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A review by ravensandpages
Babel by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much, Harper Voyager!
Where do I even start...
Rarely do I start a book I loved with such a phrase, but Babel has left me at a loss for words. Not to mention that far more insightful and eloquent reviewers than I have read this book a lot faster and given it all the praise it deserves, so it's hard to know where to begin. I intended to be among them, as Babel was my most anticipated read of last year and the twelve (yes, twelve) copies I own can attest to that. But all that aside, I finally vanquished this novel- or rather, it completely conquered me and I will never be the same.
Set in the early 1800s alongside our own history, Babel follows Robin Swift, an orphan who is taken from his home in Canton to London by Professor Lovell, who appears mysteriously and suddenly and just as suddenly begins to train him in Latin, Greek, and Chinese to prepare him for Oxford University, home of Babel, which is in turn the home of the Royal Institute of Translation and the heart of the British Empire, where enchanted silver bars powered by loss in translation keep everything moving. The fairytale of a gleaming city and a bright cohort begins to crumble as Robin tangles with the Hermes Society, which wants to sabotage Babel's work, and neither he, his past, nor his future are what they seem.
Babel is exactly what comes to mind when I think of a tour de force. The care and research R.F. Kuang brings to each novel she works on has never been more evident, down to the sentence structure. I was amazed but not surprised to learn Kuang had done "vocal training" while drafting. The way Babel reads is much like a novel of the era it's set in, something I found delightful in the midst of being emotionally devastated.
I don't think this is a book everyone will love. For some, it will be difficult to challenge what they think they know about the world, and for others, they might just not enjoy the old-timey cadence or pacing, which happens. But I absolutely think this is a book everyone needs to try to read at least once. Babel is, I truly believe, one of the best books that has ever been written, and living in the same time period as R.F. Kuang is truly a gift.
Where do I even start...
Rarely do I start a book I loved with such a phrase, but Babel has left me at a loss for words. Not to mention that far more insightful and eloquent reviewers than I have read this book a lot faster and given it all the praise it deserves, so it's hard to know where to begin. I intended to be among them, as Babel was my most anticipated read of last year and the twelve (yes, twelve) copies I own can attest to that. But all that aside, I finally vanquished this novel- or rather, it completely conquered me and I will never be the same.
Set in the early 1800s alongside our own history, Babel follows Robin Swift, an orphan who is taken from his home in Canton to London by Professor Lovell, who appears mysteriously and suddenly and just as suddenly begins to train him in Latin, Greek, and Chinese to prepare him for Oxford University, home of Babel, which is in turn the home of the Royal Institute of Translation and the heart of the British Empire, where enchanted silver bars powered by loss in translation keep everything moving. The fairytale of a gleaming city and a bright cohort begins to crumble as Robin tangles with the Hermes Society, which wants to sabotage Babel's work, and neither he, his past, nor his future are what they seem.
Babel is exactly what comes to mind when I think of a tour de force. The care and research R.F. Kuang brings to each novel she works on has never been more evident, down to the sentence structure. I was amazed but not surprised to learn Kuang had done "vocal training" while drafting. The way Babel reads is much like a novel of the era it's set in, something I found delightful in the midst of being emotionally devastated.
I don't think this is a book everyone will love. For some, it will be difficult to challenge what they think they know about the world, and for others, they might just not enjoy the old-timey cadence or pacing, which happens. But I absolutely think this is a book everyone needs to try to read at least once. Babel is, I truly believe, one of the best books that has ever been written, and living in the same time period as R.F. Kuang is truly a gift.