A Voice for the Voiceless (Babel by R.F Kuang)

殖民主義是奴隸制的表親 (Zhímín zhǔyì shì núlì zhì de biǎo qīn) - Chadwick Boseman

I am writing this paragraph because the original one I wrote was drawn out, cheesy, and dumb. So this will now be the first paragraph. This review will be about Babel by R.F Kuang. This was such a difficult review to write. I hope I did it justice. Probably not, though.

Alright, basics first. Babel, which is written by R.F Kuang, who also wrote The Poppy War series (which, at the time of writing this, is on my TBR list), on its surface is a dark academia fantasy book. Personally, academia and fantasy are two of my favorite genres so I was very excited to read this book. Set in 1828 England ,and spans a couple of years, the main protagonist Robin is “adopted” by his guardian and new “parent” Professor Lovell. Robin eventually goes off to Oxford university, paid for by Professor Lovell, where he studies at the Royal Institute of Translation, also known as Bable. In this world, silver bars are imparted with words that give them magical powers ranging from smoother rides in carriages to deadlier weapons. Britain uses Babel to train young scholars in the art of translation so that they may continue to keep up their export of silver bars to those in need throughout the world. That would be the perfect advertisement and feel good story for a recruiting ad for the Royal Institute of Translation. As I said earlier, surface level. However, things are rarely ever what they seem when you have on rose colored glasses. So let’s take them off and dig deeper into what Babel is really about. Maybe this description is more fitting and accurate…a young Cantonese boy watches his mother die of a “sickness” and is then saved by his English father who he has never seen before. His father, Professor Lovell, gives him the choice to stay here and die or return with him to England and be prepared to attend Oxford. He is told to pick an “English” name (btw, his cantonese name isn’t even written or told to us…coincidence, I think not…) and assimilate into the English lifestyle. Robin, his English name, ends up attending the Royal Institute of Translation which is also known as Babel. This is where the English empire controls the world's silver supply. Silver has magical abilities when combined with certain words in other languages and Britain uses this as an export to sell to the highest bidder while keeping the more powerful and advantageous ones for themselves. Britain is also bent on controlling the world's silver supply as well. However, the languages they are used to using (Greek, Latin, French, etc.) are starting to lose their power and Britain is forced to start forcing children of other countries (China, Hati, etc.) to attend their Royal Institute of Translation so that they can begin using their languages for their own personal need. Much less “rose colored lens”-like, but much more accurate. Babel presents itself as a dark academia book about a world where silver has magical powers and students learn the art of translation to be able to use those magical powers to help the world, but beneath the surface it paints a much darker image. An image of a world fraught with colonialism, culture appropriation, forced assimilation, classism, racism, and the question that is a foundational point of the whole story: Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?

Now let’s get into the nitty gritty. Babel touches on racial and cultural issues that transcend time. It tells the story of one people taking advantage of another people for their own gain all the while treating them lesser. It is a tale as old as time that has been told numerous times. However, no matter how often it is told it seems to be needed. It doesn’t matter that this story is based in the 1820s because in 2023 (when this review is being written) it is still (unfortunately) a story that needs to be told and heard. What I think is unique from Babel is that Kuang is able to blend this story of colonialism and forced assimilation with dark fantasy and wonderful world building. As silly as it sounds, it is almost like Zootopia. Zootopia is simply a buddy cop movie trying to solve a crime, but turns out to be an allegorical tale about ingrained racism in society. Babel tells the story about students coming to a university and learning how to use magical properties of an element, but turns into a deep dive of colonialism and one’s own identity in their own culture. While Zootopia is more of the allegory type and Babel is a little more obvious, they both use this type of story telling to the same effect: they lull the reader into ignorance of the issue until it makes itself visible. Reading this book, you will be Robin ignoring all the questions and doubts in his own head due to the sheer excitement of the friends and family he makes at the Royal Institute and the learning he takes part in. You are wrapped up in the academic and social development of young Robin that you too, to an extent, ignore the identity crisis that Robin feels. It is not until other people start to appear in Robin’s life and his world comes crashing in that he is forced to deal with this crisis and, subsequently, us as the readers are as well.

What I think is the most interesting part about this book, and frankly my favorite part, is how it seems that as things begin to unfold for Robin himself it also begins to unfold for us as readers. Now, I know what you’re thinking; “Well duh, that’s how it is supposed to be. As the protagonist finds things out we do as well”, but that isn’t exactly what I mean. I’m not talking about the details or gossip of the book, like who Robin’s father is, but the message the book sends. It seems that as you read this book you get so wrapped up in Robin’s new life with his friends and his studies that you begin to ignore the identity crisis that Robin feels just like Robin begins to ignore it. Then, in moments when he is forced to acknowledge it, you are as well. You are forced to reflect with choices Robin has to make when Robin is as well. It almost feels like you, as the reader, are the one making the choice and not someone making it. They also are not really black and white choices either. You know what Robin should do or what you want to do, but are the options really the best option?? Is this really what it takes?? I think Kuang does such a wonderful job of telling the story and really placing the reader in Robin's shoes. Even for readers that might have a tough time relating (which I discuss down below). On top of that, the world is blended so beautifully. Placed in the real world of England in the 1820s, but completely changing history by a simple change of magic working in silver. The academic world building is remarkable and honestly feels like the Royal Institute of Translation has been a part of Oxford for years and, maybe, even needs to be a real part of the school today. Kuang does a wonderful job of building the world and the characters, and then simply letting them live in the world and pulling the story from their lives.

