Babel, or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution
22 hrs. 57 min.
Language
Russian
Author
Rebecca Kuang
Author
Rebecca Kuang
Narrator
Amir Rashidov
Narrator
Amir Rashidov
Description
Nebula Award winner.
Locus Award nominee.
Book of the Year according to the Barnes & Noble and Blackwell’s book network.
Time’s Book Top 100.
A new novel by the creator of the “The Opium War” trilogy.
A novel that serves as a thematic response to “The Secret History,” with an addition of “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell,” exploring the use of language and translation art as a dominant weapon of the British Empire, and student revolutions as an act of resistance against power.
Traduttore, traditore. An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.
1828. After cholera wipes out Canton, an orphaned Robin Swift ends up in London with the mysterious professor Lovell. For many years he studies Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese languages, preparing for admission to the prestigious Oxford University Royal Institute of Translation, also known as Babel. Its tower and its students are the world center of translation—and more importantly, magic. The magic of manifesting meanings lost during translation, using enchanted silver ingots. It was this magic that made the British Empire unbeatable, and Babel’s research into foreign languages serves the Empire’s foreign policy.
For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge is subordinate to power, and as a man of Chinese origin, Robin understands that serving Babel means betraying his homeland. During his studies, he faces a choice between Babel’s interests and the secret society “Hermes,” which seeks to stop the imperial expansion. When Britain launches an aggressive war against China for silver and opium, Robin must make a decision…
Can powerful institutions of power be changed from within, with no extra sacrifices—or does revolution always require violence?
Locus Award nominee.
Book of the Year according to the Barnes & Noble and Blackwell’s book network.
Time’s Book Top 100.
A new novel by the creator of the “The Opium War” trilogy.
A novel that serves as a thematic response to “The Secret History,” with an addition of “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell,” exploring the use of language and translation art as a dominant weapon of the British Empire, and student revolutions as an act of resistance against power.
Traduttore, traditore. An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.
1828. After cholera wipes out Canton, an orphaned Robin Swift ends up in London with the mysterious professor Lovell. For many years he studies Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese languages, preparing for admission to the prestigious Oxford University Royal Institute of Translation, also known as Babel. Its tower and its students are the world center of translation—and more importantly, magic. The magic of manifesting meanings lost during translation, using enchanted silver ingots. It was this magic that made the British Empire unbeatable, and Babel’s research into foreign languages serves the Empire’s foreign policy.
For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge is subordinate to power, and as a man of Chinese origin, Robin understands that serving Babel means betraying his homeland. During his studies, he faces a choice between Babel’s interests and the secret society “Hermes,” which seeks to stop the imperial expansion. When Britain launches an aggressive war against China for silver and opium, Robin must make a decision…
Can powerful institutions of power be changed from within, with no extra sacrifices—or does revolution always require violence?
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