Babel • Rebecca F. Kuang

The book Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution by Rebecca F. Kuang has been heavily promoted these days, and whether online or in local bookstores, it’s being prominently showcased everywhere. Usually, that’s a sure sign to avoid buying it. This time, however, I gave in, because the blurb sounded like an interesting and original story. I was also in the mood for fantasy — a fictional world with magic. Of course, I don’t want to miss the chance to tell you about this book.

Robin Swift, an orphaned boy, is taken from Canton, China, to London by a mysterious professor. The book is set in 1828, when the British Empire rules almost the entire world. Robin must learn several languages and devote himself to linguistic studies in order to attend Oxford, where he studies the art of magic at Babel. There, Robin realizes that behind the academic pursuit of knowledge lie political interests, and he soon finds himself caught in a moral conflict between the comforting world of the university and the ruthless colonialism of the British Empire.

I got into the story quite quickly and found it pleasantly told from the very beginning. The book is easy to read, clearly written for entertainment, and flows effortlessly. However, my reading experience was marked by highs and lows. I found the start of the plot rather awkward; the protagonist’s reactions early on seemed unrealistic, and I didn’t fully buy into some of his decisions. Later on, though, this changes — Kuang’s style and the portrayal of her characters gain authenticity and depth.

After the first hundred pages, I feared that I was in for a story full of clichés and ideology. Fortunately, that concern proved unfounded as the story developed. Especially in how she handles the relationships between characters, Kuang creates a balanced and nuanced dynamic without exaggeration. This small community that emerges in the novel comes alive with remarkable sensitivity — and that, for me, became one of the book’s key strengths.

Racism is also a theme, but it’s not overemphasized — it feels authentic and not so prominent that the novel seems politically driven. That’s important to me, because when I read fiction and fantasy, I don’t want to be taught a moral system — I want to escape from what currently troubles our societies. It’s important for literature to reflect the present day, of course, but in this genre it shouldn’t dominate — something Kuang handles very well.

Language is one of the central themes of the book — and reading the author’s background, it’s immediately clear why. It’s her academic field, and that passion for language and translation runs through the entire novel, giving it soul and uniqueness. The concept of magic derived from language, from subtle differences between languages and how these shape human thought, is an extraordinary idea. Kuang makes language tangible and gives it a central role in the story. At the same time, her concept of magic feels influenced by our digitalized world — echoes of new technologies can be found in her depiction of how magic works.

Babel thus presents, against the backdrop of the British Empire’s colonial dominance, an alternative scenario where the use of magic through language becomes a key force in the expansion and maintenance of power. It’s easy to see the book as a metaphor for today’s world, where digital technologies are created and controlled by a few large and powerful corporations. Artificial intelligence based on language processing is a current and fitting example — one that came to mind repeatedly as I read Babel, making the book and its themes strikingly relevant. Kuang also portrays a profit-driven society where maximizing gain holds as much priority as it does in our own hemisphere. As a reader, it’s easy to immerse yourself in this world. The hunger for resources and the abuse of dominance in this fictional empire clearly mirror today’s global political situation.

From the middle of the book onward, I found the story very entertaining. Many open questions kept me engaged. However, in the last third, the plot started to feel unrealistic. At that point, you can sense the author moving the characters to serve the story’s progression. For such major themes — colonialism, racism, the conflict between the British Empire and the Chinese Empire — the world she depicts felt too small. As a result, realism suffered. It’s hard to believe that a few seemingly minor events and encounters could influence such vast societal conflicts with massive populations. Either something is missing here, or it’s oversimplified. I also found the power structures implausible — a central Babel would have held a much different place in such a society, and in that context, the story’s final development seems rather unlikely.

Overall, I’d say the novel could easily have been condensed — it could have been told in half as many pages without losing anything significant. Some sections felt long-winded and overly detailed.

What I found quite delightful — and something I’ve never seen in a fantasy novel — are the numerous footnotes Kuang uses to provide detailed insights into her world. I thought that was a wonderful idea, and they didn’t interrupt the flow of reading. You can tell she’s done a lot of research and supports her fictional story with real historical context. I also found her explanations of word meanings very well integrated into the narrative.

It’s also worth taking a look at the publisher’s landing page, where the protagonists are introduced — complete with illustrations of them.

Rebecca F. Kuang was born in China in 1996 and moved to the United States at the age of four. She holds a Master’s in Chinese Studies from the University of Cambridge and a Master’s in Contemporary Chinese Studies from the University of Oxford. She is currently pursuing her PhD at Yale University in East Asian Languages and Literature. The heavy emphasis on her academic background in marketing the book might usually be a red flag — a reason to skip it — but Kuang has already received several literary awards for her trilogy The Poppy War, marking her first major success as a novelist.

I didn’t buy the regular edition but instead the special edition from Bücherbüchse. It features printed page edges, illustrated endpapers, a gold-embossed cover, and even an illustration on the inside of the dust jacket — all details that absolutely appeal to me. The book really does look beautiful, especially the printed edges. Unfortunately, such refined editions are mostly found in young adult literature, which only rarely matches my taste in content.

Conclusion: Babel leaves me with mixed feelings. I found it entertaining and enjoyed reading it. You can feel the author’s fascination with language, which she weaves beautifully into the story. The resulting concept of magic in her world is well-executed and imaginative. The parallels with contemporary topics — digitalization, resource exploitation, racism, and geopolitical dominance — make the book relevant and thought-provoking. What didn’t convince me, however, was the direction the story takes; it often felt contrived. The clear-cut antagonists and their one-dimensional behavior made parts of the story feel less authentic. Still, those same aspects kept it exciting in places, though the novel could have been tightened considerably without losing anything. The prose is pleasant but not exceptional. Is the heavy marketing justified? Yes — it’s worth reading, but in the long run, what will stay with me is the magic system. A book you don’t have to read, but one you certainly won’t regret picking up. And for those who love beautiful books, the Bücherbüchse edition with its printed edges is truly exquisite.

Book information: Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution • Rebecca F. Kuang • Eichborn • 736 pages • ISBN 9783847901433