Babel

This is one of those books that are a must-read, even though it might be daunting at first: the plot is complex and multi-layered; the sort of book that if someone asks 'what is it about?', you're hard-pressed to tell them. But it's clear from the get-go why it won all those awards. It's a literary masterpiece.

The plot of this book was so intriguing. Kuang takes her time to set you up for what ends up being one heck of a ride. So much of this story is a statement of society and although those statements sometimes felt too obvious, the story itself was too invigorating for me to put down.

Wow, what an achievement. A truly fresh story with lots of undercurrents, so smartly written without being too pedantic. I think the only other book that comes close in terms of great story+deep thoughtfulness is Philip Pullman's “His Dark Materials” series.

Extremely intelligent, beautifully written

My favorite books take you somewhere radically different but also engage you in real emotions. This book takes you deep into the academic world of 1830s Oxford but is also a fantasy book. It’s historical fiction, or as my own teenage son says, a fantasy that feels grounded. 

The narrator, Robin Lovell, is what I call an inside/outside character. Born in Canton but trained by the mysterious Professor Lovell in England to become an expert in Chinese, Latin, and Greek, he is both an insider at the Oxford Institute of Translation called Babel, where he is a student, and an… show more.

A must read for anyone who considers themselves a logophile like me. For the word facts and etymology tid bits alone, it's fantastic and so well researched. The mark of an author who knows their craft is effortlessness, and the way information was presented and woven into the plot was effortless.
Brutal in its story. Brutal in its message. Brutal, but so beautiful.

A magic system based on language and translation? Sign. Me. Up.

In addition, the writing itself is lovely; the story is entertaining and pulled me in immediately.

This is a great start for anyone who is interested in Fantasy but feels overwhelmed by the thought of epic fantasy. This story is built within our world (1820s London), historical in a well-researched way, and deals with some of our real-world problems (around at the time, but which can also be applied to today) – and also happens to have a system of magic.

This felt like a Victorian novel. Yes, that means it was slow at times, but the rich world and characters that it creates is well worth the effort it sometimes requires. It tells a story that's pretends to be fantasy, but is very much set in our own world nonetheless. I would actually call this more historical fiction than fantasy. Yes there's a fantastical underpinning, but the systems of privilege and oppression it depicts are very familiar. The academic setting is very much intrinsic to the story and is supplemented by footnotes to provide historical/linguistic context.

Centring on a prestigious translation institute in Victorian Britain, Kuang’s ambitious and eclectic novel—it combines dark academia, fantasy, and linguistics—brings to light the power of language as a tool of imperialism. 

Arresting and incisive, academically informed yet appropriately fluent, Babel managed to make me want to both return to university and run far away.

As much as I enjoyed learning about the fascinating relationships between words in distant language families, I particularly loved how this book compelled me to question how my own decisions on the cusp of revolution might be affected by my identity and privilege. I found it… show more.

I devoured this book from beginning to end, and the rest of my life was no more than an irritating distraction until I could return to it again. It really does have everything I have ever wanted in a novel. It’s profound, thought-provoking, addictive, moving, heartbreaking, political, and a damn good story. 

It explores so many themes that are dear to my heart: the power of language for good and for evil, the exploitation of colonialism and empire, dark academia, politics, and the joys and heartbreak of friendship, all wrapped in an utterly compelling world of magical realism.

Honestly, I’m… show more.