Babel: the Necessity of Violence, An Arcane History of Oxford Translators' Revolution

- a novel by R. F. Kuang.

In similar Harry Potter style, the novel is a historical alternate reality set in Oxford, UK. The book contains slight fantasy elements so it wasn't really my cup of tea, purely because my imagination of somebody else's imagination is bland and tedious. BUT the idea upon which the world is based, the alternate reasoning and imagining of the success of the British Empire was very intriguing for me.

In the alternate 19th century world of R. F. Kuang, much like our own, Britain is the dominant colonial power sourced through Oxford University's prestigious Royal Institute of Translation Babel using magic called silver-working- the power of multiple languages is invoked on silver bars, imbuing them with different abilities. Due to the linguistic requirement needed for silver-working, translators are in high demand. Meet Robin Swift, a name chosen in a swift naive second, a Chinese orphan brought to England by a ruthless, ambitious professor. He is trained for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he'll enroll in Babel, a decision that changes the course of not only his life, but of an entire nation’s future.

Aside from its storytelling, the book unpacks a lot more themes and Kuang's brilliance is showcased by her portrayal and understanding of language, translation, barriers, colonial history, racism and an underlying role that violence often times plays. Babel does not shy away from these topics. What I felt the book lacked was more drama, more emotions and more heart. Perhaps that wasn't the intent or style of the author? For readers more in-tune to the genre of the book, the novel should be a definite hit. It is well-thought, ambitious and brutal.