Babel ‐ R. F. Kuang

[[ BookNotes ]] Author: R-F-Kuang

Fascinating exploration of power, racism and empire in alternate Victorian England. Draws on real history, only difference is silver and the properties it has.

A really great book, nail-biting, with interesting, complex characters and a heavy point to make about how English people forget their history and erase people unlike them.

The main character moves from acceptance of luxuries, to anger, to wanting to burn the whole system down.

Footnotes throughout add historical/ real life context.

For all it’s grandstanding, empire was a pathetic grab for power and profit ran by a few deeply psychopathic men. It was greedy, racist and destructive. The real enemy of everyone is the system of capital and exploitation. (capitalism-is-the-villain)

Translation between languages is nearly impossibly and that’s OK. Diversity of languages is strength, not weakness. English should not be a steamroller that erases all differences.