Episode 5.1: ‘Babel’ by RF Kuang
It’s happening. We’re finally doing it.
The book launching Season Five (!!) of ‘The Dark Academicals’ is RF Kuang’s huge 2022 release, ‘Babel’.
We’re both new to Kuang and have been completely intimidated by the hype for ‘Babel’, but it’s time.
Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.
Oxford, 1836.
The city of dreaming spires.
It is the centre of all knowledge and progress in the world.
And at its centre is Babel, the Royal Institute of Translation. The tower from which all the power of the Empire flows.
Orphaned in Canton and brought to England by a mysterious guardian, Babel seemed like paradise to Robin Swift.
Until it became a prison…
But can a student stand against an empire?
An incendiary new novel from award-winning author R.F. Kuang about the power of language, the violence of colonialism, and the sacrifices of resistance.
With the combination of Oxford, university, a focus on language and translation, and the pull of an outsider main character, it’s got to be dark academia, right? Did it tick all of our boxes, though?
In this episode we discuss:
Colonialism, the British Empire and the
The use of footnotes and etymology in the novel
How the use of a secret society in ‘Babel’ turns the trope upside down
You can listen to it here:
TEXTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
‘Babel’ by RF Kuang
‘The Poppy War’ by RF Kuang
‘Flashman Papers’ series by George MacDonald Fraser
‘The Secret History’ by Donna Tartt
‘Hell Bent’ by Leigh Bardugo
OTHER MEDIA AND POP CULTURE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Lord Flashheart from ‘Blackadder”
If like us you’ve been putting off ‘Babel’ but are finally ready to give it a shot, we’d love it if you considered using our bookshop.org link below to purchase your copy of the book which helps us fund ‘The Dark Academicals’ and gives back to independent bookshops at no extra cost to you.
You can also sign up to The Dark Academicals Book Club mailer to be entered for exclusive book club content and giveaways!
