Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of The Oxford Translators' Revolution

Written by R. F. Kuang

Narrated by Chris Lew Kum Hoi and Billie Fulford-Brown

From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel.

Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide…

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence? 

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Aug 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063021457

R. F. Kuang

Rebecca F. Kuang is the #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy, Babel: An Arcane History, and Yellowface. Her work has won the Nebula, Locus, Crawford, and British Book Awards. A Marshall Scholar, she has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford. She is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale, where she studies diaspora, contemporary Sinophone literature, and Asian American literature.

Reviews for Babel

[Alex Ivey Johnson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a powerful book. The exploration of language and colonialism and the complacency of being the “exception”. Really great, best standalone fiction book I’ve read in years.

[Jennifer Hartshorn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great world building. A book for language lovers! Thumbs up!

[Jonathan Slate · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time. There are some moments that strain believability. But I’m not sure I care. If you are looking for a book that pulls you in while forcing you to grapple with the nature of world power, this is a great choice.

[Nahla Anwer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would. I went in without reading any reviews, and I'm glad I didn't. I just got plunged into it and I could stop. The concept is really interesting and historical fiction has always been appealing to me, but even then, when I started it, I had no idea how emotional and enthralling it would get. Absolutely brilliant!

[Leah George · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

the research that went into this, the emotions that I felt....just totally amazing

[LyddyBC · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a great story. It keeps you engaged and excited through the entire story. The narrators tell a story that makes you enthralled and excited.

[Rosemary Banks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant and absolutely fearless! This is truth to power, and imaginative and fierce and eloquently written. Thank you R.F. Kuang, for your courage and brilliance. I’ll be reading your other novels. I mean…wow!
However, there are white people who dislike the book because they can’t accept how ugly and evil the British empire was. They complain that Babel is repetitious, didactic, and too long, and while all that is true, all books are flawed, and the exceptional and courageous truth to power in “Babel,” far outweighs problems the editors should have given more attention to.

[Cage Rivera-Pasquel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Anti-imperial, anti-colonial storytelling. Absolutely illustrative in the violence of the empire. Heartbreaking. Truthful. One of the best books I've read in a long time.

[Abigail C · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don’t know what to say other than WOW! This book was so damn good!

[Ryon Cottle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a fantastically written book. Really enjoyed the colonialism theme throughout and loved following Robin into his maturation and awaking of what was happening around him. You will finish this book with a different outlook on life, and I am grateful for that!

[jeral correa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

one of the most amazing books i’ve ever read it should be taught and discussed in schools

[Maria Carabana · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely incredible novel. The world building is next level. I was hooked on every word and completely invested in the characters. The audio book is narrated beautifully as well. Can not recommend enough! Between this and Yellowface, R.F Kuang is quickly becoming one of my favorite new authors.

[Nathan Stuller · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first ¾ of the book is excellent. However at the end of the book every antagonist is reduced to a caricature with no tangible motivation beyond being inherently evil and selfish.

[Kanita Tafro · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm in absolute awe with this book, definitely my favourite so far! This book destroyed me in so many ways, just like I love a book to destroy me.

[Joe Foster · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It’s British school fantasy for people with a soul. Beautifully written, incredibly compelling. The audiobook version is good

[Ben · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a delight to listen to. Reading this book is great, but listening gives you the beauty of the languages in the book that my monolingual brain couldn't pronounce. This kind of story leaves me in a special place of wanting so much more and content for the wonderful journey R.F Kuang took me on.

[Genevieve Methot · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. That was a masterpiece. Shoutout to the narrator who also made it so.

[shaniabamfield2004 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Truly life-changing. Cannot imagine a better way to have consumed this collection of truths. Say what you will about dark academia, but you will not find a better contemporary, I guarantee it.

