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A review by bealmg
Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Let me start by saying that I had high expectations about this book based on two things: the themes (language and power? Sign me up) and the initial rave reviews. I had not read The Poppy War trilogy, but had also heard a lot about it and knew it was a beloved fantasy trilogy. So, Babel was my first encounter with RF Kuang's writing. And I have a LOT to say about Babel.
Starting with what I thought was really strong: Kuang's writing. As soon as the book started, I was transported to its setting. I loved reading her descriptions of Oxford since they are so vivid and rich. I also thoroughly enjoyed the lectures on etymology and language (I could probably read an entire book of hers solely about these things). And, despite the novel's flaws, it kept me fully engaged with it.
The story is told through the eyes of Robin Swift, the main character, a Chinese-English young man who is brought up by an Oxford professor to study at Babel, Oxford's prestigious translation institute. I liked Robin's voice, how well Kuang expressed his doubts, fears and hopes, and I thought that his ambiguitytowards violent vs non-violent action as well as his inner struggles with his mixed-raced ethnicity were really well done. As far as the other characters are concerned, I wished they were more developed, particularly Robin's friends (who at times felt very one dimensional to fulfill their assigned roles in the plot).
Speaking of plot, it lacked something. I think, for me, this is because of the magic system Kuang introduced in Babel. While the magic silver bars sounded promising at first and I was intrigued immediately, I was disappointed by the execution of this concept. As a metaphor for how language shapes the world around us, the silver bars worked. As the motor of the industrial revolution? Not really. Nothing changed in Babel's magical world vs the real world - the industrial revolution and its innovations (as well as the increased poverty and inequalities) still happened, unchanged. The only switch was that, instead of the slave trade and labour being the financial source behind the industrial revolution and the power of the British empire, it was silver bars that connected words from different languages. In the end, this magical element was not enough for me to believe in the book's plot, since its underdevelopment hindered the strength of the story and its ending.
Another thing that I didn't like was Kuang's extensive use of footnotes. While I generally don't mind footnotes if they're used ocasionally to clarify certain things, Kuang used footnotes to overexplain things, to provide characterisation and to lecture the reader. And although I believe that, sometimes, you need to shout 'racism' when something is clearly racist, this was done excessively throughout the book. It's as if Kuang doesn't trust her readers to understand her message. To add to this, there were so many characters whose only function was to say 'this is racism, this is colonialism, this is bad', which felt really repetitive and lacked the nuance and subtlety I think would've worked best in a historical fantasy novel.
Speaking of historical, the discussions about these issues used language that, I think, was far too modern for a novel set in the 1800s. Although this didn't bother me too much (except a few REALLY modern expressions and phrases), for a book that focuses on language, translation and the power behind words, it didn't make a lot of sense to have 19th century characters using 21st century words to discuss racism, colonialism and power.
All in all, despite its flaws, I think Babel accomplished what it set out to do: get people to talk about the role that language plays in colonial relations. I think Kuang's main accomplishment was to translate incredibly complex concepts about language, linguistics and power relations to a more accessible format that readers all over the world will engage with. And that is, in my opinion, quite a feat. I just wished the execution would've been better.
Starting with what I thought was really strong: Kuang's writing. As soon as the book started, I was transported to its setting. I loved reading her descriptions of Oxford since they are so vivid and rich. I also thoroughly enjoyed the lectures on etymology and language (I could probably read an entire book of hers solely about these things). And, despite the novel's flaws, it kept me fully engaged with it.
The story is told through the eyes of Robin Swift, the main character, a Chinese-English young man who is brought up by an Oxford professor to study at Babel, Oxford's prestigious translation institute. I liked Robin's voice, how well Kuang expressed his doubts, fears and hopes, and I thought that his ambiguity
Speaking of plot, it lacked something. I think, for me, this is because of the magic system Kuang introduced in Babel. While the magic silver bars sounded promising at first and I was intrigued immediately, I was disappointed by the execution of this concept. As a metaphor for how language shapes the world around us, the silver bars worked. As the motor of the industrial revolution? Not really. Nothing changed in Babel's magical world vs the real world - the industrial revolution and its innovations (as well as the increased poverty and inequalities) still happened, unchanged. The only switch was that, instead of the slave trade and labour being the financial source behind the industrial revolution and the power of the British empire, it was silver bars that connected words from different languages. In the end, this magical element was not enough for me to believe in the book's plot, since its underdevelopment hindered the strength of the story and its ending.
Another thing that I didn't like was Kuang's extensive use of footnotes. While I generally don't mind footnotes if they're used ocasionally to clarify certain things, Kuang used footnotes to overexplain things, to provide characterisation and to lecture the reader. And although I believe that, sometimes, you need to shout 'racism' when something is clearly racist, this was done excessively throughout the book. It's as if Kuang doesn't trust her readers to understand her message. To add to this, there were so many characters whose only function was to say 'this is racism, this is colonialism, this is bad', which felt really repetitive and lacked the nuance and subtlety I think would've worked best in a historical fantasy novel.
Speaking of historical, the discussions about these issues used language that, I think, was far too modern for a novel set in the 1800s. Although this didn't bother me too much (except a few REALLY modern expressions and phrases), for a book that focuses on language, translation and the power behind words, it didn't make a lot of sense to have 19th century characters using 21st century words to discuss racism, colonialism and power.
All in all, despite its flaws, I think Babel accomplished what it set out to do: get people to talk about the role that language plays in colonial relations. I think Kuang's main accomplishment was to translate incredibly complex concepts about language, linguistics and power relations to a more accessible format that readers all over the world will engage with. And that is, in my opinion, quite a feat. I just wished the execution would've been better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Classism, Colonisation, Violence, and Gaslighting