Babel

In "Babel," award-winning author R. F. Kuang explores themes of colonial resistance and the complexities of language through the story of Robin Swift, an orphaned boy from Canton, who is brought to London to study at the prestigious Royal Institute of Translation. As Robin trains in ancient languages and the art of "silver working," he becomes entangled in the tensions between the powerful Babel and the revolutionary Hermes Society amidst Britain's imperial ambitions. Faced with a moral dilemma regarding his identity and loyalties, Robin grapples with the question of whether true change is attainable from within corrupt institutions or if revolution necessitates violence.