BABEL Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of The Oxford Translators' Revolution

Chris Lew Kum Hoi and Billie Fulford-Brown narrate a sharp alternate history/fantasy. Orphaned and taken from China to be raised in England, Robin Swift trains for years to join the Royal Institute of Translation at Oxford. As he learns the power that exists when history is translated, he realizes the many violences that colonialism perpetrates. Hoi's performance is outstanding, due in no small part to his linguistic facility. Close to a dozen languages are used throughout this audiobook--in addition to a variety of regional and national accents--and while Hoi may not be fluent in all of them, his facility and range are truly astonishing. Fulford-Brown's narration of the numerous footnotes highlights how much those comments and references differ from the main narrative--and plays up the author's dry wit. K.M.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2022]