[Dennis SC-H · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is absolutely essential for gaining insight into the experiences of marginalized communities within oppressive societies. R. F. Kuang skillfully delves into the repercussions of colonization in a poignant and genuine manner, leaving you yearning for more. Her adept portrayal of the emotional journey of navigating the academic world, along with its enticing allure that tempts you to forsake your own identity, is truly remarkable. Don't miss out on reading this book!

[Renee · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Starts off strong, ends in tedious melodrama after plot holes.

[Leann McArthur · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing, intelligent and insightful. This is a must read—I found myself left with many questions about our world in general.

If you’re looking for another book about mages or otherwise Harry Potter-esque, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for simple historical fiction merged with fantasy, this isn’t that. If you are looking for purely escapist reading that won’t require any thought or feeling on your part, this isn’t it.

I’m of Mexican American descent and the themes about colonialism were and are incredibly meaningful and timely.

RF Kang’s research funneled through this book is obvious, and she’s done a fantastic job both simplifying and personifying some very challenging concepts and historical trends.

If you’re ready for a complex, thinking-person’s blend of fantasy, historical fiction, with academic brilliance as the frosting on the cake, this book might be for you.

[Steve Robertson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent, thought provoking book. The voice actors did a very good job as well.

[Billie · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence:
An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution
by R.F. Kuang
Historical Fantasy
Scribd Audio


In a world that is mostly run by the magic instilled into silver by the professors of Babel, thus allowing Britain to control the magic, and the price, Robin Swift, saved from cholera in Canton, is taken to London by Professor Lovell, and as a young boy begins the task of learning multiple languages so to become a student at Oxford, to the Royal Institute of Translation, or Babel.

And did this book babble along. If you're looking for magic, don't pick up this book. While the magical idea makes up the world and main plot, this book is more about languages, or the educational field of linguistics, and the segregation of racism and wealth.

Yes, it was interesting learning, and I did say learning, how words came about, how a word comes from one language, and in another means the same thing, others not quite mean the same thing, and in another means something different. But this college-type information overload education would not be something I would have taken way back when, so I was bored. Multiple words, and I do mean multiple, were explained in detail of what they mean in one language then compared with their meaning in another language, and sometimes more languages were added to the mix.

The magical system was buried underneath all of this 'education' and the greed of the British empire and their discrimination of races along with the unfair treatment of the poor by the rich.

This is one of those books I wish I would've DNF after the third eye roll, which was a few chapters in. The author's note at the beginning, explaining their reasoning for why they did this and that, only told me that the author wasn't confident of their world or its creation.

The use of languages to create the magical setting gives it a star, and even though the writing was repetitive, sometimes with the use of a hammer over the head so the author could get their plot point into your brain, it was still clear, so that gave it another star. But I did not enjoy this book at all. I do not recommend it.

2 Stars

[maya.w · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Disclaimer: I believe the narrator did an excellent job in narrating the book and the footnotes. My rating is solely based on how much I enjoyed the book, as it started strong with captivating world-building, a clever magic system, and compelling character development. However, it somewhat fizzled in the end, leaving me feeling underwhelmed. I suppose I had high expectations for another book from R.F. Kuang that would have the same impact as the Poppy War trilogy had on me.

Also based on the reviews here, I'm bracing myself for thumbs-down since I gave less than 5 stars... ;)

[Connor Van Alstine · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is a Fanonian love letter -illuminating, with scathing fury bound up in righteous, rebellious joy, a brilliant portrait of anti colonial struggle. Babel is a vital read for the twilight of empire.

[Josh Howell · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Detailed and well written, but not anything amazing as I thought it would be

[shanda potter · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was not what I expected. It really didn’t connect with the story or characters

[shmuel · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The job of an author is to depict human feelings and action in a realistic and meaningful way. I put down this book in frustration in the middle, after realizing that the focus here is not Victorian England with its issues and its beauty. Rather the focus is on twenty first century racism retroactively fit onto a poorly written summary of facts about Oxford and England.
What's worse is that the author seems to have a genuine feeling for Chinese immigrant issues, but that is not tackling racism well enough, so he invents a badly written caricature of a more black hued subject.