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{{short description|2022 novel by R. F. Kuang}} {{short description|2022 novel by R. F. Kuang}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}


{{Infobox book {{Infobox book
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| caption = | caption =
| author = ] | author = ]
| audio_read_by = | audio_read_by = Chris Lew Kum Hoi<br>Billie Fulford-Brown
| illustrator = | cover_artist = Nico Delort
| cover_artist =
| country = United States | country = United States
| language = English | language = English
| series = | series =
⚫ | genre = ], ]
| release_number =
⚫ | genre = ]
| set_in = ], 1836 | set_in = ], 1836
| publisher = ] | publisher = ]
| publisher2 = | publisher2 =
| pub_date = August 23, 2022 | pub_date = August 23, 2022
| media_type = Print, digital | media_type = Print, ebook
| pages = 545 | pages = 545 pp.
| awards = | awards =
| isbn = 9780063021426 | isbn = 9780063021426
| isbn_note = Hardcover | isbn_note = <br>(hardcover 1st ed.)
| oclc = | oclc = 1322235897
| dewey = | dewey = 813/.6
| congress = | congress = PS3611.U17 B33 2022b
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
| notes = | notes =
| website = | website =
}} }}


'''''Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution''''' is a 2022 novel of ] by ]. It debuted at the first spot on ],<ref name=":0" /> and won ] Books of the Year for Fiction in 2022 and the 2022 ].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=October 27, 2022 |title=Awards: Arthur C. Clarke Winner; Blackwell's Books of the Year |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4347 |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=]}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Templeton |first=Molly |date=2023-05-15 |title=Here Are the Winners of the 2022 Nebula Awards! |url=https://www.tor.com/2023/05/15/here-are-the-winners-of-the-2022-nebula-awards/ |access-date=2023-05-15 |website=Tor.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Thematically similar to '']'', Kuang's first book series, the book criticizes ], ], and the complicity of ] in perpetuating and enabling them. '''''Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution''''' is a 2022 novel of ] by ] set in 1830s England. Thematically similar to '']'' (2018–20), Kuang's first book series, the book criticizes ] and ], and the complicity of ] in perpetuating and enabling them.


''Babel'' is set in an alternate-reality 1830s England in which Britain's global economic and colonial supremacy are fueled by the use of magical silver bars. Their power comes from capturing what is "lost in translation" between words in different languages that have similar, but not identical, meanings. Silver bars inscribed with such 'match-pairs' can increase industrial and agricultural production, improve the accuracy of bullets, heal injuries, and more. To create and harness this power, ] created the Royal Institute of Translation, nicknamed "Babel", where scholars work to find match-pairs. The plot is focused on four new students at the institute, their growing awareness that their academic efforts maintain Britain's imperialist supremacy, their debate over how to prevent the ], and the use of violence. ''Babel'' take place in an ] in which Britain's global economic and colonial supremacy are fueled by the use of magical silver bars. Their power comes from capturing what is "lost in translation" between words in different languages that have similar, but not identical, meanings. Silver bars inscribed with such "match-pairs" can increase industrial and agricultural production, improve the accuracy of bullets, heal injuries, and more. To harness this power, ] created the Royal Institute of Translation, nicknamed "Babel", where scholars work to find match-pairs. The plot is focused on four new students at the institute, their growing awareness that their academic efforts maintain Britain's imperialist supremacy, their debate over how to prevent the ], and the use of violence.

It debuted at the first spot on ], and won ] Books of the Year for Fiction in 2022 and the 2022 ].


== Plot == == Plot ==
An orphan from ] is adopted by Richard Lovell, a Babel professor, and takes the English name Robin Swift. Lovell has Robin tutored in Latin and Greek as well as Mandarin in order to prepare him for admission to Babel. It quickly becomes apparent that Lovell is Robin's biological father, but neither is willing to discuss this out loud. One day, Robin embarrasses Lovell by being late to one of his lessons and is brutally beaten and threatened with being returned to Canton to live in poverty. Nevertheless, Robin excels in his studies and, after seven years, is accepted into Babel. An orphan from ] is taken in by Richard Lovell, a Babel professor, and takes the English name Robin Swift. Lovell has Robin tutored in Latin and Greek as well as Mandarin in order to prepare him for admission to Babel. It quickly becomes apparent that Lovell is Robin's biological father, but neither is willing to discuss this out loud. One day, Robin embarrasses Lovell by being late to one of his lessons and is brutally beaten and threatened with being returned to Canton to live in poverty. Nevertheless, Robin excels in his studies and, after seven years, is accepted into Babel.


Robin quickly befriends the other members of his first-year cohort: Ramy from ], Victoire from ], and Letty, a ] admiral's daughter. There they learn that the effectiveness of translating European languages into English is diminishing and that "exotic" languages like ], ], and ] are considered the future of translation magic. In his first week, Robin encounters Griffin, his elder half-brother—another half-Chinese son of Professor Lovell—who recruits him into the Hermes Society, a clandestine organization seeking to undermine Britain's silver supremacy. Griffin explains to Robin how Babel exploits the languages of foreign nations only in order to solidify the British Empire's dominance over them. Robin goes along with Griffin's plans, abetting thefts of silver bars to aid Hermes, but remains conflicted, torn between his distaste for British colonial excess and inequality and his potential comfortable future as an imperial translator. This tension leads him to eventually break contact with Griffin and Hermes in his third year at Oxford. Robin quickly befriends the other members of his first-year cohort: Ramy from ], Victoire from ], and Letty, a ] admiral's daughter. There they learn that the effectiveness of translating European languages into English is diminishing and that "exotic" languages like ], ], and ] are considered the future of translation magic. In his first week, Robin encounters Griffin, his elder half-brother—another half-Chinese son of Professor Lovell—who recruits him into the Hermes Society, a clandestine organization seeking to undermine Britain's silver supremacy. Griffin explains to Robin how Babel exploits the languages of foreign nations only in order to solidify the British Empire's dominance over them. Robin goes along with Griffin's plans, abetting thefts of silver bars to aid Hermes, but remains conflicted, torn between his distaste for British colonial excess and inequality and his potential comfortable future as an imperial translator. This tension leads him to eventually break contact with Griffin and Hermes in his third year at Oxford.


