Babel: Or the Necessity Of Violence by Rebecca F Kuang


I loved Babel: Or the Necessity Of Violence but it dealt with so many important issues in such a meaningful way that I have felt a little unsure about whether I can really capture it in a review.


I came to it because I have been trying to read the Longlisted and Shortlisted books for the Booker Prize 2025, and Babel: Or the Necessity Of Violence was high on my priority list after reading Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang last year and appreciating the way that she explored cultural appropriation. 


In Babel historical fiction meets fantasy fiction - set in an alternate 19th-century England, where the power of empire is fuelled by the magic of translation. This is literal - with silver bars that harness the lost meaning between words in different languages to produce extraordinary effects. Placed in a carriage they can increase the speed and comfort of the drive. Placed on a ship they can improve the quality of the journey and increase speed. The magic of the silver bars is created through the work of Babel’s translators, who inscribe them with paired words from different languages, capturing the untranslatable gaps in meaning to unleash powerful effects that only those fluent in both languages can activate.


The story centres on Robin Swift, a Chinese orphan brought to England, who is trained at Oxford’s Royal Institute of Translation (Babel), where linguistic magic enhances colonial domination. Robin and his group of close friends, are treated as second class citizens even when their skills are required by the empire, slowly become aware to the moral contradictions of the system that saved then in many cases from poverty, but at the same time has enslaved them through dependence. They are each faced with a decision about whether they continue to serve the British Empire or fight it.  


Although one of the books main themes was undoubtedly the power of language and how it can be used as a tool of colonialism and imperial control, for me what forcefully struck me was the question contained in the title - the necessity of violence. Can meaningful change ever come without violence?  


Is violence necessary to create social change?


For me, this is the question that stuck with me the most throughout the book, and something that the characters are increasingly forced to reckon with. Robin and his friends all try different ways to push back against the system the Empire has created. They try working within it and consider how they can contribute to its reform before eventually turning to more drastic action. The book made me reflect on what I suppose is an age old question in the modern world - we can argue our position against injustice, call for change, try the path of logic and advocacy, but if the people who have the power to create won't listen because their power is derived from the system itself - then is there any choice but violence? 

Kuang didn't glorify violence in Babel, but she also didn’t shy away from the reality that history has rarely changed without it. It made me reflect on the women's suffrage movement, where women turned to arson, bombings, and hunger strikes after years of peaceful protest were ignored, and they were succeeded. During the industrial revolution violent strikes, riots, and worker uprisings were crucial in achieving improved working conditions through legal reform. I think history shows that in most cases change does require violence and relies on people willing to sacrifice themselves to bring it about. 


Friendships and family


Another theme throughout the novel that I continue to reflect on is that of friendship and how the characters rely on it in the face of oppression to give them hope and purpose. Robin and each of his friends are from different parts of the world and as they enter the world of Oxford they increasingly feel the contradictions in their day to day to day lives. At Oxford, they are treated as second-class citizens. The women are unable to live on campus or attend events without pretending to be men, and the men are attacked and ridiculed for the colour of their skin. 


This is where the contradiction lies. On the one hand, they are clear that their social standing is not that of other students at Oxford while on the other hand the Empire requires their skills to maintain and extend its power. On the other hand, they are crucial to the empire’s power. This forces them to grapple with their place in a society that values their skills but not their humanity. 


We are also able to see these same contradictions played out in Robin's personal life. As a child he was removed from his family and taken to England by a man who valued his skill and ability with languages. It was clear that he viewed Robin's 'success' as a personal triumph because he believes that he has raised Robin to overcome the inferior traits he associates with Chinese people. He sees Robin as an exception arising from the positive influence of the British Empire and is blind to any systemic oppression. He sees a successful experiment that has brought glory to the Empire, not his ward's humanity. 


But it was so inspiring the way that sharing many of these experiences brought the friends together and gave them the strength to cope with the challenges that were thrown their way. However, while Robin and two of his friends were immigrants to England, their third friend, a white British student, doesn’t fully understand the weight of their struggle, and this difference strains their friendship. 


This made me reflect on my own privileged position in Australian society. As someone with privilege, I recognise that disadvantaged cohorts and individuals often have lived experiences and insights about issues that I cannot fully grasp. That means that I need to try to listen and accept their truth without filtering them through the lens of my own privilege. This is something that we all need to do better with and is certainly the case for the friendships in Babel. 


A book that makes you reflect in these ways is well worth the read, and this comes highly recommended from me. 

