Babel is a tour de force fantasy of dark academia set in an alternative 19th century England.
While at first glance this work could be easily dismissed as Harry Potter goes to Oxford University and develops a political consciousness, you would be doing the novel a disservice. Sure, there are obvious similarities with its pseudo magical realism, near orphaned boy with an overarching group of marginalised friends, but it’s R.F. Kuang’s deft pacing and characterisation that surpasses Potter’s series with its own well constructed universe, excellent prose and emotional heavy lifting.
The narrative centres on Robin Swift, a Cantonese boy rescued from destitution by a mysterious benefactor and raised in England to attend the prestigious Royal Institute Of Translation at Oxford University. After meeting a fellow group of marginalised misfits, he enjoys a brief spell of privilege but soon discovers their task is to help bring his mother country to heel, and although initially conflicted, joins a network of like minded student scholars to fight back.
R.F. Kuang’s work has more similarities to Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials series (also set in Oxford) which attacked the church institutions throughout the subtext, yet Kuang blatantly holds up a mirror to the British Empire and dares us to challenge our own understanding of national history. I mean, how many people were aware of the opium trade engineered by Britain which made it one of the richest nations on earth while China suffered? This factual illict trade was never taught in my school history classes. Although Kuang labours the theme with righteous anger throughout Babel when our group of misfits discover the true cost of their indoctrination into academia, her characterisation ultimately makes their journey believable.
Once you’ve read Babel’s earth shattering finale, where hope and sacrifice collide, pay particular attention to the novel’s alternative title “The Necessity Of Violence” and you’ll begin to understand what a firebrand Kuang really is.