Robin, Ramy, Victoire, and Letty join Lovell on a sea-trip to Canton to act as translators in the escalating conflict between the ] and British Empire over the Qing refusal to allow ] or opium to enter China. Robin witnesses the contempt the British have for the Chinese and, after meeting with ], the official sent to stop the opium trade, and witnessing an opium den firsthand, he refuses to be a part of any British project there. When Lin ] of confiscated opium, the Babel affiliates depart for England. On shipboard, Lovell again berates Robin for his supposed complicity with the Qing. However, Robin refuses to back down, and kills Lovell by using a silver bar to blow a hole in his chest. Ramy, Victoire, and Letty help Robin dispose of the body and hide their crime. Robin, Ramy, Victoire, and Letty join Lovell on a sea-trip to Canton to act as translators in the escalating conflict between the ] and British Empire over the Qing refusal to allow ] or opium to enter China. Robin witnesses the contempt the British have for the Chinese and, after meeting with ], the official sent to stop the opium trade, and witnessing an opium den firsthand, he develops reservations about the British project there. When Lin ] of confiscated opium, the Babel affiliates depart for England. On shipboard, Lovell again berates Robin for his supposed complicity with the Qing. However, Robin refuses to back down, and kills Lovell by using a silver bar to blow a hole in his chest. Ramy, Victoire, and Letty help Robin dispose of the body and hide their crime.


Once they return to Britain, they discover in Lovell's effects that the negotiations in China were a sham; Lovell and others were only trying to create a pretext for war, allowing Britain to seize China's stockpiles of silver. Letty walks in on Robin, Ramy, and Victoire discussing Hermes business, but she swears to stand by them after they explain their experiences of discrimination and the scale of British imperial atrocity. The group contacts Hermes, whose members opt to lobby Parliament and whip up public opposition to war with China with a pamphlet campaign. Griffin confides in Robin that he believes only violence can bring the empire down and teaches Robin to use firearms. However, Letty betrays them and, as the police raid the Hermes headquarters, shoots and kills Ramy. Once they return to Britain, they discover in Lovell's effects that the negotiations in China were a sham; Lovell and others were only trying to create a pretext for war, allowing Britain to seize China's stockpiles of silver. Letty walks in on Robin, Ramy, and Victoire discussing Hermes business, but she swears to stand by them after they explain their experiences of discrimination and the scale of British imperial atrocity. The group contacts Hermes, whose members opt to lobby Parliament and whip up public opposition to war with China with a pamphlet campaign. Griffin confides in Robin that he believes only violence can bring the empire down and teaches Robin to use firearms. However, Letty betrays them and, as the police raid the Hermes headquarters, shoots and kills Ramy.


Griffin breaks Victoire and Robin out of prison, but is killed during the escape. The pair decide that only force can hope to succeed, and resolve to capture Babel's college tower. They enter the college, recruiting a few of the students and faculty while expelling the rest. They start removing the resonance rods that allow the translation magic across Britain to function, throwing the country into disarray, and announce their intent to continue doing so until their demands for peace with China are met. They attract supporters among radicals and reformers, who fortify Oxford against the British army. After weeks of sabotage, culminating with the destruction of ], Letty arrives to plead with them to surrender, promising that the army will raid the tower at dawn. Robin, spiraling into despair since Canton, resolves to destroy the tower and its contents and render its silver useless for future enchantment. Victoire escapes into hiding, and Robin and the remaining Babel scholars destroy the tower with themselves inside, crippling the Silver Industrial Revolution and leaving the future of the British Empire uncertain.<ref>{{cite news |last=Liptak |first=Andrew |date=May 6, 2021 |title=Poppy War Author R.F. Kuang Announces New Novel, Babel |work=] |url=https://www.tor.com/2021/05/06/poppy-war-rf-kuang-announces-new-novel-babel/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Kuang |first=Rebecca |date=May 5, 2021 |title=Announcing BABEL, out August 2022 |url=https://tinyletter.com/kuangrf/letters/announcing-babel-out-august-2022 |work=R.F. Kuang Author Newsletter}}</ref> Griffin breaks Victoire and Robin out of prison, but is killed during the escape. The pair decide that only force can hope to succeed, and resolve to capture Babel's college tower. They enter the college, recruiting a few of the students and faculty while expelling the rest. They start removing the resonance rods that allow the translation magic across Britain to function, throwing the country into disarray, and announce their intent to continue doing so until their demands for peace with China are met. They attract supporters among radicals and reformers, who fortify Oxford against the British army. Without access to Babel and its ledgers, other translators cannot maintain the silverwork supporting Britain's infrastructure, culminating with the destruction of ], Letty arrives to plead with them to surrender, promising that the army will raid the tower at dawn. Robin, spiraling into despair since Canton, resolves to destroy the tower and its contents and render its silver useless for future enchantment. Victoire escapes into hiding, and Robin and the remaining Babel scholars destroy the tower with themselves inside, crippling the Silver Industrial Revolution and leaving the future of the British Empire uncertain.<ref>{{cite news |last=Liptak |first=Andrew |date=May 6, 2021 |title=Poppy War Author R.F. Kuang Announces New Novel, Babel |work=] |url=https://www.tor.com/2021/05/06/poppy-war-rf-kuang-announces-new-novel-babel/ |access-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-date=May 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515234324/https://www.tor.com/2021/05/06/poppy-war-rf-kuang-announces-new-novel-babel/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Kuang |first=Rebecca |date=May 5, 2021 |title=Announcing BABEL, out August 2022 |url=https://tinyletter.com/kuangrf/letters/announcing-babel-out-august-2022 |work=R.F. Kuang Author Newsletter |access-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-date=December 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206151834/https://tinyletter.com/kuangrf/letters/announcing-babel-out-august-2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>


