Babel by R. F. Kuang

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

Oxford, 1836.

The city of dreaming spires.

It is the centre of all knowledge and progress in the world.

And at its centre is Babel, the Royal Institute of Translation. The tower from which all the power of the Empire flows.

Orphaned in Canton and brought to England by a mysterious guardian, Babel seemed like paradise to Robin Swift.

Until it became a prison…

But can a student stand against an empire?

An incendiary new novel from award-winning author R.F. Kuang about the power of language, the violence of colonialism, and the sacrifices of resistance.

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In Babel, we meet a character who comes to be known as Robin Swift – we never discover his real name.  Born in Canton, he has always had access to an English tutor – something he doesn’t think to question at the time – teaching him the English language and giving him access to English texts in which to immerse himself.  Following the death of his family, he’s taken in by a wealthy English guardian and transported to England at the age of ten.  There, Robin is fed, housed, and clothed, with only a single request made of him – that he applies himself to the study of Latin and Greek (whilst maintaining his own Cantonese and English) so that he might one day gain a place at Oxford’s Royal Institute of Translation.  The years pass and as he comes of age, he moves to Oxford to take up study at the prestigious university and the titular Babel. 

Set in an alternate history, Kuang has developed a complex but interesting and original magic system.  I won’t be able to do it justice here, but certain combinations of words, when engraved in silver, have a magical effect. 

The French fermer (‘to close, to lock’) was for instance quite obviously based on the Latin firmāre (‘to make hard, to strengthen’) but had also been influenced by the Latin ferrum, meaning ‘iron’. Fermer, firmāre, and ferrum could then, hypothetically, create an unbreakable lock.

The effects vary – it might make a machine run more efficiently or produce a higher quality output, or it might strengthen a building, rendering it more stable.  These word combinations tend to come from separate languages, and so Babel – as the Royal Institute of Translation – is at the heart of this lucrative business.  Language students and scholars are essential in ensuring that Babel remains dominant in this industry and in the development of new or enhanced effects as well as maintaining the power of those that have already been put to use. 

Through this system, Kuang explores some of the issues of the nineteenth century.  In reality, the industrial revolution saw many skilled workers replaced by new machines and processes, leaving many without a livelihood and forcing them to work in the newly built factories, often in horrific conditions.  In Babel, the impact of the industrial revolution is enhanced by the silver-working.  Those early machines are made more efficient, more powerful, faster, and more productive.  And all the benefits go to the industry owners, who give no thought to those that previously sustained their businesses through their own labour once they are no longer required.

Kuang – through Robin and his fellow students, Ramy, Victoire, and Letty – also explores various forms of prejudice throughout the novel as well as the history of colonialism and empire. In this novel, the British Empire is firmly established, that power aided by Babel’s mastery of silver-working and a seeming monopoly of this industry.  It’s something that comes to the fore as the novel progresses and as Robin begins to understand exactly what role Babel plays, the inequality that it engenders, and the role that he and his fellow students are expected to adopt. And while those skilled in languages – many of whom don’t have English as their first language – are valued at Babel, it soon becomes clear that they will always be considered outsiders, despite the value they bring.

Given all that, you might be forgiven for thinking that Babel is simply an exploration of these issues wrapped up in a fantastical / alternate history package.  And while it does do that very well, it’s also an absolutely brilliant story.  From the beginning, I was caught up in Robin’s life, particularly as he moves to Oxford and as various secrets come to light.  Given the focus on translation, there is also a great deal of etymology and philology involved, particularly as both Robin and the reader start to understand how the magic works and its dangers and limitations.  Kuang is clearly very knowledgeable in this area, and uses it successfully to enhance the plot without it weighing down the narrative.  I found the sources of some words to be fascinating, and anyone with an interest in such things will surely love this element of the novel. 

There aren’t many books that I award five stars to, but I didn’t even have to think about it in this case.  I was hooked from the beginning and thoroughly enjoyed seeing Robin and his friends grow and develop and make a stand for what they believe in.  It’s a brilliantly imagined fantasy with a unique and intelligent magic system which shows its limitations as well as the benefits and so avoids being an easy way out.  It highlights the impacts of colonialism and the prejudice (in various forms) that many still face, whilst also being an absolutely brilliant novel.  Highly recommend.