A historical fantasy novel preluding the Opium wars, and the weight that language carries.
8/10 on the crymeter. It’s very in depth, and although you might not cry there will certainly be a too-heavy feeling of hopelessness and despair about the state of things!
I don’t know how R.F. Kuang does it, but every genre she touches she manages to do magnificently and with it sheds light on very important topics to learn about such as imperialism, colonialism, and how language although intangible, can also be a tool of empire.
“This is how colonialism works. It convinces us that the fallout from resistance is entirely our fault, that the immoral choice is resistance itself rather than the circumstances that demanded it.”
Alternate covers for Babel.
Highly recommend. It is a hefty book, but I think not hefty enough for the knowledge, insight, and worldview it imparts upon the reader. If I had read this in my teenage years, I might have chosen linguistics as my major. Really a life changing read.
Gorgeous special edition of Babel from Subterranean Press illustrated by Abigail Larson pictured below.
