How much do you love Oxford and how much are you fascinated by linguistic etymology?
The answers to those questions will scale directly with your enjoyment of R.F. Kuang‘s 2022 novel, Babel.
Set in a parallel 19th century, Babel exists in a world where British colonialism–which in the novel is rampant in historically accurate ways–is fueled by an arcane process where silver may be inscribed with words from multiple languages, producing magical effects manifesting the often subtle differences in meaning between the terms.
That can be hard to wrap your head around: essentially, you can inscribe words on pieces of silver, making them powerful magical objects, and doing so depends on a level of native comfort with multiple languages. Roll with it.
Oxford University is the center of study, research, development, production, and maintenance of these silver bars and this generates an inherent conflict: English society is dismissive and judgmental of the rest of the world, but also desperately needs their linguistic skill to keep the global gears of the silver industry turning. Vitally, these arcane artifacts are the true engine of Empire, more in trade than in pure military might, but for sure along both axes.
Into this setting step four first-year students, three from the diaspora and one native to England. They bond, struggle with the academics, bond some more, and develop a first-hand insight into the corrupt nature of empire and the utter disregard with which the colonizing power holds the people of the colonies. Resistance ensues.
For me, it … almost works. Babel is an odd book, often pedantic, full of footnotes that seem overly intent on proving that it is on the “correct side of history,” but also compelling and insightful. The insights into early capitalism and the exploitative nature of empire are spot-on, and the emotional lives of the quartet of characters are effectively and deeply drawn.
And I’m a bit of a language nerd. So it all worked.