==Characters== ==Characters==
'''Robin Swift''': The main character. His mother's family were formerly merchants driven to poverty by his uncle's opium addiction. Able to pass for white in certain lights, Robin feels conflicted by his desire to be accepted by Babel and his father, Professor Lovell, and his growing understanding that the system they perpetuate is indefensibly immoral. '''Robin Swift''': The main character. His mother's family were formerly merchants driven to poverty by his uncle's opium addiction. Able to pass for white in certain lights, Robin feels conflicted by his desire to be accepted by Babel and his father, Professor Lovell, and his growing understanding that the system they perpetuate is indefensibly immoral.


'''Ramiz Rafi''' "'''Ramy'''" '''Mirza''': A Muslim Indian student from Calcutta and Robin's best friend and roommate. '''Ramiz Rafi''' "'''Ramy'''" '''Mirza''': A Muslim Indian student from Calcutta and Robin's best friend. Ramy was taken from his family by sir Horace Wilson, and lived on his estate in Yorkshire before being sent to Babel. Ramy draws much attention in Oxford, so he takes it as an opportunity to dazzle. He is loud, brilliant, and absurdly charming.


'''Letitia''' "'''Letty'''" '''Price''': The daughter of a British former admiral and Victoire's roommate. Her brother attended Babel before she did, but was seemingly unfit to the Classic studies. He died in an accident, and only then was Letty allowed to study in Oxford. She experiences the unfair treatment of misognyny of 1830s England and can thereby relate to her friends. But she doesn't see the blatant racism her best friend, Victoire, has to go through. '''Letitia''' "'''Letty'''" '''Price''': The daughter of a British former admiral and Victoire's roommate. Her brother attended Babel before she did, but was seemingly unfit to the Classic studies. He died in an accident, and only then was Letty allowed to study in Oxford. She experiences the unfair treatment of misogyny of 1830s England and can thereby relate to her friends. But she doesn't see the blatant racism her best friend, Victoire, has to go through.


'''Victoire Desgraves''': A Haitian student raised in France and Letty's roommate. Her speciality is French, specifically Kreyol. '''Victoire Desgraves''': A Haitian student raised in France and Letty's roommate. Victoire lived in slavery in France, reading books and studying throughout her time there, she soon learned about Babel. Victoire forged a letter asking for her to be a student when she was able, and left her old life behind. Victoire is remarkably resilient and moral, she is often the peace keeper in heated discussion.


'''Professor Richard Lovell''': A professor of Chinese and committed imperialist. Cold and unyielding, he fathered both Griffin and Robin to create bilingual Chinese students for Babel. '''Professor Richard Lovell''': A professor of Chinese and committed imperialist. Cold and unyielding, he fathered both Griffin and Robin to create bilingual Chinese students for Babel.


'''Mrs. Piper''': Lovell's kindly housekeeper and a mother figure to Robin. '''Mrs. Piper''': Lovell's kindly, Scottish housekeeper.


'''Griffin Harley''': Robin's half-brother by their shared father. Member of the Hermes Society. Similar in personality and mannerism to their father, Griffin is brutal and fully committed to bring the British Empire down by any means necessary. '''Griffin Lovell''': Robin's half-brother by their shared father. Member of the Hermes Society. Griffin believes the British Empire will only be brought down by violent means.

'''Anthony Ribben''': An older student at Babel and the member of the Hermes Society who recruits Victoire and Ramy. Anthony Ribben was enslaved as a boy, though his owner was an abolitionist. Anthony escaped to England, where Oxford University helped establish him as legally free. Unlike Griffin, Anthony believes that social change can be brought about by non-violent means, from pamphlets and public opinion to blackmailing members of Parliament.


== Reception == == Reception ==


=== Reviews === === Reviews ===
''Babel'' debuted in September 2022 at the top spot on ] for hardcover fiction.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |date=September 11, 2022 |title=Hardcover Fiction |newspaper=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2022/09/11/hardcover-fiction/}}</ref>''<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2022 |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-lists/best-science-fiction-and-fantasy-2022/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=]|language=en}}</ref>'' It was generally well received, including starred reviews from '']''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Lockley |first=Lucy |date=July 2022 |title=Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution |url=https://www.booklistonline.com/Babel-Or-the-Necessity-of-Violence-An-Arcane-History-of-the-Oxford-Translators-Revolution-/pid=9763893 |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=]}}</ref> and '']''.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=July 13, 2022 |title=Babel |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/rf-kuang/babel-kuang/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=]}}</ref> ''Booklist'' called the novel "engaging" and "richly descriptive,"<ref name=":3" /> while ''Kirkus'' said it was "ambitious and powerful while displaying a deep love of language and literature".<ref name=":4" /> ''Kirkus'' further called it "an expansive, sympathetic, and nevertheless scathing critique of Western imperialism and how individuals are forced to make their peace with the system and survive or to fight back and face the consequences."<ref name=":4" /> ], writing for '']'' wrote, "''Babel'' derives its power from sustaining a contradiction, from trying to hold in your head both love and hatred for the charming thing that sustains itself by devouring you."<ref>{{Cite news |last=El-Mohtar |first=Amal |date=2022-10-14 |title=The Magic of Translation |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/14/books/review/babel-anchored-world-self-portrait-with-nothing.html |access-date=2022-11-27 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> ''Babel'' debuted in September 2022 at the top spot on ] for hardcover fiction.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |date=September 11, 2022 |title=Hardcover Fiction |newspaper=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2022/09/11/hardcover-fiction/ |access-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-date=September 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929065101/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2022/09/11/hardcover-fiction/ |url-status=live }}</ref>''<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2022 |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-lists/best-science-fiction-and-fantasy-2022/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |language=en |archive-date=November 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221124132341/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-lists/best-science-fiction-and-fantasy-2022/ |url-status=live }}</ref>'' It was generally well received, including starred reviews from '']''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Lockley |first=Lucy |date=July 2022 |title=Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution |url=https://www.booklistonline.com/Babel-Or-the-Necessity-of-Violence-An-Arcane-History-of-the-Oxford-Translators-Revolution-/pid=9763893 |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127181935/https://www.booklistonline.com/Babel-Or-the-Necessity-of-Violence-An-Arcane-History-of-the-Oxford-Translators-Revolution-/pid=9763893 |url-status=live }}</ref> and '']''.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=July 13, 2022 |title=Babel |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/rf-kuang/babel-kuang/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127184939/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/rf-kuang/babel-kuang/ |url-status=live }}</ref> According to ], the book received a "positive" consensus, based on nine critic reviews: six "rave", two "positive", and one "pan".<ref>{{cite web|title=Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution|url=https://bookmarks.reviews/reviews/babel-or-the-necessity-of-violence-an-arcane-history-of-the-oxford-translators-revolution/|work=Book Marks|access-date=May 7, 2020}}</ref>


