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Babel
- Author
- R.F. Kuang
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 1 September 2022
- Run Time
- 21 hours 45 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
- Genre
- Historical fantasy, Dark fantasy, Contemporary fantasy / Low fantasy, Urban fantasy, Epic fantasy / high fantasy, Narrative theme: coming of age, Narrative theme: politics / economics
- Rating
- 4.5 (31 reviews)
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What to expect
‘One for Philip Pullman fans’
THE TIMES
‘This one is an automatic buy’
GLAMOUR
‘Ambitious, sweeping and epic’
EVENING STANDARD
‘Razor-sharp’
DAILY MAIL
‘An ingenious fantasy about empire’
GUARDIAN
'Literary super-stardom doesn't seem too far out of her reach now'
THE HERALD
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.
'A masterpiece that resonates with power and knowledge. BABEL is a stark picture of the cruelty of empire, a distillation of dark academia, and a riveting blend of fantasy and historical fiction – a monumental achievement’
Samantha Shannon, author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE
Delve into the heart of an alternative UK, where Babel reigns as a top entry among gaslamp fantasy books. It's a great, bestselling read, peppered with the essence of urban exploration and thrilling action, an adventure that will leave you breathless and wanting more. For fans of Rebecca Yarros (Iron Flame), Leigh Bardungo (Six of Crows), Brandon Sanderson (The Way of Kings) and Olivie Blake (The Atlas Six) and Samantha Shannon (The Priory of the Orange Tree).
Critics Review
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BLACKWELL’S BOOK OF THE YEAR
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A WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR FINALIST
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DAILY MAIL BEST BOOK OF 2022
-
‘Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant, razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading that isn't just an alternative fantastical history, but an interrogative one; one that grabs colonial history and the Industrial Revolution, turns it over, and shakes it out’
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Shannon Chakraborty, bestselling author of THE EMPIRE OF GOLD
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‘A masterpiece that resonates with power and knowledge. BABEL is a stark picture of the cruelty of empire, a distillation of dark academia, and a riveting blend of fantasy and historical fiction – a monumental achievement’
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Samantha Shannon, bestselling author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE
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‘A masterpiece. Through a meticulously researched and a wholly impressive deep dive into linguistics and the politics of language and translation, Kuang weaves a story that is part love-hate letter to academia, part scathing indictment of the colonial enterprise, and all fiery revolution’
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Rebecca Roanhorse, NYT bestselling author of BLACK SUN
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‘Kuang has outdone herself. BABEL is brilliant, vicious, sensitive, epic, and intimate; it's both a love letter and a declaration of war. It's a perfect book’
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Alix E. Harrow, bestselling author of A THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY
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‘A book that confirms Kuang as a major talent’
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SFX
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‘Brainy, brilliant, and fuelled by righteous anger, Babel is a towering tour-de-force of fantasy’
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DAILY MAIL
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‘BABEL has earned tremendous praise and deserves all of it. It’s Philip Pullman’s THE GOLDEN COMPASS by way of N.K. Jemisin’s THE FIFTH SEASON: inventive and engaging, passionate and precise’
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NEW YORK TIMES
User Reviews
Book 4.5
Narration 4.5
-
5.0 5.0
An interesting and challenging look at colonialism and how language shapes, lifts up and grinds down those who can or cannot wield it. I was not prepared for the ending.
dizzydyslexic 2025-11-29 -
5.0 5.0
A gripping story, full of the love of friendship. Beautifully narrated, would recommend
alavender 2024-06-12 -
5.0 5.0
I wasn't sure that this would be a book for me but it turned out to be nothing short of brilliant. A massive tale on a massive canvas brilliantly written cleverly crafted and intriguing. Excellent narration as have all the books been on this platform. 😁😁😁
Johnboy 2023-10-13 -
4.0 4.0
Overall a very smart book. I enjoyed the world creation of Babel, although the plot lost me a little towards the end. It did take a while to get used to the style of narration, but having the footnotes voiced by a different actor made it clearer that they were addendums.
megchaplin 2023-05-25
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4.0 2.0
The narration isn’t bad per se, just didn’t really match my taste.
zaharya 2023-03-30 -
4.0 4.0
A very clever and creative tale, although occasionally a bit directionless and heavy on linguistics. Narrator was great but the footnotes with a different voice were jarring and disrupted the flow.
Bobwah 2023-02-02 -
5.0 5.0
I loved this story! It had me captivated the whole way through! The academic setting and footnotes on translations beautifully fit with the narrative. The fantasy elements are subtly added so the Oxford described feels familiar. A must listen for anyone whose ever studied a language!
Laurie 🐱 2023-01-27 -
5.0 5.0
Stunning it's scope and execution. I loved it.
Bannerheldhigh 2023-01-23 -
5.0 5.0
What a journey. How something so academic in its writing has been so enthralling I've no idea but I really enjoyed this. Great final book of 2022.
JJArthur 2023-01-01
Details
- Author
- R.F. Kuang
- Narrator
- Chris Lew Kum Hoi, Billie Fulford-Brown
- Duration
- 21 hours 45 minutes
- Release Date
- 1 September 2022
- ISBN
- 9780008501846
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Historical fantasy, Dark fantasy, Contemporary fantasy / Low fantasy, Urban fantasy, Epic fantasy / high fantasy, Narrative theme: coming of age, Narrative theme: politics / economics
- Rating
- 4.5(31 reviews)
- Narration
- 4.5(31 reviews)
Synopsis
THE #2 SUNDAY TIMES AND #1 NYT BESTSELLER ‘One for Philip Pullman fans’ THE TIMES ‘This one is an automatic buy’ GLAMOUR ‘Ambitious, sweeping and epic’ EVENING STANDARD ‘Razor-sharp’ DAILY MAIL ‘An ingenious fantasy about empire’ GUARDIAN 'Literary super-stardom doesn't seem too far out of her reach now' THE HERALD 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. 'A masterpiece that resonates with power and knowledge. BABEL is a stark picture of the cruelty of empire, a distillation of dark academia, and a riveting blend of fantasy and historical fiction – a monumental achievement’ Samantha Shannon, author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE Delve into the heart of an alternative UK, where Babel reigns as a top entry among gaslamp fantasy books. It's a great, bestselling read, peppered with the essence of urban exploration and thrilling action, an adventure that will leave you breathless and wanting more. For fans of Rebecca Yarros (Iron Flame), Leigh Bardungo (Six of Crows), Brandon Sanderson (The Way of Kings) and Olivie Blake (The Atlas Six) and Samantha Shannon (The Priory of the Orange Tree).
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