February 2025: What I Read (featuring Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence)

 I was pretty lucky with my choice of books in February 2025. 


I am starting with the last book I read in February, because it was by far the best: 



Wow. Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence by Rebecca R Kuang. I don't really even know where the begin with this one. Historical fiction meets fantasy fiction - set in an alternate 19th-century England, where the power of empire is fuelled by the magic of translation. This is literal - with silver bars that harness the lost meaning between words in different languages to produce extraordinary effects. Placed in a carriage they can increase the speed and comfort of the drive. Placed on a ship they can improve the quality of the journey and increase speed. The magic of the silver bars is created through the work of Babel’s translators, who inscribe them with paired words from different languages, capturing the untranslatable gaps in meaning to unleash powerful effects that only those fluent in both languages can activate.


The story centres on Robin Swift, a Chinese orphan brought to England, is trained at Oxford’s Royal Institute of Translation (Babel), where linguistic magic enhances colonial domination. Robin and his group of close friends, all immigrants to England and treated as second class citizens even when their skills are required by the empire, slowly become aware to the moral contradictions of the system that saved then in many cases from poverty, but at the same time has enslaved them through dependence on the system. They are each faced with a decision about whether they continue to serve the British Empire or fight it.  


Although one of the books main themes was undoubtedly the power of language and how it can be used as a tool of colonialism and imperial control, for me what forcefully struck me was the question contained in the title - the necessity of violence. Can meaningful change ever come without violence?  


I will try to write a fuller review of this book - but I really enjoyed it, if enjoy is the right word for such a deep and thought-provoking book. 




I also read Stoneyard Devotional by Charlotte Wood. This was shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2025, the winner of which was Orbital by Samantha Harvey. Having read Orbital last month, and having somewhat of a mixed reaction to it, I was keen to read another contender for the prize. This one wasn't quite as I expected. Much like OrbitalStoneyard Devotional was another moment in time novel that explored a period in the life of the unnamed narrator who has left her husband and life to become a nun in a regional religious community. Although an atheist, she is drawn to the opportunity to devote her life to service and introspection. The nuns of the community find value in this life of quiet seclusion, while three significant events that occur in the community ultimately give rise to question about whether one can contribute to society without taking positive steps for change. I enjoyed the story a lot but having read the description of the books I almost expected to be reading a mystery of some kind. I think I would like to try another of Wood's novels. 




The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yokohama Ogawa. While the maths involved in this story completely lost me, I don't doubt that there were probably a few meaningly metaphors in there that went over my head. Fortunately, this heartwarming story of three individuals brought together by chance but who have a meaningful and long-lasting impact on one another. It felt very intimate, and I applaud the ways that Ogawa was able to convey the complexities of the characters and their relationships in such a small book. I highly recommend. 




I also read The Ruin by Dervla Tiernan. I am a bit of a sucker for piece of detective fiction / mystery and this one came with good reviews. I did enjoy it - it was a quick easy read despite its page count but it's nothing to write home about it. I felt like it built for such a long time that when the solution to the mystery was revealed and the end game played out, it felt like an anticlimax for me. 

International Booker Prize 2025


The International Booker Prize Longlist for 2025 has been announced. In truth, I normally focus a little more on the awards when the shortlist is announced, but it grabbed my attention this time because I am about the start reading The Vegetarian by Han Kang, which won the International Booker Prize in 2016. 


Kang is a South Korean author, and her novel was translated into English by Deborah Smith. As someone who started eating a vegan diet in 2018, I am looking forward to reading a depiction of people's responses to the main character when she makes the same change to her diet. 


This year's longlist is:


  • The Book of Disappearance by Ibtisam Azem, translated from Arabic by Sinan Antoon
  • On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle, translated from Danish by Barbara J. Haveland  
  • There’s a Monster Behind the Door by Gaëlle Bélem, translated from French by Karen Fleetwood and Laëtitia Saint-Loubert   
  • Solenoid by Mircea Cărtărescu, translated from Romanian by Sean Cotter  
  • Reservoir Bitches by Dahlia de la Cerda, translated from Spanish by Heather Cleary and Julia Sanches
  • Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix, translated from French by Helen Stevenson   
  • Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa, translated from Japanese by Polly Barton  
  • Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami, translated from Japanese by Asa Yoneda
  •  Eurotrash by Christian Kracht, translated from German by Daniel Bowles  
  • Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico, translated from Italian by Sophie Hughes  
  • Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi   
  • On a Woman’s Madness by Astrid Roemer, translated from Dutch by Lucy Scott  
  • A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre, translated from French by Mark Hutchinson 


Of the books on this year's longlist, the one I am most interested in is Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami, translated from Japanese by Asa Yoneda. I enjoy speculative and science fiction, and this one seems to combine both genres in a very intriguing way. 


