Bite-sized book reviews
Bite-sized book reviews
I don’t quite know how to sum up either the plot or my reactions to this one, I think I’m still processing it. It’s set in (a fictional) Oxford in the 1800’s. There are 4 main characters, all either minorities or foreigners to Victorian England that have a talent for language, etymology, and most importantly, translation. There is an element of magic that students of Babel, a school and hub in Oxford, study to be able to wield the magic that keeps Britain chugging along. Don’t be mistaken though, the magic element is a lot less part of the plot than I expected, this is not Hogwarts. Kuang goes deep on racism and colonialism, and (as the subtitle suggests) the necessity of violence. It is set in a fictional world but nestled right into real-world history, The first opium war is used as a catalyst for the conflict in the book. I read a review that called the book “grim and harrowing” and I think that’s a fair assessment. It was wonderfully written and feels much more academic than whimsical. Regardless of whether or not you like the book, you can’t escape reading it without chewing on some deep questions of humanity.