''Booklist'' called the novel "engaging" and "richly descriptive".<ref name=":3" /> while ''Kirkus'' said it was "ambitious and powerful while displaying a deep love of language and literature".<ref name=":4" /> ''Kirkus'' further called it "an expansive, sympathetic, and nevertheless scathing critique of Western imperialism and how individuals are forced to make their peace with the system and survive or to fight back and face the consequences".<ref name=":4" /> ], writing for '']'' wrote, "''Babel'' derives its power from sustaining a contradiction, from trying to hold in your head both love and hatred for the charming thing that sustains itself by devouring you."<ref>{{Cite news |last=El-Mohtar |first=Amal |date=2022-10-14 |title=The Magic of Translation |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/14/books/review/babel-anchored-world-self-portrait-with-nothing.html |access-date=2022-11-27 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127181934/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/14/books/review/babel-anchored-world-self-portrait-with-nothing.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
⚫ Critics discussed Kuang's attempt to complicate the modern understanding of academia in the 1830s, including the research and footnotes she placed throughout the novel. '']'' said, "This is a scholarly book by a superb scholar," noting that "the pages are heavy with footnotes; not the more usual whimsical ones ... but academic notes, hectoring and preachy."<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Pulley |first=Natasha |date=2022-09-10 |title=Babel by RF Kuang review – an ingenious fantasy about empire |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/sep/10/babel-by-rf-kuang-review-an-ingenious-fantasy-about-empire |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |language=en}}</ref> The review remarked that the characters "are pretentious, but vulnerable too, and the balance is lovely".<ref name=":5" /> Similarly, the '']'' highlighted how ''Babel'' "educates and urges us to reframe—to (re)translate—the dominant narrative of what the West calls its civilization."<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Rabuzzi |first=Daniel |date=2022-08-25 |title=Translation as Oppression and Liberation in "Babel" |url=https://chireviewofbooks.com/2022/08/25/translation-as-oppression-and-liberation-in-babel/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=Chicago Review of Books |language=en-US}}</ref> They called the novel "brilliant both in concept and execution, ... a page-turner with footnotes, a thriller with a higher purpose, a ''Bildungsroman'' where the stakes matter."<ref name=":6" /> '']'' echoed the sentiment, writing about how Kuang "prompts readers to question the ethics of both empire and academia."<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Fletcher |first=Lydia |date=July 1, 2022 |title=Babel; or, The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution |url=https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/babel-or-the-necessity-of-violence-an-arcane-history-of-the-oxford-translators-revolution-1790455 |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=]}}</ref>


⚫ Critics discussed Kuang's attempt to complicate the modern understanding of academia in the 1830s, including the research and footnotes she placed throughout the novel. '']'' said, "This is a scholarly book by a superb scholar", noting that "the pages are heavy with footnotes; not the more usual whimsical ones ... but academic notes, hectoring and preachy."<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Pulley |first=Natasha |date=2022-09-10 |title=Babel by RF Kuang review – an ingenious fantasy about empire |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/sep/10/babel-by-rf-kuang-review-an-ingenious-fantasy-about-empire |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |language=en |archive-date=August 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804034249/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/sep/10/babel-by-rf-kuang-review-an-ingenious-fantasy-about-empire |url-status=live }}</ref> The review remarked that the characters "are pretentious, but vulnerable too, and the balance is lovely".<ref name=":5" /> Similarly, the '']'' highlighted how ''Babel'' "educates and urges us to reframe—to (re)translate—the dominant narrative of what the West calls its civilization."<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Rabuzzi |first=Daniel |date=2022-08-25 |title=Translation as Oppression and Liberation in "Babel" |url=https://chireviewofbooks.com/2022/08/25/translation-as-oppression-and-liberation-in-babel/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=Chicago Review of Books |language=en-US |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127181935/https://chireviewofbooks.com/2022/08/25/translation-as-oppression-and-liberation-in-babel/ |url-status=live }}</ref> They called the novel "brilliant both in concept and execution, ... a page-turner with footnotes, a thriller with a higher purpose, a ''Bildungsroman'' where the stakes matter".<ref name=":6" /> '']'' echoed the sentiment, writing about how Kuang "prompts readers to question the ethics of both empire and academia".<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Fletcher |first=Lydia |date=July 1, 2022 |title=Babel; or, The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution |url=https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/babel-or-the-necessity-of-violence-an-arcane-history-of-the-oxford-translators-revolution-1790455 |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127181935/https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/babel-or-the-necessity-of-violence-an-arcane-history-of-the-oxford-translators-revolution-1790455 |url-status=live }}</ref>
⚫ There were also qualified or negative reviews. ] noted that ''Babel'' is "a meticulously researched period piece, a primal scream from the traditionally unheard."<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Baugher Milas |first=Lacy |date=2022-08-21 |title=Babel Is an Ambitious Epic That Doesn't Trust Its Audience Enough |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/books/r-f-kuang/babel-review-r-f-kuang/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |language=en}}</ref> However, they added, "its determination to make sure its (admittedly important) message is heard, means a significant chunk of this doorstopper's 500+ pages feels didactic and lecture-y, rather than fully transformative."<ref name=":8" /> '']'' negatively reviewed the novel, saying, "Kuang underwhelms with a didactic, unsubtle take on dark academia and imperialism."<ref name=":9" /> They explained, the "narrative is frequently interrupted by lectures on why imperialism is bad, not trusting the reader or the plot itself enough to know that this message will be clear from the events as they unfold. Kuang assumes an audience that disagrees with her, and the result keeps readers who are already aware of the evils of racism and empire at arm's length. The characters, meanwhile, often feel dubiously motivated."<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |date=2022-03-04 |title=Babel by R F Kuang |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780063021426 |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=]}}</ref>