Taken from The Booker Prize's website, some of the notable observations on this year's longlist are:


  • "13 authors making their International Booker Prize debut, including three with their first books and eight with their first English-language publications 
  • Three previously longlisted translators, including one who is nominated for a record-breaking fifth time 
  • A classic of queer literature, first published in Dutch 43 years ago, marking the longest gap between an original-language publication and International Booker Prize longlisting 
  • Big themes in compact form, with 11 out of the 13 books under 250 pages, and eight under 200 
  • Books translated from 10 original languages, including, for the first time, Kannada which is spoken by approximately 38 million people as a first language, and Romanian 
  • 11 independent publishers behind 12 of the titles on this year’s longlist – the highest number ever" 

 You can read extracts from the books on the Booker Prize's website.

Six Degrees of Separation (Mar): from Prophet Song to The Passage by Justin Cronin

The meme is hosted by Books are My Favourite Best and is described thus: On the first Saturday of every month, a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. Readers and bloggers are invited to join in by creating their own ‘chain’ leading from the selected book. Each person’s chain will look completely different. It doesn’t matter what the connection is or where it takes you – just take us on the journey with you.



This month we begin with Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, the 2003 Booker Prize Winner. I read this last year and really enjoyed it, although I am not sure that 'enjoy' is the correct word for a book so dark. Prophet Song is a dystopian novel set in Ireland, as it endures a violent slide into a totalitarian state and a civil war. Now, I think the world fears that it may offer a glimpse of a possible American future, but I like to think positively. 


It does immediately bring to mind The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, another dystopian novel about a totalitarian state. Atwood famously wrote this book using only the dark abuses that exist in our current world, combining them into one dystopian world full of horror and harm.


Trying but failing to keep move onto a lighter subject, I immediately thought of The Invisible Man by HG Wells. Elisabeth Moss being the obvious link here, having appeared in the tv adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale and the 2020 movie The Invisible Man. I am actually a big fan of old school science fiction, and I am partial to a bit of HG Wells, although The War of the Worlds is my personal favourite.




Now my mind is stuck on some of my favourite old school science fiction novels. The first is Nemesis by Isaac Asimov. I know that Asimov is probably more famous for some of his other novels, and I am very partial to the Space Ranger series, but Nemesis has just been one of those substantial science fiction novels with space travel, future civilisations and strong female characters that I can revisit over and over again. 


Then of course there is The Chrysalids by John Wyndham. This is my absolutely favourite Wyndam novel - a masterpiece set in a post-apocalyptic world following a nuclear disaster where society has become deeply religious and anyone born with any slight difference is consider impure and immediately outcast. If you haven't read this - I highly recommend it. You can read my full review here, where I gave it full marks and declared it one of my new favourite books of all time. 


This takes us to my final book of this month's entry - which is The Passage by Justin Cronin. The Passage is an exhilarating and tense post-apocalyptic story that spans the decades before and after a virus has been released by the US Military and destroyed the world as we know it - you can read my full review here. I absolutely loved this book when it came out, it was everything you could want from popular fiction; fast-paced, action-packed, enthralling and with skilled writing as well. The Passage is the first in a series, and unfortunately for me it was one of those series that just dropped the ball as it progressed. I would highly recommend reading The Passage but give the later books a miss. 

Six Degrees of Separation (Feb): from Dangerous Liaisons to Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

I haven't participated in #6degrees previously, but as someone who suffers from FOMO, I couldn't help but want to join in. 


The meme is hosted by Books are My Favourite Best and is described thus: On the first Saturday of every month, a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. Readers and bloggers are invited to join in by creating their own ‘chain’ leading from the selected book. Each person’s chain will look completely different. It doesn’t matter what the connection is or where it takes you – just take us on the journey with you.



February's #6degrees begins with Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. Now I'm not going to lie, I haven't read this. Perhaps I should add it to my TBR list for 2025, but we'll see. My research does tell me that it's an epistolary style novel written in 1782, depicting all the depravity of the French nobility just prior to the French Revolution. 


