
Babel
Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution
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Narrated by:
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Chris Lew Kum Hoi
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Billie Fulford-Brown
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By:
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R. F. Kuang
About this listen
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.
1828. 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?
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2023
- By: R. F. Kuang, John Joseph Adams
- Narrated by: Will Tulin, Chanté McCormick, Em Grosland, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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“Short stories have to accomplish a nearly impossible magic trick: to introduce a world often much stranger than our own and make you care about it in a matter of pages,” writes R. F. Kuang in her introduction. “The most important part of this magic trick is just a willingness to get weird.” The stories in The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2023 are brimming with bizarre and otherworldly premises.
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Strange mixed bag
- By Pie S. on 10-28-23
By: R. F. Kuang, and others
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The Book of Doors
- A Novel
- By: Gareth Brown
- Narrated by: Miranda Raison
- Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Cassie Andrews works in a New York City bookshop, shelving books, making coffee for customers, and living an unassuming, ordinary life. Until the day one of her favorite customers—a lonely yet charming old man—dies right in front of her. Cassie is devastated. She always loved his stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by. Nothing but the last book he was reading. But this is no ordinary book… It is the Book of Doors. Inscribed with enigmatic words and mysterious drawings, it promises Cassie that any door is every door. You just need to know how to open them.
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So good! I see a series!
- By Smith on 03-11-24
By: Gareth Brown
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Piranesi
- By: Susanna Clarke
- Narrated by: Chiwetel Ejiofor
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Piranesi lives in the House. Perhaps he always has. In his notebooks, day after day, he makes a clear and careful record of its wonders: the labyrinth of halls, the thousands upon thousands of statues, the tides that thunder up staircases, the clouds that move in slow procession through the upper halls. On Tuesdays and Fridays Piranesi sees his friend, the Other. At other times he brings tributes of food to the Dead. But mostly, he is alone.
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Fascinating Social Study
- By Henry V on 02-26-21
By: Susanna Clarke
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The Sword of Kaigen: A Theonite War Story
- By: M. L. Wang
- Narrated by: Andrew Tell
- Length: 24 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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On a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire's enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name "The Sword of Kaigen". Born into Kusanagi's legendary Matsuda family, f14-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: To master his family's fighting techniques and defend his homeland.
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OH. MY. GODS! Holy emotional epicness!
- By Kevin Potter on 09-03-20
By: M. L. Wang
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Dragon Teeth
- A Novel
- By: Michael Crichton
- Narrated by: Scott Brick, Sherri Crichton
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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The year is 1876. Warring Indian tribes still populate America's western territories, even as lawless gold-rush towns begin to mark the landscape. In much of the country, it is still illegal to espouse evolution. Against this backdrop two monomaniacal paleontologists pillage the Wild West, hunting for dinosaur fossils while surveilling, deceiving, and sabotaging each other in a rivalry that will come to be known as the Bone Wars.
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Exceptional Surprise!
- By Roman on 06-05-17
By: Michael Crichton
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Juniper & Thorn
- A Novel
- By: Ava Reid
- Narrated by: Stina Nielsen
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Marlinchen and her two sisters live with their wizard father in a city shifting from magic to industry. As Oblya’s last true witches, she and her sisters are little more than a tourist trap as they treat their clients with archaic remedies and beguile them with nostalgic charm. Marlinchen spends her days divining secrets in exchange for rubles and trying to placate her tyrannical, xenophobic father, who keeps his daughters sequestered from the outside world.
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Revenge Fantasy for Abuse Victims
- By BadKarmaCupcake on 11-02-22
By: Ava Reid
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The Will of the Many
- Hierarchy, Book 1
- By: James Islington
- Narrated by: Euan Morton
- Length: 28 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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The Catenan Republic—the Hierarchy—may rule the world now, but they do not know everything. I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilized society in allowing my strength, my drive, and my focus—what they call Will—to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.
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I don’t know what the other reviews are on about
- By Chase on 06-24-23
By: James Islington
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Circe
- By: Madeline Miller
- Narrated by: Perdita Weeks
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
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Refined writing with an intimate performance
- By Michael - Audible Editor on 04-11-18
By: Madeline Miller
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Ink Blood Sister Scribe
- A Novel
- By: Emma Törzs
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her own mother, and Joanna’s isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy.
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The most difficult audiobook I've ever listened 2
- By John on 06-04-23
By: Emma Törzs
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Ninth House
- By: Leigh Bardugo
- Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang, Michael David Axtell
- Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug-dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. In fact, by age twenty, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most prestigious universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?
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UTTERLY DISAPPOINTED.