⚫ There were also qualified or negative reviews. ] noted that ''Babel'' is "a meticulously researched period piece, a primal scream from the traditionally unheard".<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Baugher Milas |first=Lacy |date=2022-08-21 |title=Babel Is an Ambitious Epic That Doesn't Trust Its Audience Enough |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/books/r-f-kuang/babel-review-r-f-kuang/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |language=en |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127181935/https://www.pastemagazine.com/books/r-f-kuang/babel-review-r-f-kuang/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, they added, "its determination to make sure its (admittedly important) message is heard, means a significant chunk of this doorstopper's 500+ pages feels didactic and lecture-y, rather than fully transformative."<ref name=":8" /> '']'' negatively reviewed the novel, saying, "Kuang underwhelms with a didactic, unsubtle take on dark academia and imperialism."<ref name=":9" /> They explained, the "narrative is frequently interrupted by lectures on why imperialism is bad, not trusting the reader or the plot itself enough to know that this message will be clear from the events as they unfold. Kuang assumes an audience that disagrees with her, and the result keeps readers who are already aware of the evils of racism and empire at arm's length. The characters, meanwhile, often feel dubiously motivated."<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |date=2022-03-04 |title=Babel by R F Kuang |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780063021426 |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205102949/https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780063021426 |url-status=live }}</ref>


=== Awards and honors === === Awards and honors ===
],<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-11-17 |title=Amazon Best Books of 2022 |url=https://locusmag.com/2022/11/amazon-best-books-of-2022/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref> ''],<ref name=":2" />'' ],<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-11-22 |title=NPR's Best Books of 2022 |url=https://locusmag.com/2022/11/nprs-best-books-of-2022/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2022 |title=Books We Love (2022) |work=] |year=2022}}</ref> and '']''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-21 |title=The Washington Post's Best SFF of 2022 |url=https://locusmag.com/2022/11/the-washington-posts-best-sff-of-2022/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2022/11/17/best-sci-fi-fantasy/ |title=The 9 best science fiction and fantasy novels of 2022 |first=Charlie Jane |last=Anders |date=November 17, 2022 |newspaper=]}}</ref> named ''Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence'' one of the best fantasy books of the year. ] named it one of the top ten books of the year, regardless of genre.<ref>{{Cite web |last=locusmag |date=2022-10-11 |title=Barnes & Noble Best Books of the Year 2022 |url=https://locusmag.com/2022/10/barnes-noble-best-books-of-the-year-2022/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=Locus Online |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=October 17, 2022 |title=Awards: B&N's Discover Winner, Best Books of 2022 |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4339 |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/books/science-fiction-fantasy/_/N-29Z8q8Z180l |title=2022 B&N Speculative Fiction Book Award Winner |work=]}}</ref> ],<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-11-17 |title=Amazon Best Books of 2022 |url=https://locusmag.com/2022/11/amazon-best-books-of-2022/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |language=en-US |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127171110/https://locusmag.com/2022/11/amazon-best-books-of-2022/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''],<ref name=":2" />'' ],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2022 |title=Books We Love (2022) |work=] |year=2022 |access-date=December 8, 2022 |archive-date=July 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708074303/https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2022 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-11-22 |title=NPR's Best Books of 2022 |url=https://locusmag.com/2022/11/nprs-best-books-of-2022/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126101603/https://locusmag.com/2022/11/nprs-best-books-of-2022/ |archive-date=November 26, 2022 |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref> and '']''<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2022/11/17/best-sci-fi-fantasy/ |title=The 9 best science fiction and fantasy novels of 2022 |first=Charlie Jane |last=Anders |date=November 17, 2022 |newspaper=] |access-date=December 8, 2022 |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209001732/https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2022/11/17/best-sci-fi-fantasy/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-21 |title=The Washington Post's Best SFF of 2022 |url=https://locusmag.com/2022/11/the-washington-posts-best-sff-of-2022/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127171138/https://locusmag.com/2022/11/the-washington-posts-best-sff-of-2022/ |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref> named ''Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence'' one of the best fantasy books of the year. ] named it one of the top ten books of the year, regardless of genre.<ref>{{Cite web |last=locusmag |date=2022-10-11 |title=Barnes & Noble Best Books of the Year 2022 |url=https://locusmag.com/2022/10/barnes-noble-best-books-of-the-year-2022/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=Locus Online |language=en-US |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127171109/https://locusmag.com/2022/10/barnes-noble-best-books-of-the-year-2022/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=October 17, 2022 |title=Awards: B&N's Discover Winner, Best Books of 2022 |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4339 |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |archive-date=November 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130072248/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4339 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/books/science-fiction-fantasy/_/N-29Z8q8Z180l |title=2022 B&N Speculative Fiction Book Award Winner |work=] |access-date=December 8, 2022 |archive-date=December 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208071558/https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/books/science-fiction-fantasy/_/N-29Z8q8Z180l |url-status=live }}</ref>