This takes me directly to another epistolary style novel Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, which I have reviewed here. I absolutely loved this book. The beauty of Frankenstein is just how human Frankenstein's monster really is. He is a man who desires love and companionship. In his early years of being he seeks friendship and family. He wants people's approval and notice in order that he can become the man that he feels that he is. He is then deeply wounded by the sudden and cruel realisation that he is fated to a life of nameless isolation, where he will only ever be met with abhorrence and rejection. His grief and despair at this realisation force him to seek the assistance of the man that he himself despises, his creator, Viktor Frankenstein. It's also a true classic, having played a significant role in the development of the horror genre, as well as having an important place in romantic and gothic literature, and to a lesser extent science fiction as well. 


Speaking of monsters, another epistolary style novel but this time with the greatest vampire of all time: Dracula by Bram Stoker, which I have reviewed here. Creepy creepy creepy. But in a good way of course. I loved this book and there were times as I was reading that I nearly wanted to put it down because it was creeping me out so much. I do admit though that I loved the first half of the book at Count Dracula's castle so much more than the second half. 



So, while we are on a vampire theme, how can I go past Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, which I have reviewed here. Controversial I know. So many people disliked these books but when I first read them, I absolutely loved them and consumed them as fast as I could. It isn't until more recently that I reflect more poorly on them for the disconcerting depiction of a relationship that in real life would easily be considered one of domestic violence by way of coercive control. Although initially I loved it, now I worry about what lessons a younger generation takes from it about what a romantic relationship should be. 


What should a romantic relationship be like? Well, while I think it's easier to identify what it "should not" be like, what it "should" be like is much harder to pin down - what works will be different for everyone. But how can you go past Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The slow build to true love - now that's romantic. Elizabeth and Darcy coming to know each other over time, and in the process coming to know themselves. Sigh. 


This takes me to my final choice, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. How did I get here? Not because of the common thread of romance, but because if someone asked me what my favourite book was and made me choose just one, I would be choosing between Pride and Prejudice and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. And I think that Rebecca would just win out. I have tried to review Rebecca in the past, but I just can't do it justice. From the very time I read that opening line "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again" I was hooked. The characters, the prose, the plot - it just gets me every time. 





January 2025: What I Read


I started 2025 off on a bit of an audiobook roll. I'm not usually one for audiobooks, but I was having trouble sleeping and there was just something so relaxing about spending the evening in bed listening to an audiobook. 

And I wasn't just on an audiobook roll - it was an Agatha Christie audiobook roll. I've always been a die-hard Christie fan, ever since I was in high school. I will always remember that The Mysterious Affair at Styles was my first introduction to Christie and I've never looked back. I've read all of her books now, and many of them I have read many times over. What's wonderful is that I have discovered on Spotify Premium that I can listen to any number of Christie audiobooks which, circling back to where this post began, was how I started my 2025. 

Of course, I had to start with The Mysterious Affair at Styles and then I moved onto Death in the Clouds. These were both narrated by High Fraser, the actor who played Hastings in the David Suchet Poirot adaptations. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was narrated by David Suchet himself.

Here we go with my first piece of controversy for the year - but I prefer the narration of Hugh Fraser to David Suchet. There is something so mild but compelling about the way he narrates. Perhaps I've watched the television series too much, but his voice just feels to comforting. 


For my first read of the year, I started with Orbital by Samantha Harvey. There is just something about books that are nominated for the prize that I seem to be attracted to. It's so unusual for me not to enjoy the winner or even anything on the short list or long list. This isn't an exception - I did enjoy it..... but.

First - what is Orbital about? In Orbital, Samantha Harvey recounts a single day aboard the International Space Station, exploring the perspectives of six astronauts as orbit Earth and their thoughts drift between the vastness of space and the fragile beauty of the planet below. I think ultimately, this is a story of what it means to be human and the juxtaposition of our small lives with the vastness of earth and space. 

What I found challenging was the lack of plot. I don't mean this as a criticism. The story isn't meant to have plot. It's a beautifully written reflection on what it is to be human, but perhaps my personal taste makes me lean toward more plot driven fiction. The language and the imagery invoked though was beautiful and I do recommend the book. 



Last for January 2025 was The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. I had been seeing this book everywhere - there must have been an absolutely huge marketing push. And it worked - when I saw what the book was about it seemed exactly up my alley. It's blend of historical fiction, spy thriller, and speculative fiction - with some romance tossed in for good measure. It is the story of an unnamed civil servant who employed to "acclimatise" a time-traveling Victorian explorer to modern life. In the background is the sinister government program that they all understand so little about but clearly is not quite what it's meant to be. 

