Babel

by R.F. Kuang

He buried his past life, not because it was so terrible but because abandoning it was the only way to survive.

‘But that’s the beauty of learning a new language. It should feel like an enormous undertaking. It ought to intimidate you. It makes you appreciate the complexity of the ones you know already.’

Languages are easier to forget than you imagine,’ he said. ‘Once you stop living in the world of Chinese, you stop thinking in Chinese.’

for real that's how i lost the ability to speak spanish

‘Magic.’ Professor Playfair pressed a hand against his chest. ‘What we are doing is magic. It won’t always feel that way – indeed, when you do tonight’s exercise, it’ll feel more like folding laundry than chasing the ephemeral. But never forget the audacity of what you are attempting. Never forget that you are defying a curse laid by God.’

‘For God’s sake,’ snapped Professor Lovell. ‘She was only just a woman.’

Yikes thats fucked up wouldnt save his mom because shes a woman, and probably because shes just a chinese woman....