Babel

I don’t often stumble upon books where rather than simply reading, I find myself swept away by the superb storytelling…

The unique worldbuilding… The unpredictable character development… The assured vocabulary and stylistic choices… The sublime use of literary devices…

Especially in a book that I’d considered reading before, and rejected.

But that’s exactly what I found myself doing with R.F. Kuang’s Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution.

And I’m oh-so-glad that I gave Babel a second chance.

Rooted in interrogation of colonial history and the industrial revolution, overlaid with a unique form of magic, Babel forces you to confront the injustice and exploitation so many corners of the globe have experienced.

The tale follows Robin, a Cantonese boy orphaned by a cholera plague, ‘rescued’ and spirited away to Britain from a likely life of poverty by an Oxford professor—Robin’s father who will never ever acknowledge his parenthood.

(Rare is the case where childhood trauma and daddy issues don’t lead to a dynamic and interesting—if not troubled—character.)

Raised in solitude on an upper class British estate, locked in a proverbial room with only ancient, dead languages to learn for company, Robin is groomed to attend Oxford where he’s to become a translator—one of the few people capable of working the magic silver bars that Britain’s progress depends on.

Upon beginning life at Oxford, Robin’s story joins with the other members of his cohort: Ramy (an Indian boy), Victoire (a Hatian creole girl), and Letty (an upper class English girl estranged from her family for attending university).

Together, they tackle their gruelling studies, while uncovering the full scope of injustice Britain has inflicted upon each of them, as well as their origin countries. As a result, three of them join a clandestine group known as Hermes, which works to undermine Britain’s colonial and industrial efforts.

I loved this book for two reasons:

1. The unpredictability. When you’ve read as many science-fiction and fantasy novels as I have, common trends, themes, and plot lines begin to emerge. But I found that each time I was just getting comfortable with Babel, an unexpected twist came along to catch me off guard.

2. The moral challenges. Among other probing lines of self-inquiry, be prepared to ask yourself who suffers to produce the things you need and desire in this world, and who profits as a result.

I devoured this book in a matter of days, and found myself quite sad that the story had come to an end—always the mark of a great book in my eyes.

If you’ve read Babel or decide to pick up a copy, let me know. I’d love to hear what you think. And if you’ve read any books lately that you couldn’t put down, let me know. I’m always looking for new page-turners.

With love from the forest,

~ Alexander Mullan