I did enjoy this book, but like many others who have reviewed it before, it didn't quite live up to its potential. The book was probably trying to be too many things at once and the pace was a little confused - with a slow build followed by a very quick and slightly confusing reveal toward the end. I wish that it had lent more into its spy thriller persona.

Having said that, I still couldn't put it down and when I learnt how it was written, all was forgiven. This is the author's debut novel and written during the covid pandemic and send to her friends in short pieces in order to keep them entertained through what we all know was a challenging time. This, to me, makes explains the odd pace and repetitiveness that crept in. Still - I would recommend this if you are after a fun and quirky read.  

2024: The Year in Books


To recap my 2024 of reading, I need to first reflect on the past. 

Reflections on the Past 


When I was younger, still in my 20s and before I had any children, reading was my passion. I purchased many books, read frequently, and started my first blog, Page Turners. Page Turners was like my first baby. I poured all my energy into designing it, publishing reviews, building a following, and participating in the book blogger community. My highlight was being interviewed on the ABC Book Show about my review of The Timeless Land by Eleanor Dark. 


But then, in 2012, I had my first child, and everything changed. At first, sheer exhaustion prevented me from reading and blogging. But inevitably, my priorities shifted as I entered a new phase of life. Suddenly, my passion was parenting one, and later two, young children. I had to manage family life while working full-time. We moved homes, helped our children through day care, preschool, and primary school, and now my eldest is on the cusp of starting high school. 


Over that time, we lost several loved ones, travelled, and lived through a pandemic along with the rest of the world. During that phase of my life, my reading suffered. I still read books, but far fewer than before. Often, I re-read books, which I found easier to dip in and out of whenever I found the time and inclination to read. 


Reflections on the Present 

That brings us to 2024. Finally, the stars seemed to align. I started a new professional role that was far less stressful than any of my previous roles. This left me with more mental space and, literally, more time to pick up my reading habit again. I was also inspired by a colleague who is a voracious reader. I had already read a little more than usual in 2023, but everything seemed to click in 2024 when I finally found the time and inspiration to start reading again. 


Another piece that clicked into place was finding Page Turners again. I had thought I lost it due to some issues with the web address I had purchased in 2010. But through sheer luck, I found all my posts from 2009 to 2015 sitting in the back end of Blogger, waiting to be explored. While I wasn’t sure I was ready to start blogging again, I knew I didn’t want to risk losing all my work, so in 2024, I made it a labour of love to transfer all of Page Turners posts into this new blog, Aidanvale, named after my home and representing a new phase for me. 


The Books of 2024 


Now that we have covered the context of 2024, it’s time to reflect on the books themselves. I read 41 books in total. Perhaps not the biggest number compared to how many books I used to read, but quite an achievement for me in my current phase of life. I still re-read seven books—old favourites that I have read many times in the past and will continue to re-read in the future.


If you were to try any of those, I would recommend reading the Barforth Trilogy by Brenda Jagger, historical fiction that explores the experiences of women through three generations. Seventeen books were written by Australian authors, something I deliberately tried to prioritize. Most of these were from the Rowland Sinclair series by Sulari Gentill. I highly recommend this series to anyone who is a fan of Agatha Christie, Kerry Greenwood, or Richard Osman. There’s nothing like some cozy detective fiction. I hope they adapt this series into a television show. 


My Favourites of the Year 


To be honest, none of the books I read in 2024 would go straight to my “favourites of all time” list. However, as evidenced by the fact that I finished the entire series in 2024, the Rowland Sinclair series was definitely a favourite. Other favourites include: 


Devotion by Hannah Kent: Kent’s writing transports you. It offers a sensory experience of the natural world and the emotional lives of the characters. In this case, it explores the love story between two young women who are transported across the world to start new lives. 


March by Geraldine Brooks: This novel is written from the perspective of the father in Louisa May Alcott’s March family while he is away from his family, fighting in the Civil War. It is a dark yet emotional tale of a love that cannot be. 


The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins: This is the origin story of President Snow as he begins his ascent from poverty to the presidency. I’ve always loved The Hunger Games and how Collins explores human responses to social, political, and personal circumstances. 


Most Overrated 

Lastly, the most overrated book I read in 2024 was Butter by Asako Yuzuki. This was based on the true story of a Japanese female serial killer. I believe the author had grand plans to convey a message about how women are treated in Japanese culture, particularly regarding body image, but it fell flat for me. The pacing was inconsistent, and the story took too many odd tangents. I had read a lot of positive reviews before picking it up, but ultimately, it didn’t live up to my expectations.