Babel By R.F. Kuang
I sat down to read R.F. Kuang’s Babel shortly after returning from London. During my final days there, I visited the Docklands Museum. Away from the crowds and plundered glories of the British Museum, this quiet, multi-level museum records London's history and the diverse people who shaped the city into what it is today.
It showcased London as a city built by colonialism and supported by an empire that prospered from the transatlantic slave trade. Set in 1830s Oxford, Babel (alternatively titled The Necessity of Violence) shines an unapologetic light on systemic racism through the power of words.
In this alternate reality, language and translation possess magical properties, and it is the use and abuse of this resource that grants the British Empire its overarching wealth and control, rather than commodities like sugar and tobacco.
Reflecting true history with a twist, Kuang’s novel is less concerned with its mild fantasy element and instead focuses on highlighting the unjust marginalisation and exploitation that fuelled economic prosperity.
The story follows Robin, a poor Chinese boy plucked from the streets of Canton by an Oxford academic who wishes to educate and provide for him so that he can enter the prestigious Royal Institute of Translation (known as ‘Babel’) at Oxford University. In a world where language holds ultimate power, Robin’s mastery of his native Cantonese, considered exotic by the British, makes him a valuable asset to the school. As he assimilates into elite society, Robin struggles to identify where he belongs, swept up in the utopic vision of Oxford’s glory but burdened with guilt for feeling that he is betraying his own culture and homeland by trying to fit in and allowing himself to be exploited.
This book is weighty, both literally and emotionally. That said, after I got through the initial few chapters, I couldn’t put it down and flew through the rest. The plot thickens in a high-stakes manner, and while the characterisation is less developed than I would have preferred, the book vividly transports you to the places it describes.
Divisive among the reading community (people tend to either love it or hate it), I think it’s a great novel for discussion that truly forces the reader to confront difficult subject matter in an engaging way.
Karolina
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