Babel
By R.F. Kuang
542 pages
What’s it about?
In 1829 cholera hits the Far East. Robin Swift is just a boy in Canton when his whole family succumbs to the disease. He is near death himself when Professor Lovell shows up and rescues him. But Professor Lovell has a purpose in mind- to make Robin an asset to Britain. Robin is to become a translator at Oxford University’s Royal Institute of Translation- otherwise known as Babel. By the time he reaches Babel he will be proficient in not only English and Mandarin, but also in Latin and Greek. Robin finally meets other students that he can relate to at Babel. Those students that the British empire has brought over and trained. Why? Because Imperial Britain runs on magic and it needs translators from far reaching countries to further it’s goals.What did it make me think about?
Colonialism and all that it has spawned. “Robin saw a great spider’s web in his mind then. Cotton from India to Britain, opium from India to China, silver becoming tea and porcelain in China, and everything flowing back to Britain.”Should I read it?
This was a really impressive and ambitious book. There was so much to admire about this book- the plot line, the deep knowledge of linguistics and history, and the author’s ability to demonstrate the affect of colonialism on so much of the world. I am not much of a reader of fantasy but this book drew me in. It seemed more like a work of historical fiction- with a little alchemy thrown in for fun. My only wish was that the characters had been more deeply drawn.Quote-
” ‘That’s just what translation is, I think. That’s all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your own biases to glimpse what they’re trying to say. Showing yourself to the world, and hoping someone else understands.’ “What’s it about?
In 1829 cholera hits the Far East. Robin Swift is just a boy in Canton when his whole family succumbs to the disease. He is near death himself when Professor Lovell shows up and rescues him. But Professor Lovell has a purpose in mind- to make Robin an asset to Britain. Robin is to become a translator at Oxford University’s Royal Institute of Translation- otherwise known as Babel. By the time he reaches Babel he will be proficient in not only English and Mandarin, but also in Latin and Greek. Robin finally meets other students that he can relate to at Babel. Those students that the British empire has brought over and trained. Why? Because Imperial Britain runs on magic and it needs translators from far reaching countries to further it’s goals.
What did it make me think about?
Colonialism and all that it has spawned. “Robin saw a great spider’s web in his mind then. Cotton from India to Britain, opium from India to China, silver becoming tea and porcelain in China, and everything flowing back to Britain.”
Should I read it?
This was a really impressive and ambitious book. There was so much to admire about this book- the plot line, the deep knowledge of linguistics and history, and the author’s ability to demonstrate the affect of colonialism on so much of the world. I am not much of a reader of fantasy but this book drew me in. It seemed more like a work of historical fiction- with a little alchemy thrown in for fun. My only wish was that the characters had been more deeply drawn.
Quote-
” ‘That’s just what translation is, I think. That’s all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your own biases to glimpse what they’re trying to say. Showing yourself to the world, and hoping someone else understands.’ “
