Grade: 4.5/5.0
Those searching for the elusive, well-written dark academia novel need not look any further — “Babel,” fully titled “Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution,” gives the hard-to-capture genre the intrigue, intricacy and intellect it fully deserves. Released Aug. 23, R. F. Kuang’s “Babel” is a deeply fascinating fantasy tale chronicling political movements, worker resistance and colonialism, all while being rooted in the indispensable yet often deceptive nature of language.
The novel follows Robin Swift, an orphan from Canton, China, brought to London in the early 1800s to train at Oxford University’s prestigious translation department, aptly named Babel. Through the magical nature of silver bars and the power of the British Empire, Swift and his comrades work toward the Empire’s goal of colonizing all corners of the globe by breaking down the language barrier between nations. However, Swift soon learns of another organization bent on stopping the Empire’s imperialist agenda, and he must pass through the mental battles and tribulations that come with the spark of revolution.
Author Kuang, with the acclaimed series “The Poppy War” under her belt, weaves her personal experiences studying at Oxford University into the novel, making “Babel” both an homage to the institution and a critique on some of its outdated traditions. Kuang expertly ties the modern nuances of language, oppression and existing outside of the status quo into the devastation that follows colonialism, highlighting the characters’ coercion into severing most of their ties to their motherlands, save for their native tongues. Kuang also manages to mix in magical elements related to translation, which, instead of diluting the plot, add to its complexity and entertainment factor already surrounding the characters’ translation and studying processes.
While various other dark academia novels tend to focus on the elitism of academia and the glamor and glory of knowledge, these works of literature often get bogged down in their efforts to play up the pretentiousness that are tacked onto knowing it all. “Babel” certainly has its share of the esteem that comes with knowledge, but it instead aims to actually impart readers with some understanding of the studies the characters are involved in, rather than just addressing dark academia’s aesthetic on a superficial level.
In this sense, “Babel” stays true to classic academia, the foundational principles of dark academia that are built on the pursuit of knowledge. If the length of the title was not indicative enough of Kuang’s dedication to the craft, the footnotes interspersed throughout the novel will undoubtedly prove her point. The footnotes detail everything from the historical context behind relevant events to the academic terminology pertaining to linguistics, etymology and translation studies. It is clear Kuang has not only done her research, but has poured her passion into the technical yet smoothly flowing prose.
Kuang also excels in ensuring that readers will come away from reading “Babel” having learned a thing or two without feeling like they have suffered through a 700-page textbook. She makes the reader feel intelligent, as if they themselves are eager to learn and absorb what she lays out for them, immersing them in the sprawling world she has so carefully crafted. While parts of “Babel” can feel slightly overwhelming at times, its comprehensive intensity only adds to the sweeping atmosphere of the plot and the pressing themes it covers.
By its end, the chief takeaway from “Babel” is to fight the good fight while holding one’s values near and dear. Swift struggles to not only reconcile with his acute emotions, but also to recognize how knowledge and violence are inevitably intertwined. “Babel” delights as a book of deception, selfishness and persistence, but above all, it is about the love for language — the beautiful, diverse, identity-shaping nature of words and all the power they hold over the fabric of society.
