The Fall of the Tower of Babel.
I’m a bit late to the party, aren’t I? It was at the behest of Syaza that I read this book. She has been insisting I read this book for a while now, claiming I will find it a compelling read since I came from a linguistic background. Her copy is riddled with annotations, which I find heartwarming. It showed that the book is well-loved.
This gripping novel is authored by the writer R.F Kuang, a speculative fiction piece of literature that took the literary world by storm. Winning two accolades is no easy feat, and this book has been given a place in Time’s 100 Books You Must Read in 2022.
So, what is Babel or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution about?
If I were to summarise it in one word, it would be greed. The most prominent sin in this book is avarice. Pages after pages, R.F Kuang masterfully created an enthralling world set in 1830s England, where silverworking is the lifeblood of the world and the city.
Character: Robin Swift
We were introduced to Robin, the protagonist of the story. An orphan from Canton with a dying mother, he was ‘saved’ by one Professor Richard Lovell, who bears a striking resemblance to him. I will let you connect the very obvious dots.
Brought up by the Professor, Robin received the best education in classical languages. It was only later that his education was only for one sole goal in the Professor’s mind, for Robin to ultimately become one of Babel’s scholars.
It was at Babel that Robin met Ramy, Letty and Victoire.
Character : Ramiz Rafi “Ramy” Mirza
Ramy, an Indian Muslim boy praised for his ability to imitate any sounds and inflections. Gift of the gab, the book called it. A sponge that can absorb any language. Sent by Sir Horace Wilson, his father’s employer to Yorkshire where he would learn and learn and he’s grown, carted off to University College. Frankly, the most interesting character in the book.
His death was the one that affected me most, especially since it came out of left field and the one who held the gun was one of his dearest friends.
Character: Letitia Price
Letty, born Letitia Price, claimed she was not a wicked person. This is a fact that I find hard to believe, especially after the end of the book. Suffice it to say, I understand now why the book is so polarising to a certain demographic. Some felt that her motivations were unclear, and her change in behaviour too abrupt. However, it is my personal opinion that Letty has always harboured an innate prejudice unknown even to herself. She thought of herself as progressive, equating the racial struggles her friends faced as equal to the patriarchal struggles she experienced. While I am in no way trying to invalidate her experience, however, I feel Victoire deserves more pity. She has to face both racial and patriarchal struggles.
A fact that Letty often forgot in her self-pity.
Character: Victoire Desgraves
Victoire Desgraves introduced herself as a survivor, and she’s good at it. I am inclined to believe it since the epilogue is about her. Victoire, to me, is a very mysterious figure.
The key is not looking back, said Victoire. And she never looked back. At the start of her life in Haiti, her mother took her and ran to Paris. And at the end of the book, she is still running. Will keep running, to find a way forward.
In the epilogue, she spoke Kreyòl to Anthony when he asked if she thought Hermes will succeed.
“Ask me a little later, and I tell you.” It perfectly reflects the uncertainty they are facing. They could win, they could lose. But one thing is for sure.
They will die trying.
Babel was a spectacular read for sure. It sparked my interest in reading more about colonialism and the lasting effect of it, or more accurately, the fallout. It also left me more aware of the intricate, interweaving design of languages constantly borrowing words from one another.
All in all, Babel truly deserved all the hype it got. I can’t wait to get my hands on R.F Kuang’s new tomes, truly an author to watch out for.
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