“Well - since in the Bible, God split men kind apart. And I wonder if - if the purpose of translation, then, is to bring mankind back together.”

Robin Swift is a Chinese orphan. When his mother has died from an outbreak of cholera a mysterious gentleman takes him away to England. Then Swift gets an invitation to join the prestigious Royal Institute of Translation, the Tower of Babel. He’s excited and eager to learn. But slowly he and his friends discover that the magic that brings wealth to England and Oxford has a downside too. Suddenly he has to make a difficult choice.

Language is a way to express ourselves, but in this novel it’s about power, wealth and a tool for colonialism. Because Babel isn’t just about a boy that enrolls into a prestigious institute, but it’s also about racism, prejudice and colonialism and the value of translations. And this all by infusing non fiction with fiction, learning us about languages and etymology with even footnotes to educate us further. Boring? Nope, it’s not. It’s a mysterious and heartfelt story about found family with a diverse group of characters and a hint of magic. Downside to this highly educational dark academia? It’s rather a large book that could’ve been a lot shorter. It felt rather drawn out in the middle and because of it the pacing felt off. Add footnotes to that mix, which Kuang jokingly called the voice of God, and it’s a little dragging. But past the middle it draws you back in an explosive end.