3,75 - 4 ⭐️

Babel - An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang takes us to an alternative version of 19th-century England. This Victorian England is ambitious and intent on manifesting its dominion over the world. Paramount to the British Empire’s agenda is the Royal Institute of Translation, also referred to as Babel. The technological advancements in Britain are facilitated and fuelled by silver-working, a procedure that imbues silver bars with magic and match pairs, thus capturing the meaning lost in translation. This captured meaning then determines the mechanism of the silver bar. Babel tells the story of young orphaned Robin Swift, who is plucked from his homeland. He is taken to England by Professor Lovell, a Babel professor, who grooms Robin and provides him with an outstanding education. But do not mistake this for coming from the goodness of his heart. Professor Lovell has ulterior motives, as he intends for Robin to enrol in Babel and thus pledge the institute and by extension the British Empire his linguistic prowess. In his early childhood years, Robin is moulded into a person the British society would come to tolerate. He is forced to pick a new name for himself, as his actual name is too foreign in the eyes of his caretaker. However, it is quite apparent that this act is just another means to cut Robin’s ties to his homeland. Through encounters and confrontations, it becomes evident that no matter how educated, well-mannered and assimilated Robin is, he will never be considered as one of them. Being surrounded by the great minds of his fellow students and professors, Robin cannot believe his luck at being allowed to study at Babel. His conduct and beliefs, which show some Stockholm syndrome tendencies, begin to unravel when Robin has some interactions with the Hermes Society. It is a secret society that tries to disrupt the machinations of the British Empire through the theft of knowledge and silver bars. Robin’s convictions falter, and he begins to question some of his former beliefs. His gratitude towards the country he can now call home and the opportunities it presented him with, despite not being fully acknowledged, are at odds with the undeniable facts that he is confronted with. It is a continuous struggle between these emotions, but at the end of the day, his gratitude always prevails. A real crack in Robin’s convictions occurs when he and his classmates travel to China to assist the East India Company in their negotiations with the Chinese authorities. There, the gravity of the situation dawns on Robin, and for the first time, he sees with his own eyes what the British Empire is willing to sacrifice to achieve its goals. As you can imagine, this leads to a veritable rollercoaster of convictions and emotions Robin tries to untangle. Babel takes a peek at history and portrays the gruesomeness thereof without sugarcoating anything. Colonialism, clash of identities, prejudice, racism and exploitation are only some of the themes the author broaches. Although the story is set in a magical version of Britain, the issues at hand remain the same. R.F. Kuang has created a compelling story, and her writing is stellar. I find it extraordinary that Kuang can adapt her writing to the story she is telling. Having read Yellowface and now Babel, the differences are evident. Babel feels poetic and fits seamlessly into the time period it portrays. Kudos! The story boosts topics centred around translation, and it masterfully showcases Kuang’s knowledge of these topics. Being a translator herself, it is evident that she is fully in her metier. But, I had the impression that some of these expositions could have been cut from the story without changing the messages it wants to convey in favour of speeding things up.

This book is an absolute masterpiece. I feel like I can’t even put everything I loved into words, but if you asked me, you should read it!! (just prepare for your heart being shattered) Babel is about 4 students at Oxford and explores the racism and colonialism of the 1800s, the painful, sad truth and all the lies being told about it and the power language has. This isn’t for people who like happy endings, but I feel like this book shouldn’t have ended any other way… 4,5/5 ⭐️

Der Teil der sich mit Etymologie beschäftigt ist für mich eine 5/5. Leider der Rest der Story mehr sowas wie eine 1,5/5

okok, erstmal durchatmen ich tu mir so schwer das buch zu bewerten oder eine meinung abzugeben, weil ich es zur hälfte wirklich genossen hab zu lesen und zur anderen hälfte kämpfen musste dass ich weiter lese der anfang des buches ist so toll und man fühlt sich richtig wohl, man muss teilweise selber grinsen beim lesen, weil die vier freunde und ihre freundschaft, einen so positiv stimmt, aber einem gewissen punkt, wenn man das buch gelesen hat weiß man welchen ich meine, geht es nur noch abwärts, es wird immer wieder das gleiche wiederholt, es wird immer dramatischer, aber auf keine angenehme weise, das ende selber finde ich gut gelungen, aber der weg dorthin war super anstrengend, es werden die gleichen diskussionen immer wieder wiederholt, was nervig ist und es gibt so wenig positives in der zweiten hälfte und ein book trope den ich gar nicht kann, wurde zweimal angewendet (SPOILER: wenn wer seine eigenen freunde verrät) eig. drei sterne, aber der vierte kommt nur für victoire hinzu, sie war diejenige die alle charaktere gecarriet hat, das buch hat nur wegen ihr überlebt