The administrators of the 2023 ]s, held at ], ruled ''Babel'' not eligible for nomination without further explanation.<ref>https://www.thehugoawards.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-Hugo-Award-Stats-Final.pdf</ref><ref>https://locusmag.com/2024/01/2023-hugo-awards-lodestar-award-and-astounding-award-nominations-released/</ref> The administrators of the 2023 ]s, held at ], ruled ''Babel'' not eligible for nomination without further explanation.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.thehugoawards.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-Hugo-Award-Stats-Final.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=January 20, 2024 |archive-date=August 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804034147/https://www.thehugoawards.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-Hugo-Award-Stats-Final.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2024-01-20 |title=2023 Hugo Awards, Lodestar Award, and Astounding Award Nominations Released |url=https://locusmag.com/2024/01/2023-hugo-awards-lodestar-award-and-astounding-award-nominations-released/ |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=Locus Online |language=en-US |archive-date=January 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240120215349/https://locusmag.com/2024/01/2023-hugo-awards-lodestar-award-and-astounding-award-nominations-released/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A later report based on emails shared from the awards' administrative panel revealed that the book was likely ruled ineligible in an attempt to avoid running afoul of ] laws.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hawkins |first=Amy |date=2024-02-15 |title=Authors 'excluded from Hugo awards over China concerns' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/15/authors-excluded-from-hugo-awards-over-china-concerns |access-date=2024-02-26 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=February 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240216100944/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/15/authors-excluded-from-hugo-awards-over-china-concerns |url-status=live }}</ref>


{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" {| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Awards for ''Babel''
!Year !Year
!Award ! colspan="2" |Award
!Result !Result
!Ref. !Ref.
|- |-
| rowspan="4" |2022 ! rowspan="5" |2022
|] Books of the Year for Fiction |] Books of the Year
|Fiction
|{{won}}
|'''Winner'''
|<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=October 27, 2022 |title=Awards: Arthur C. Clarke Winner; Blackwell's Books of the Year |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4347 |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |archive-date=March 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326025715/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4347 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|<ref name=":1" />
|- |-
|] for Fantasy |]
|Fantasy
|{{nom}}
|Nominee
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence |url=https://www.goodreads.com/work/best_book/90789229-babel |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=]}}</ref> |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence |url=https://www.goodreads.com/work/best_book/90789229-babel |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |archive-date=April 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428213446/https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57945316-babel |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
⚫ |]
|]
|{{won}}
|<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Templeton |first=Molly |date=2023-05-15 |title=Here Are the Winners of the 2022 Nebula Awards! |url=https://www.tor.com/2023/05/15/here-are-the-winners-of-the-2022-nebula-awards/ |access-date=2023-05-15 |website=Tor.com |language=en-US |archive-date=May 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515140116/https://www.tor.com/2023/05/15/here-are-the-winners-of-the-2022-nebula-awards/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|New England Book Award
|—
|{{Sho}}
|
|- |-
|] |]
|—
|Shortlist |{{Shortlist}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-10-27 |title=Waterstones Book of the Year 2022 Shortlist |url=https://locusmag.com/2022/10/waterstones-book-of-the-year-2022-shortlist/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=October 28, 2022 |title=Awards: Kirkus Winners; Waterstones Book of the Year Shortlist |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4348 |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=]}}</ref> |<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-10-27 |title=Waterstones Book of the Year 2022 Shortlist |url=https://locusmag.com/2022/10/waterstones-book-of-the-year-2022-shortlist/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |language=en-US |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127171110/https://locusmag.com/2022/10/waterstones-book-of-the-year-2022-shortlist/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=October 28, 2022 |title=Awards: Kirkus Winners; Waterstones Book of the Year Shortlist |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4348 |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=] |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127181936/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4348 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|- |-
! rowspan="6" |2023
⚫ |]
|]
|'''Winner'''
|—
|<ref name=":10" />
|{{Won}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=2023 Alex Awards {{!}} Young Adult Library Services Association |url=https://www.ala.org/yalsa/2023-alex-awards |access-date=2024-12-24 |website=www.ala.org |language=en}}</ref>
|- |-
⚫ |]
|2023
|Fiction
⚫ |] for Fiction
|{{won}}
|Winner
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hassan |first=Beril Naz |date=2023-05-16 |title=British Book Awards 2023: Full list of this year’s winners |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/british-book-awards-2023-winners-list-b1081396.html |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}</ref> |<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hassan |first=Beril Naz |date=2023-05-16 |title=British Book Awards 2023: Full list of this year's winners |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/british-book-awards-2023-winners-list-b1081396.html |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=Evening Standard |language=en |archive-date=January 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117130230/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/british-book-awards-2023-winners-list-b1081396.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|]
|]
|{{Sho}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=2023 Nominees – The Dragon Award |url=https://awards.dragoncon.org/2023-dragon-award-ballot/ |access-date=2024-12-24 |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|]
|Adult Fantasy
|{{Sho}}
|
|-
|]
|]
|{{won}}
|<ref>{{cite web |title=2023 Locus Awards Winners |url=https://locusmag.com/2023/06/2023-locus-awards-winners/ |website=Locus Awards |date=25 June 2023 |access-date=24 January 2024 |archive-date=June 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629041745/https://locusmag.com/2023/06/2023-locus-awards-winners/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|]
|Fantasy
|{{Sho}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-19 |title=The Reading List |url=https://rusaupdate.org/awards/the-reading-list/ |access-date=2024-12-24 |website=RUSA Update |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
! rowspan="2" |2024
|(Booksellers) Indie Book Award
|Fiction
|{{Sho}}
|
|-
|Prix Imaginales
|Meilleur roman étranger
|{{Sho}}
|
|} |}


