Babel is an intriguing novel, set in an alternate Oxford of the 1830s, where there is a titular tower housing students who study languages, primarily for the magical manipulation of silver, upon which much of the world economy, and England's dominance therein, is based. The world-building is first-class, but there are problems in other areas. The story follows four students, three of whose minority races are treated appallingly by the dominant culture. This set-up allows for extended criticism of both colonialism and its inherent racism. Part of the problem with the novel, though, is that the four students act mostly like young twenty-first century kids transplanted into the early nineteenth century, and their political opinions and resistance strategies vacillate into simplistic and at times sophomoric manners. Despite these criticisms,
Babel is still quite entertaining, and very readable, if overly long. The first half seems impeccably done, while the flaws begin to creep in in the second half. Overall I quite enjoyed the book, primarily for its self-evident love given to languages and linguistic thought.
" This set-up allows for extended criticism of both colonialism and its inherent racism. Part of the problem with the novel, though, is that the four students act mostly like young twenty-first century kids transplanted into the early nineteenth century, and their political opinions and resistance strategies vacillate into simplistic and at times sophomoric manners."
ReplyDeleteBeen there, seen that (as a university professor, reader of the Chronicle of Higher Ed and so on. Colonialism schmolonialism. There are university students and guilty professors who think that that is what "Heart of Darkness" is primarily all about.
One to skip.