{"product_id":"babel-rf-kuang-9780063021433","title":"Babel | R. F. Kuang","description":"\u003csection class=\"product-description\" style=\"color: #1a1a1a; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003e\n  \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.75em; margin-bottom: 15px; border-bottom: 2px solid #2c3e50; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eBabel: An Arcane History\u003c\/h2\u003e\n  \n  \u003ctable style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 0.95em; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n    \u003ctbody\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50; width: 30%;\"\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a; font-weight: bold;\"\u003e9780063021433\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003eAuthor\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eR. F. Kuang\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003eFormat\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eTrade Paperback\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003ePublisher\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eHarper Voyager\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003ePublication Date\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eAugust 29, 2023\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003ePage Count\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003e560\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003eSubjects\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eHistorical Fantasy, Literary Fiction\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003c\/tbody\u003e\n  \u003c\/table\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eExtended Synopsis\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e1828. 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eBabel 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, fueling 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eCaught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society—an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion—Robin faces a harrowing choice when Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium. \u003cem\u003eBabel\u003c\/em\u003e grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the devastating cost of translation as a tool of empire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eReader Targeting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cul style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 20px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eFans of dark academia, historical fantasy, and complex socio-political narratives.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eReaders who enjoy meticulously researched settings and philosophical debates on power and colonialism.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eAudiences of R. F. Kuang's previous acclaimed work, such as \u003cem\u003eThe Poppy War\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eR. F. Kuang\u003c\/strong\u003e is an award-winning author known for her profound and genre-defying narratives. A Marshall Scholar and graduate of Georgetown University, she writes with intellectual rigor, exploring history, linguistics, and the moral complexities of power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAccolades \u0026amp; Features\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eAn instant #1 \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestseller. Shannon Chakraborty calls it, \"Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant, razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading.\" This edition includes historical academic footnotes, localized 1830s Oxford maps, and stylistic linguistic layout illustrations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n  {\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"Book\",\n    \"name\": \"Babel: An Arcane History\",\n    \"author\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Person\",\n      \"name\": \"R. F. Kuang\"\n    },\n    \"isbn\": \"9780063021433\",\n    \"numberOfPages\": \"560\",\n    \"publisher\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n      \"name\": \"Harper Voyager\"\n    },\n    \"datePublished\": \"2023-08-29\",\n    \"bookFormat\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/Paperback\",\n    \"inLanguage\": \"English\",\n    \"description\": \"R. F. 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