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Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution
R. F Kuang
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Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller from the author of The Poppy War
“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.” — Shannon Chakraborty, bestselling author of The City of Brass
From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.
Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.
- Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel.
Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.
For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion.
When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide… Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?
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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Sep 11 2024
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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Oct 26 2022
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faqs 🤍 how do you pronounce your name? - my name is Jananie—pronounced JEN-nah-nee (like a knee!)
🤍 what's your background/ethnicity/etc? - both my parents are Sri Lankan Tamil, and I was born and raised in Canada!
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join as a channel member to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJn0v3OAEAX3-V4crjcHtRA/join
💌 for business/sponsorship inquiries please contact eric@smallscreenmarketing.com 💌 for all other inquiries please contact me at thisstoryaintover@gmail.com
faqs 🤍 how do you pronounce your name? - my name is Jananie—pronounced JEN-nah-nee (like a knee!)
🤍 what's your background/ethnicity/etc? - both my parents are Sri Lankan Tamil, and I was born and raised in Canada!
🤍 what is your job? - aside from youtube I also work in product marketing!
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Ezeekat Press\ \ Jaysen\ \ • Dec 31 2022
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WPD Books\ \ William\ \ • Oct 28 2022
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The best books published in 2022 (in no particular order) #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #yiyunli @kuangrf #cormacmccarthy
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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Oct 26 2022
I've got everything from fantasy books, to sci-fi, to literary fiction, to memoirs so I hope you enjoy!
other places to find me 🤍 my website: https://www.jananiekvelu.com/ 🤍 my series # EpicBookRecs on the Epic Reads Channel: https://bit.ly/2XziOfz
💌 for business/sponsorship inquiries please contact eric@smallscreenmarketing.com 💌 for all other inquiries please contact me at thisstoryaintover@gmail.com
faqs 🤍 how do you pronounce your name? - my name is Jananie—pronounced JEN-nah-nee (like a knee!)
🤍 what's your background/ethnicity/etc? - both my parents are Sri Lankan Tamil, and I was born and raised in Canada!
🤍 what is your job? - aside from youtube I also work in product marketing!
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WPD Books\ \ William\ \ • Oct 21 2022
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Best Books Published This Year (in 2022)
The best books published in 2022, at least as far as I’m aware, are The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li and Babel by R.F. Kuang. Be on the lookout for the two new Cormac McCarthy novels as well!
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WPD Books\ \ William\ \ • Oct 20 2022
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This book is not overrated. It is, in fact, very good. @kuangrf is the real deal. I’m partway through and am thoroughly enjoying. If you’re not sure you’ll like this book after Googling a blurb, get it for a friend or family member for the holidays. #bookrecommendations #babel
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WPD Books\ \ William\ \ • Oct 18 2022
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Best Book Published in 2022 (so far) #bookrecommendations #booktok #yiyunli #thebookofgoose #bestbooks2022 #rfkuang I have high hopes for Cormac McCarthy’s new novels as well, but he has some excellent competition from Yiyun Li.
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Ezeekat Press\ \ Jaysen\ \ • Sep 22 2022
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I will be thinking about this book for the rest of my life. #booktok #babel #books #bookrecommendations #bookreview #reading #rfkuang
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