Babel + The Last Laugh
"Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence" by R.F. Kuang plops you right down in 1930s London. In the first chapters, it feels like a regular historical fiction read where Robin Swift, a Cantonese orphan is brought to London by Professor Lovell. Robin trains in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation, AKA Babel. Quickly the fantasy aspect of this read comes through as we learn that Babel’s students are the world's hub for translation and… magic. More specifically, the magic of silver working or the harnessing of the meaning that is lost in translation between languages. This is the power that has made the British THE colonizing power of the world. Robin lives his dream in Oxford, but it quickly unravels into a literary rebellion where scholars brandish dictionaries like weapons, waging a war against linguistic oppression. Get these pages turning to find a linguistic rebellion of epic proportions.
As seen on Instagram by @thebitterfairy.
Babel lets you sink your teeth into the power of words and the strength of the space between languages. @thebitterfairy dove into the space between cocktails and created the perfect cocktail riff in The Last Laugh.
The Last Laugh
3/4 oz Gin
3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Maraschino Liquer
3/4 oz lime juice
A little cava on top
Combine all except the cava and shake well with ice. Fine strain into chilled glass and top with cava
“Robin’s doppelgänger ordered them two glasses of a light golden ale. Robin drained half his glass in three desperate gulps and felt somewhat steadier, though no less confused.”
(Cover Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash)
