Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence (2022)

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A single word can change the outlook of your life, either by destroying it or uplifting you to a world you could never imagine. This can be even harder for translators tasked with adhering to what was originally said in one language and bringing it into context in another tongue, ensuring it has a readability that’s both accurate and easily understood.

R. F Kuang (from the award-winning The Poppy War trilogy) explores this power of words across different languages in Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution, tracing how colonization and capitalism can lead to an obliteration of the spoken word from other nations – and their people.

Born into poverty in Canton, a young boy is rescued by Professor Richard Lovell, who appears like a white knight. He’s brought over to Hampstead, England and told he’ll train to be a translator at Oxford. Best of all, he’ll be able to work with silver, the backbone of all innovation in England and a source of magic. But first, the boy is required to choose a name that befits his new status. From there, Robin Swift is born.

For Swift, putting in years of study and hard work in multiple tongues so he can rise out of poverty is a dream, and yet, within that dream lies the ugly truth behind the beautiful, clean appearance of England.

Kuang understands the dynamics at play from real-life experience as she immigrated to the US at a young age, which no doubt informed her view of Swift perfectly. Having to leave behind both a language and world of familiarity and embrace the western world would certainly influence her perspective and writing style. Given her already-impressive body of work at such a tender age, it’ll be interesting to watch and see how her writing matures the more she integrates the East and West.

Language has the ability to bring us together or tear us apart, both as individuals and as nations. In Babel, R. F Kuang takes us on a thrilling but telling journey of philology and the commonality of different languages across cultures and the impact that communication can have, especially under the weight of racism and colonization. If you’re a fan of languages and their historical contexts, this is definitely one to pick up.