babel, or the necessity of violence

Well it might prove to be too longwinded for me to try to explain her, and I am, a bit of a philology nerd myself. --, "A book that confirms Kuang as a major talent." In Babel, R.F. If the item(s) is delivered by a seller directly, you need to ship the item(s) back to the seller within 10 days from the date your return is requested. Kuang. "[7] 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. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. Id hope this makes the nightstand stack of books of current world leaders of industrial/imperial nations. Summary: "From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire. --, "Kuang follows her award-winning Poppy War trilogy with an engaging fantasy about the magic of language. I wish I could rate this higher than 5 stars, Reviewed in Australia on 7 October 2022, Reviewed in Australia on 28 December 2022. Kuang about the power of language, the violence of colonialism, and the sacrifices of resistance. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day hell enroll in Oxford Universitys prestigious Royal Institute of Translationalso known as Babel. -- Oprah Daily, "Absolutely phenomenal. Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution is a 2022 novel by R. F. Kuang. Griffin explains to Robin how Babel exploits the languages of foreign nations only in order to solidify the British Empire's dominance over them. The enhancements you chose arent available for this seller. Enter code BKS20OFF at checkout. I found the end bogged down a little for me and it felt at some point a foregone conclusion. Since this is historical fiction the future created by this event is a black box to us as a reader. If you're going to change history, you have to know your history well enough to alter it where it is needed. Once they return to Britain, they discover in Lovells 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. has earned tremendous praise and deserves all of it. Harvard Book Store Dark academia, revolution, historical fantasy, and the magic of language, Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2023. Robin, spiraling into despair since Canton, resolves to destroy the tower and its contents and render its silver useless for future enchantment. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R.F. -- Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Goliath, "If you only read one book this year, read this one. I think Kuang is also warning us about Lettys liberal reformist tendencies by showing that when push comes to shove she will side with the ruling elite to protect her own self interest, rather than risking her neck for her marginalized comrades. The three surviving contenders for the throne of the Seven Kingdoms continue to struggle among themselves, Robb Stark defends his kingdom from the Greyjoys, Jon Snow confronts an escalating threat, Youve read the books. But this was so much more. A stunningly brilliant exploration of identity, belonging, the cost of empire and revolution--and the true power of language. Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence? After being disappointed in The Poppy War, I decided to give the author another go and ended up liking this more than I expected. Kuang is fiercely disciplined even when she's playful and experimental Like the silver bars at its heart--like empires and academic institutions both--, 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." "Absolutely phenomenal. We are sorry. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon, HarperCollins B and Blackstone Publishing; Unabridged edition (August 23, 2022). Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence? One of the most brilliant,. "R. F. Kuang has written a masterpiece." No sorry, it just doesn't work for me. --, "A fantastically made work, moving and enraging by turns, with an ending to blow down walls." Victoire escapes into hiding, and Robin and the remaining Babel scholars destroy the tower with them inside, crippling the Silver Industrial Revolution and leaving the future of the British Empire uncertain. The words to be engraved are etymologically linked matched pairs of words from current English and their philological cognates What! When I was reading it I saw Griffins stance as that of violent revolution and Lettys stance as that of non-violent reform. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide . Babel, in the end, was a bunch of babble to me. In his first week, Robin encounters Griffin, his elder half-brotheranother half-Chinese son of Professor Lovellwho recruits him into the Hermes Society, a clandestine organization seeking to undermine Britains silver supremacy. Wow. But knowledge serves power, and for Robin, a Chinese boy raised in Britain, serving Babel inevitably means betraying his motherland. Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal. Press J to jump to the feed. Additionally, the concepts of power, rebellion and revolution are explored within the novel, through the depiction of power dynamics between the elite and lower classes, racism and oppression, workers' rights and strikes, and Machiavellianism. The Secret History: From The Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Of The Goldfinch. I imagined that since the British navy was run on silver it in fact would not be able to invade China now. Campus? What Kuang has done here, I have never before seen in literature." Cash on Delivery (COD) payment method allows you to pay by cash at your doorstep for fulfilled by Amazon and some seller fulfilled items. The book had a lot of promise. -- The Guardian, "Kuang follows her award-winning Poppy War trilogy with an engaging fantasy about the magic of language. Kuang complete book soft copy. The world needs more books like this. And then a couple of pages later our protagonists are standing around in the No sorry, it just doesn't work for me. A wonderful exploration of the power of language, and an alternative history of the British Empire. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. --, From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes. Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. To that extent, it is authentic Famous Five. She did the same for me with The Poppy War. Babel is a little bit of everything dark academia, colonialization, revolution, found family, identity, the magic of language and a light touch of magic. Nevertheless, Robin excels in his studies and, after seven years, is accepted into Babel. Robin kills Lovell by using a silver bar to blow a hole in his chest. I got to p. 55, where South Park is described as being on the east side of the 'campus'. -- Shannon Chakraborty, bestselling author of The City of Brass. Some related to the story, some pointed me to look at history. I was a bit skeptical when I bought this book because I don't really like to read books that involve history. Towards the end, a good trade unionist is introduced. Kuang (Author) 4,020 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle Edition 675.45 Read with Our Free App Hardcover Tote bags and pouches in a variety of styles, sizes, and designs, plus mugs, bookmarks, and more! If you're looking for help with a personal book recommendation, consult our Weekly Recommendation Thread, Suggested Reading page, or ask in r/suggestmeabook. I was a bit skeptical when I bought this book because I don't really like to read books that involve history. Her richly descriptive stand-alone novel about an ever-expanding, alternate-world empire powered by magically enhanced silver talismans scrutinizes linguistics, history, politics, and the social customs of Victorian-era Great Britain." Along with some finely drawn characters, it gives the reader a fascinating insight into the growth and development of language, with a series of painless lessons into social and imperial history of the nineteenth century. ${cardName} not available for the seller you chose. Babel is actually about real history, and about the present. that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. "[10] 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. Robin witnesses the contempt the British have for the Chinese and, after meeting with a Canton official and witnessing an opium den firsthand, refuses to be a part of any British project there. "[8], Many reviews discussed Kuang's attempt to complicate modern understandings of academia in the 1830s, including the research and footnotes she included throughout the novel. Through a meticulously researched and a wholly impressive deep dive into linguistics and the politics of language and translation, Kuang weaves a story that is part love-hate letter to academia, part scathing indictment of the colonial enterprise, and all fiery revolution. "[13] 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. Lovell has Robin tutored in Latin and Greek as well as Mandarin in order to prepare him for admission to Babel. R. F. KUANG is the author of the Poppy War fantasy fiction series and was a finalist for the Astrounding Award for Best New Writer. I had read Kuangs Poppy War trilogy and really enjoyed it so I was looking forward to this book. Silver working -- the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars -- has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire's quest for colonization. I loved all the footnotes in this book. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide: Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?