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{{reflist}} {{reflist}}


== External links ==

* '''' at ]
*
{{Locus Award Best Fantasy Novel}} {{Locus Award Best Fantasy Novel}}
{{Nebula Award Best Novel}} {{Nebula Award Best Novel}}
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] ]
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Latest revision as of 01:36, 24 December 2024

2022 novel by R. F. Kuang

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence
AuthorR. F. Kuang
Audio read byChris Lew Kum Hoi
Billie Fulford-Brown
Cover artistNico Delort
LanguageEnglish
GenreSpeculative fiction, alternative history
Set inOxford, England, 1836
PublisherHarper Voyager
Publication dateAugust 23, 2022
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint, ebook
Pages545 pp.
ISBN9780063021426
(hardcover 1st ed.)
OCLC1322235897
Dewey Decimal813/.6
LC ClassPS3611.U17 B33 2022b

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution is a 2022 novel of speculative fiction by R. F. Kuang set in 1830s England. Thematically similar to The Poppy War (2018–20), Kuang's first book series, the book criticizes British imperialism and capitalism, and the complicity of academia in perpetuating and enabling them.

Babel take place in an alternative-reality in which Britain's global economic and colonial supremacy are fueled by the use of magical silver bars. Their power comes from capturing what is "lost in translation" between words in different languages that have similar, but not identical, meanings. Silver bars inscribed with such "match-pairs" can increase industrial and agricultural production, improve the accuracy of bullets, heal injuries, and more. To harness this power, Oxford University created the Royal Institute of Translation, nicknamed "Babel", where scholars work to find match-pairs. The plot is focused on four new students at the institute, their growing awareness that their academic efforts maintain Britain's imperialist supremacy, their debate over how to prevent the First Opium War, and the use of violence.

It debuted at the first spot on The New York Times Best Seller list, and won Blackwell's Books of the Year for Fiction in 2022 and the 2022 Nebula Award for Best Novel.

Plot

An orphan from Canton is taken in by Richard Lovell, a Babel professor, and takes the English name Robin Swift. Lovell has Robin tutored in Latin and Greek as well as Mandarin in order to prepare him for admission to Babel. It quickly becomes apparent that Lovell is Robin's biological father, but neither is willing to discuss this out loud. One day, Robin embarrasses Lovell by being late to one of his lessons and is brutally beaten and threatened with being returned to Canton to live in poverty. Nevertheless, Robin excels in his studies and, after seven years, is accepted into Babel.

Robin quickly befriends the other members of his first-year cohort: Ramy from Calcutta, Victoire from Haiti, and Letty, a white British admiral's daughter. There they learn that the effectiveness of translating European languages into English is diminishing and that "exotic" languages like Mandarin, Haitian Creole, and Arabic are considered the future of translation magic. In his first week, Robin encounters Griffin, his elder half-brother—another half-Chinese son of Professor Lovell—who recruits him into the Hermes Society, a clandestine organization seeking to undermine Britain's silver supremacy. Griffin explains to Robin how Babel exploits the languages of foreign nations only in order to solidify the British Empire's dominance over them. Robin goes along with Griffin's plans, abetting thefts of silver bars to aid Hermes, but remains conflicted, torn between his distaste for British colonial excess and inequality and his potential comfortable future as an imperial translator. This tension leads him to eventually break contact with Griffin and Hermes in his third year at Oxford.

Robin, Ramy, Victoire, and Letty join Lovell on a sea-trip to Canton to act as translators in the escalating conflict between the Qing Dynasty and British Empire over the Qing refusal to allow free trade or opium to enter China. Robin witnesses the contempt the British have for the Chinese and, after meeting with Lin Zexu, the official sent to stop the opium trade, and witnessing an opium den firsthand, he develops reservations about the British project there. When Lin burns the stockpile of confiscated opium, the Babel affiliates depart for England. On shipboard, Lovell again berates Robin for his supposed complicity with the Qing. However, Robin refuses to back down, and kills Lovell by using a silver bar to blow a hole in his chest. Ramy, Victoire, and Letty help Robin dispose of the body and hide their crime.

Once they return to Britain, they discover in Lovell's effects that the negotiations in China were a sham; Lovell and others were only trying to create a pretext for war, allowing Britain to seize China's stockpiles of silver. Letty walks in on Robin, Ramy, and Victoire discussing Hermes business, but she swears to stand by them after they explain their experiences of discrimination and the scale of British imperial atrocity. The group contacts Hermes, whose members opt to lobby Parliament and whip up public opposition to war with China with a pamphlet campaign. Griffin confides in Robin that he believes only violence can bring the empire down and teaches Robin to use firearms. However, Letty betrays them and, as the police raid the Hermes headquarters, shoots and kills Ramy.

Griffin breaks Victoire and Robin out of prison, but is killed during the escape. The pair decide that only force can hope to succeed, and resolve to capture Babel's college tower. They enter the college, recruiting a few of the students and faculty while expelling the rest. They start removing the resonance rods that allow the translation magic across Britain to function, throwing the country into disarray, and announce their intent to continue doing so until their demands for peace with China are met. They attract supporters among radicals and reformers, who fortify Oxford against the British army. Without access to Babel and its ledgers, other translators cannot maintain the silverwork supporting Britain's infrastructure, culminating with the destruction of Westminster Bridge, Letty arrives to plead with them to surrender, promising that the army will raid the tower at dawn. Robin, spiraling into despair since Canton, resolves to destroy the tower and its contents and render its silver useless for future enchantment. Victoire escapes into hiding, and Robin and the remaining Babel scholars destroy the tower with themselves inside, crippling the Silver Industrial Revolution and leaving the future of the British Empire uncertain.

