A review by murphymegs
Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I took my time reading this book and I encourage anyone who picks this up to do the same. We meet Robin, a young Cantonese boy who seemingly is saved from death and given a second chance in London to attend the prestigious translation unit, Babel, at Oxford University. There, he meets others that are like him: foreign, with translation capabilities that make them essential, not just for their scholarly contributions, but for the ability to use language and turn it into something magical: silver. Silver is what’s used to make society function. It can serve as little of a purpose as making flowers bloom longer or more essential purposes like keeping structures standing. Soon Robin and his friends learn the dark side of the academic setting and they are forced to make a decision: do they turn their cheek and continue producing for an institution that will use their work to oppress their homelands or fight against it?

This book has found family, acts of betrayal, acts of true love (not romance), and self sacrifice. 

R.F. Kuang writes in such a sophisticated, academic, yet incredibly accessible manner. She uses footnotes to further explain the text and is well researched in the cultures she talks about. She is a genius and, quite frankly, scares me a little.

CW: colonialism, racism, classism, murder, suicide, self harm, xenophobia 
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