Now, the part I always hate, the parts that don’t work well in the book. I’ll be honest, I did not find much. What I think is going to be the biggest issue for people is the pacing of the book. Again, it is a dark ACADEMIA book. Heavy emphasis on the academia part. As someone who LOVES the slow burn and the deep dives into the world of a book, this was difficult for me at times. The level of the academia portion of this book is fairly high and actually feels like you’re learning theories of translation. I personally think it is needed for the atmosphere for the book, but I will most likely always defend a slow burn because I love them. Some people may have trouble with how dragged out the academia portion of it can be. Also, as the book starts to pick up there are situations and decisions that are made and brought up that make me uncomfortable because of the lack of options and I found a difficult time processing that. I think the reason I, personally, had a difficult time processing that though is something that I will discuss in the last paragraph. Uncomfortable isn’t a bad thing, but still felt like it should be mentioned.

Before I wrap up this review, I want to say something important about this book. I’ve gone back and forth on how to say this and am just going with the K.I.S.S method; Keep It Simple, Stupid. R.F Kuang does an impossible job of forcing every reader to see from the perspective of people with no voice in this book. I use the word force purposefully. She doesn’t “allow”, she doesn’t “pull the curtain back”, she sits you down and forces you to get just a small glimpse of what it is like. Don’t get me wrong, unless you are someone who is a part of these groups with no voice (race, gender, sexuality, etc.) then you will never know 100% what it is like for those people. I will never know 100% what it is like for those people. R.F Kuang, through Bable, forced me to see everything from their perspective. Why people with no voice have to act a certain way. Why people with no voice have to hide their real identity sometimes. After all that, she did the most uncomfortable thing I have ever had to do while reading a book. After showing me the perspective of all the voiceless people and giving me just a glimpse to the “whys” of all this…she made me look in the mirror. After slowly rooting for all the characters and being invested in their lives, she made me uncomfortable and then made me look in the mirror to address why I was uncomfortable. Why was I confused when Robin, Victoire, and Ramy were upset that Lety was SOBBING after being told how they were treated because they were foreign?? Why was I upset when the only option for Robin was to give in to the forced assimilation or fight those forcing it?? Why couldn’t he just take a stand for who he was and be proud of it?? What was so difficult about Robin struggling with his cultural identity and his new identity being thrusted upon him and why couldn’t they mix?? These are the choices I mentioned in the paragraph before that made me uncomfortable because I wanted a third option…when really there was no third option. Why did so much at the end of this book make me uncomfortable?? Well, keeping it simple, it’s because I don’t understand. I don’t understand what it is like for my cultural identity and the world around me to be different. I don’t know what it is like to not have a majority of a state or country behind me if I “take a stand” for something. I don’t know what it is like for an entire country or culture to treat me a certain way because of the color of my skin. I don’t know or understand it. I am ignorant of that and probably always will be. Being ignorant of all that is fine though, because that does not mean I cannot empathize with those who do. I can empathize with those who get one glance and are given a whole identity just on how they look. I can empathize with someone who is told to cut their hair because it is out of dress code when it is their natural born hair and just looks different from the majority. I can empathize with someone who tries to break the stigma given to them because of how they look, but then are called a traitor by people who look like them because they want to break that stigma. I can empathize with all of that. I can’t be like Lety though. I can empathize with them, but I can’t be them. I can’t make the empathizing about me. I can’t see or hear how someone is treated and sob about it and have that person comfort me. It’s not about me. That, to me, is what really stuck with me from this book that I appreciate about R.F Kuang. She showed me the perspective of the voiceless, made me feel uncomfortable, confronted that uncomfortableness, and reminded me it is not about me. It is about the voiceless.

I will wrap this last paragraph up quickly. I’ve gone back and forth on a lot of things about this review. The quote I chose was from Chadwick Boseman (long live the King) who I felt fit well with this idea of A Voice for the Voiceless. I worry though that, with the main character being Cantonese, I should have chosen a quote that falls within that culture. I couldn’t find one though, which is why I put the Cantonese translation there instead. Does that take away from the message of Babel?? I’m not sure. I worry this review is too long and that in my attempts to explain how complex and beautiful this book is for the Voiceless, that I have made it about me. I’m not sure. I worry that this review is just a jumbled mess and makes no coherent sense at all. I don’t know. I will just be quick here and say Babel is one of my favorite books I have ever read. Babel is, for me personally, one of the most important books I have ever read. If you decide to read it, I hope it challenges you and makes you as uncomfortable as it did me. Now, pick up a book and read. Andiamo.