Characters

Robin Swift: The main character. His mother's family were formerly merchants driven to poverty by his uncle's opium addiction. Able to pass for white in certain lights, Robin feels conflicted by his desire to be accepted by Babel and his father, Professor Lovell, and his growing understanding that the system they perpetuate is indefensibly immoral.

Ramiz Rafi "Ramy" Mirza: A Muslim Indian student from Calcutta and Robin's best friend. Ramy was taken from his family by sir Horace Wilson, and lived on his estate in Yorkshire before being sent to Babel. Ramy draws much attention in Oxford, so he takes it as an opportunity to dazzle. He is loud, brilliant, and absurdly charming.

Letitia "Letty" Price: The daughter of a British former admiral and Victoire's roommate. Her brother attended Babel before she did, but was seemingly unfit to the Classic studies. He died in an accident, and only then was Letty allowed to study in Oxford. She experiences the unfair treatment of misogyny of 1830s England and can thereby relate to her friends. But she doesn't see the blatant racism her best friend, Victoire, has to go through.

Victoire Desgraves: A Haitian student raised in France and Letty's roommate. Victoire lived in slavery in France, reading books and studying throughout her time there, she soon learned about Babel. Victoire forged a letter asking for her to be a student when she was able, and left her old life behind. Victoire is remarkably resilient and moral, she is often the peace keeper in heated discussion.

Professor Richard Lovell: A professor of Chinese and committed imperialist. Cold and unyielding, he fathered both Griffin and Robin to create bilingual Chinese students for Babel.

Mrs. Piper: Lovell's kindly, Scottish housekeeper.

Griffin Lovell: Robin's half-brother by their shared father. Member of the Hermes Society. Griffin believes the British Empire will only be brought down by violent means.

Anthony Ribben: An older student at Babel and the member of the Hermes Society who recruits Victoire and Ramy. Anthony Ribben was enslaved as a boy, though his owner was an abolitionist. Anthony escaped to England, where Oxford University helped establish him as legally free. Unlike Griffin, Anthony believes that social change can be brought about by non-violent means, from pamphlets and public opinion to blackmailing members of Parliament.

Reception

Reviews

Babel debuted in September 2022 at the top spot on The New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover fiction. It was generally well received, including starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus Reviews. According to Book Marks, the book received a "positive" consensus, based on nine critic reviews: six "rave", two "positive", and one "pan".

Booklist called the novel "engaging" and "richly descriptive". while Kirkus said it was "ambitious and powerful while displaying a deep love of language and literature". Kirkus further called it "an expansive, sympathetic, and nevertheless scathing critique of Western imperialism and how individuals are forced to make their peace with the system and survive or to fight back and face the consequences". Amal El-Mohtar, writing for The New York Times Book Review wrote, "Babel derives its power from sustaining a contradiction, from trying to hold in your head both love and hatred for the charming thing that sustains itself by devouring you."

Critics discussed Kuang's attempt to complicate the modern understanding of academia in the 1830s, including the research and footnotes she placed throughout the novel. The Guardian said, "This is a scholarly book by a superb scholar", noting that "the pages are heavy with footnotes; not the more usual whimsical ones ... but academic notes, hectoring and preachy." The review remarked that the characters "are pretentious, but vulnerable too, and the balance is lovely". Similarly, the Chicago Review of Books highlighted how Babel "educates and urges us to reframe—to (re)translate—the dominant narrative of what the West calls its civilization." They called the novel "brilliant both in concept and execution, ... a page-turner with footnotes, a thriller with a higher purpose, a Bildungsroman where the stakes matter". Library Journal echoed the sentiment, writing about how Kuang "prompts readers to question the ethics of both empire and academia".

There were also qualified or negative reviews. Paste noted that Babel is "a meticulously researched period piece, a primal scream from the traditionally unheard". However, they added, "its determination to make sure its (admittedly important) message is heard, means a significant chunk of this doorstopper's 500+ pages feels didactic and lecture-y, rather than fully transformative." Publishers Weekly negatively reviewed the novel, saying, "Kuang underwhelms with a didactic, unsubtle take on dark academia and imperialism." They explained, the "narrative is frequently interrupted by lectures on why imperialism is bad, not trusting the reader or the plot itself enough to know that this message will be clear from the events as they unfold. Kuang assumes an audience that disagrees with her, and the result keeps readers who are already aware of the evils of racism and empire at arm's length. The characters, meanwhile, often feel dubiously motivated."

Awards and honors

Amazon, Kirkus Reviews, NPR, and The Washington Post named Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence one of the best fantasy books of the year. Barnes & Noble named it one of the top ten books of the year, regardless of genre.

The administrators of the 2023 Hugo Awards, held at Chengdu Worldcon, ruled Babel not eligible for nomination without further explanation. A later report based on emails shared from the awards' administrative panel revealed that the book was likely ruled ineligible in an attempt to avoid running afoul of Chinese censorship laws.

Year Award Result Ref.
2022 Blackwell's Books of the Year Fiction Won
Goodreads Choice Award Fantasy Nominated
Nebula Award Novel Won
New England Book Award — Shortlisted
Waterstones Book of the Year — Shortlisted
2023 Alex Award — Won
British Book Award Fiction Won
Dragon Award Fantasy Novel Shortlisted
Ignyte Awards Adult Fantasy Shortlisted
Locus Award Fantasy Novel Won
RUSA CODES Reading List Fantasy Shortlisted
2024 (Booksellers) Indie Book Award Fiction Shortlisted
Prix Imaginales Meilleur roman étranger Shortlisted

References

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External links

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