it is an uncompromising academic flex complete with footnotes that rarely justify their inclusion. It does not exhibit the staggering scorched earth storytelling that made The Poppy War trilogy so memorable, and I confess it did not live up to the high hopes I had after that series. But Babel still does what most books don’t—it goes for the throat, and that’s good enough to keep me ready, eager, and waiting for Kuang to strike again.

Thanks to NetGalley & Harper Voyager for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, wow! RF Kuang never disappoints! A tantalizing story from beginning to end. Fans of the Poppy War and its bleak setting will also appreciate Babel's bleak setting--though this is definitely not as action packed as Poppy War, it's slower paced but the messages still hit pretty hard.

Can't wait to see what else RF Kuang has up her sleeve!

I read this during the HarperCollins strike & can finally give my review to netgalley/goodreads/all the places! This was good, but not a favorite for me. In my opinion, the characters should've carried this book, but they didn't. The writing of R.F. Kuang was absolutely stunning--the actual words on the page, the ideas, all of it felt so good to be immersed in. It definitely made me want to read more Kuang. However, characters should've been the backbone to carry out the ideas, and to me, they were all pretty flat. I think that if our main character had had more of a journey, this would've been more impactful.

The plot is a 5 point story arc, and depending on what part of the arc you are in, I think the plot is in turns great and in turns sloppy. But again, a lot of this comes back to the characters' mindstates during the plots and how they could not carry their own actions, for me.

I really liked the magic system and the world. I loved the exploration of Oxford as a place of paradox, like academia is today. I loved Babel's Dickensian vibes. These three things, put together with the ideas, are my favorite things about this book. However, I generally need plots and character to be as strong for me to love something.

So I gave this 4 stars. It was a good book--super ambitious. But it did not live up to the 5 stars I was hoping it would be.

This is my first time reading anything by Kuang, but I’m adding more books by this author to my list! I loved this. The plot, the intrigue, and the world building is fantastic.

I have followed R. F. Kuang since the release of The Poppy War trilogy. Kuang's ability to write and intertwine historical context into her story is to be applaud for. But Kuang's weakness as a writer are her characters. It is evident in The Poppy War trilogy as none of them have a clear trajectory and seems to not have a distinct personality from one another. And Babel seems to have the same problem with a variety of other issues that I can't seem to overlook.
I praise Kuang for writing such a history rich story that presents a lot of facts and context into colonialism and other related topics. Kuang also included a diverse cast of characters that give different perspectives and arguments about said topics. It is also apparent that Kuang loves the art of translation as there is so much research put in by Kuang included into the book. And yet.. the down fall of Babel are the characters. They do not feel fleshed out in a way that they do not have a clear set of motivation and train of thought. It is clear that Kuang inserts herself into the story through her characters and it is hard to separate the writers voice from her characters as it is heavy handed in this book. In the end when the big encounter happened it fell flat and unsatisfying. In my opinion, Kuang's plot work always falls short and filled with holes that aren't easily overlooked because of her characters.
For me Babel did not deliver what I expected from the hype it got but its good to see how Kuang has grown as a writer.

This is one that’s going to stay with me for a long time. The plot is a little dry until you get about ⅔ of the way through, but the first third is one of the best depictions of academic life that I’ve come across. Dark academia all the way. Big thoughts about colonialism and complicity.