Babel

More about the book

From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes a thematic exploration of student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the role of language as a tool of the British empire. In 1828, Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is taken to London by the enigmatic Professor Lovell. He spends years mastering Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, preparing to enroll in Oxford's Royal Institute of Translation—Babel. This institution is not only the epicenter of translation but also of magic, as silver working allows the British to wield unparalleled power by manifesting meaning lost in translation. For Robin, Oxford represents a utopia for knowledge. However, as a Chinese boy in Britain, he grapples with the realization that serving Babel means betraying his homeland. As his studies deepen, he finds himself torn between Babel and the clandestine Hermes Society, which seeks to halt imperial expansion. When Britain instigates an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin faces a critical choice: Can he change powerful institutions from within, or is revolution the only path forward?