- By Tavan Hiestand on 11-21-19
By: Leigh Bardugo
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The Chemist
- By: Stephenie Meyer
- Narrated by: Ellen Archer
- Length: 17 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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She used to work for the US government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn't even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning. Now she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They've killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon.
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Listened all night!
- By bebe on 06-04-17
By: Stephenie Meyer
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Babel (Spanish Edition)
- By: R.F. Kuang
- Narrated by: Nuria Samsó
- Length: 23 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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1828. El Instituto Real de Traducción de Oxford, también conocido como Babel, es la institución mágica más importante del mundo. La magia con plata capaz de revelar significados ocultos perdidos en la traducción que allí se practica le ha otorgado al Imperio británico un poder sin parangón. Robin, un huérfano cantonés que ha terminado siendo alumno en Babel, se ha dado cuenta de que servir a Babel significa traicionar a su país de origen.
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el tema de la traducción
- By Anonymous User on 03-28-24
By: R.F. Kuang
What listeners say about Babel
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- LisaLee
- 09-06-22
The novel language lovers have been waiting for
Beautifully narrated. I was drawn in immediately. And the novel itself is so lovely. As a student of history and someone who works in the language industry (which is still incidentally dominated by Britain), I found it to be brilliantly conceived, well researched and expertly told. It’s the best novel I’ve read since A Gentleman in Moscow. If you like Amor Towles, Anthony Doerr and Donna Tartt you’ll appreciate the ambition and skill behind this historical fiction. As someone who doesn’t typically prefer fantasy writing, I found that the fantastical elements did not distract in any way from the novel’s historical relevance and integrity. It’s a love letter to language that highlights the role language played (and still plays) in geopolitics, conquest and resistance. Just brilliant.
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- Doug C
- 10-04-22
Huge Highs, Low Lows
Starts off super interesting. This book has an amazing magic system. Using language and etymology as your magic is so unique and fascinating. It is so interesting and really drew me in to learn more. They tie the magic system in well with the theme of race, identity and colonialism. Powerful writing that really demonstrates what it must’ve been like for minorities from the British Colonies in the early 18th century.
And then, that’s it. Nothing profound happens. The main character is extremely passive outside of two moments in the book. The characters, while diverse, are super bland and too similar to stand out much. Nothing really happens for about 15 hours worth of this book and it shows. Toward the last half I was counting down the time until it was over it was so boring. The ending was very anti-climatic.
The topic of colonialism and race are so well done, that the book looses that certain whimsy which makes you want to reread a book. You want find Harry Potter levels of excitement or The Witcher levels of unique and likable characters or Game Of Thrones level of story beats. Is the aspects of race, colonialism and identity well done? Absolutely! But it wasn’t exactly fun. I’ll pass on any sequels.
Is it worth a read? Yes. The magic
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- Cliente de Kindle
- 03-18-23
It ended up being something totally different
It end up being something so different than what started. Half of the book everything changes into a different narrative and I have to say I liked much more the first half. However, this world is engaging and interesting all the way through, Its a delight in literature and the love of translation. But also is a wonderful study on colonialism and explotation. It also gives a raw reality on inmigration and cultural explotation.
Definitely worth discovering
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- ben
- 12-30-22
Enthralling
Fantastic book and amazing narration. The book was wonderful but I was truly blown away by the narrator, he made it such a joy to listen too.
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- Brandon R.
- 01-26-24
Fantasy….or possible reality
Took me about 6 chapters to get into the book, not my typical novel but OH wow! Fantastic adventure that makes you question everything.
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- Jesse Wright
- 02-21-23
slow start, well worth it
this book was recommended to me by a friend. I had no idea what I was getting into. I was honestly kind of bored for awhile into the beginning, but I loved all the getting into the origins of words and the translations so I was into it. then things started happening and wow, the last third is crazy. the setup was needed. very good book. I would be interested in a second.
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- user574839303
- 09-12-22
In my top 5 of all time
Thought-provoking, intelligent and emotional, this is an incredible book I think everyone should read. Plus, the narrator is amazing. I finished Babel three days ago and haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
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- Angela groves
- 10-17-22
so good
it was so good all of her books are amazing and rip my heart apart I feel so sad for the character
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- rudi hernandez
- 10-19-22
I’m shattered
I don’t have enough words to express how much I love this book. My heart aches. Its beautiful, and devastating, and utterly magical. This may be the best book I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The characters captured my heart, and I will carry them with me. 100/100.
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- Katie
- 12-30-22
Good story, well read.
A good story, very interesting first two thirds… I found the final third a touch drawn out and unfortunately I kept waiting for it to end. I struggle sometimes with the readings on audible, but this was pleasant to listen to.
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